RACE TO MACKINAC UPDATE #4 - FINAL
RESULTS
For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
9:45 a.m. CDT
WINDS
PICK UP, BALANCE OF FLEET SAILS TO FINISH IN 2003 CHICAGO YACHT CLUB RACE TO
MACKINAC PRESENTED BY LANDS' END
Retriever,
Bantu, Cathexis and Lightning Win Division Titles
CHICAGO, July 15, 2003 - Light winds
that challenged most racers over the weekend and much of the day Monday picked
up speed early Tuesday to bring the remainder of the boats participating in the
2003 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands' End Business
Outfitters to the finish line.
Overnight, winds at the finish line picked up
to about 8 knots, increasing to 15 knots by morning.
As of 9:30 a.m. CDT, all but one boat
had crossed the finish line at Mackinac Island, Mich., 333 miles north of the
race's starting point in Chicago.
"The beauty of the Race to Mackinac is
that weather conditions make each race completely different and you never know
what to expect," said Michael Bucklo, chairman of the Chicago Yacht Club
Mackinac Committee. "This year, light and variable winds for much of the
race presented a different set of challenges than last year's fast and stormy
finish. Light winds really test the skills and know-how of racers because boats
must make the most of every wind gust in order to advance their position."
Final results and corrected times for the for
the 97th running of the "Mac" in the race's four divisions
are:
Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division
1st Place - Retriever,
Alden51 owned by David Verdier of Grand Rapids, Mich., 30:12:39.
2nd Place - Bacchant,
75 Square Meter owned by Jerome D. Sullivan out of Milwaukee Yacht Club,
30:35:08.
3rd Place - Wooton 2,
Sabre40 owned by W. Harris Smith out of Chicago Yacht Club, 30:37:19.
First-to-Finish Honors - Rosebud,
TransPac52 out of San Francisco owned by Gary Evans and Roger Sturgeon finished
the race in an elapsed time of 36:44:40.
Mackinac Cup Division
1st Place - Bantu,
Block Island 40, owned by Thomas J. Kuber out of Marinette and Menominee Yacht
Club, 29:55:18.
2nd Place - Cheep N Deep,
C&C39 owned by Randall B. Kuhn out of Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club,
30:01:00.
3rd Place - Nana, Ericson
39 owned by William McCaffrey and Alan Baske out of Waukegan Yacht Club,
30:28:34.
First-to-Finish Honors - Cheep N Deep
finished the race in an elapsed time of 48:33:11.
Multihull Division
1st Place - Cathexis,
Crowther 10.6 owned by Irving DeRoeck out of Escanaba Yacht Club, 42:34:12.
2nd Place - Gamera,
F25C owned by Matthew Scharl of the Midwest Open Racing Fleet, 44:45:51.
3rd Place - Nice Pair,
Crowther Super Shockwave owned by Bruce Geffen of Ann Arbor, Mich., 44:54:16.
First-to-Finish Honors - Caliente,
a Criswhite44 owned by Michael Steck of Naperville, Ill., finished the race in
41:38:32.
Open Division
1st Place - Lightning,
Schock 40 owned by Krzysztof Kaminski out of the Polish Yachting
Association, Chicago, 33:01:55.
2nd Place - Alchemy,
Andrews77 owned by Richard and Mary Compton of Santa Barbara, Calif., 36:37:20.
Overall and Division First-to-Finish
Honors - Alchemy, which finished the race in an elapsed time of
35:25:17.
Skippers and crew of winning boats in each
division are awarded Lands' End squall jackets and Korbel champagne.
More Race Comment
"Our fastest speed during this race was
about 15 knots (17.40 mph)," said Alchemy's Richard Compton.
"We fell into a big hole near Charlevoix and just sat there for about two
hours."
During last year's race, Caliente
capsized during the strong storms, and the crew was rescued by competitor Kokomo
and the freighter Algo Marine. "We're thrilled to have made first
to finish honors after capsizing last year," said crew member Mark
Muehler. "We went up the middle of the lake and experienced winds of 6-7
knots. Through the Straits until we hit the Bridge, the wind picked up and we
were moving at approximately 16 knots."
"We had great wind all the way through
the Straits until a half mile to the finish," said Skipper Shawn O'Neill
of the Eagle. "We had a two mile lead on the next closest
competitor and we hit a pocket dead air, so they nearly caught up with
us."
The public can follow the progress of the
boats up Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island and the latest scoring information at
www.chicagoyachtclub.org.
The Race to Mackinac is Chicago Yacht Club's
world-renowned race that challenges the endurance, speed and agility of
skippers and crewmembers from around the globe each year. The 333-mile race
from Chicago to Mackinac Island at the northern end of Lake Michigan is the
world's longest freshwater race and one of the most prestigious in the United
States.
"The Mac" is a handicapped race
with four divisions: Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division, made up of larger boats;
Mackinac Cup Division, made up of smaller boats; Multihull Division; and Open
division. Each division is scored separately and boats compete only with others
in their division. As a result, there are four division winners based on
handicapped, corrected time and four First-To-Finish honors are awarded based
on the fastest elapsed time.
New to the race this year, all monohull boats
are being scored using the US SAILING AMERICAP II TM handicap
system, which allows for boats of different sizes to compete against each other
more equitably. This new system will provide significantly more competitive
racing while continuing to reward preparation, skill and perhaps, a little
luck. Multihull boats continue to sail under lake Michigan Performance
Handicapped Racing Federation (LMPRFH) handicaps.
Also new to the Race to Mackinac this year is
its presenting sponsor, Lands' End Business Outfitters, a division of direct
merchant Lands' End.
The start of the race was on Lake Michigan
approximately 1.5 miles east of Chicago's Monroe Harbor. Prior to the start,
competing boats paraded for the public past Navy Pier with their ceremonial
flags raised. The finish line for the race is the lighthouse on Round Island,
off Mackinac Island, Michigan.
The 2003 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac
presented by Lands' End marks the 105th anniversary of the race's
founding in 1898. Several years passed between the first and second running of
the race and the event was also suspended for a period following the United
States' entry into World War I. The challenging conditions on Lake Michigan
require the best of racing, tactics, strategy and boat speed. Participation in
"The Mac" is by invitation only from Chicago Yacht Club.
About the Chicago Yacht Club
Founded in 1875 with the goal of advancing
the community's knowledge, enjoyment and participation in boating and the
nautical arts, the Chicago Yacht Club remains a valuable resource for its
members and for the Chicago community. The Club has been a leader for more than
75 years in teaching children and adults how to sail, and is a preeminent
organizer and host of regattas, races and predicted logs in the United States.
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Media Contacts:
For more race information, please call: Sunday, July 13, 2003
through 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - Kirsten Whipple or Peter
Barry, Island press desk 906/847-0260 or 906/847-6064, or Kirsten cell phone -
773/218-3533, pager 800-759-8888 pin#8079770; or Peter cell phone 312/771-0587,
pager 800-759-8888 pin#1416979
After 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 15 - Kirsten or Peter cell or pager,
or Haley Pingree, Public Communications Inc.: 312/558-1770 (ext. 8222) or cell:
847/525-4790.
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