FRESHWATER RACE

THE EVOLUTION OF THE “LONGEST FRESHWATER RACE ON EARTH”

From Sailing Anarchy

The Super Mac is a non-periodic 568 mile (about 500 nautical miles) sail race from Chicago, IL to Port Huron, MI, or vice versa. Recent editions have been jointly sponsored by the Chicago Yacht Club, Bayview Yacht Club and Port Huron Yacht Club.

As of 2015, there have been 10 "Super Mac" sail races since 1975 of roughly 500 nautical miles. However, only the last 2 races were officially known as Super Mac sail races. Earlier editions varied slightly in name, start & finish locations, courses have evolved over many years as have the sponsoring yacht clubs, and only recently has the race actually been officially known as the "Super Mac."

The Super Mac has been run as an extension of the annual Chicago Race to Mackinac, with boats continuing directly on to Port Huron after crossing the Mackinac finish line, OR an extension of the annual Bayview Mackinac Race, with boats continuing directly on to Chicago after crossing the Mackinac finish line. For many decades, the Chicago and Bayview Mackinac races have been held one week apart, Chicago first and then Bayview in odd years, and Bayview first then Chicago in even years.

History

1975: The 1st Race - Port Huron, MI to Chicago, IL

The 1st race was known as the “Centennial Race” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Yacht Club. The 1st race was the longest at 632 miles due to rounding Cove Island, and began in Port Huron, MI on Saturday, July 19, 1975, finishing in Chicago. All participants first competed in the annual Bayview Mackinac Race, and after crossing the Mackinac finish line continued on directly to Chicago. The race turned into a long wait on Wednesday night with only 8 of the starting field of 160 yachts finishing before dark.

Chuck Kirsch’s Scaramouche, a Frers 54 from Chicago Yacht Club, was the overall winner on corrected time. Lynn Williams’ Dora IV, a Sparkman & Stephens 61 footer, was the first to finish in 104.006 hours. Dora IV was followed across the finish line by Frank Zurn’s Kahili II, W. Bernard Herman’s Bonaventure V, G. Craig Welch’s Ranger, Scaramouche, Phil Watson’s Namis, Joe Wright’s Siren Song and Don Wildman’s Heritage, a 12-Metre.

1977 through 1989: The 2nd through 7th Races - Chicago, IL to Sarnia, ONT

The 2nd race in 1977 was the inaugural year for the new “Chicago-Sarnia International Yacht Race” from Chicago on Lake Michigan, through the Straits of Mackinac, and then south on Lake Huron to Sarnia, ONT. Sponsored by the Sarnia Yacht Club, the Bayview Yacht Club and the Chicago Yacht Club, the 572 mile race started on July 16, 1977 concurrently with the annual Chicago Race to Mackinac.

E. Russell “Dutch” Schmidt’s Sassy, a custom C&C 61 from Bayview Yacht Club, was first to finish and the overall winner in just over 74 hours. Sassy crossed the finish line almost 8½ hours ahead of the second boat in the fleet of 55. Other early finishers were Don Wildman’s Heritage, Justin Goldman’s Sliv, Robert Beck’s Piranha, Encounter and J.L. Shostak’s Fujimo. In Section 2 first place went to Nils Muench’s Moonraker, and in section 3 first place went to the NYYC Syndicate’s Agnes.

The 3rd race in 1981 was won overall (corrected time) by Ted Reese’s Cadence, a Peterson 34 from Michigan City Yacht Club. Cadence finished 26th in a fleet of 38 boats with an elapsed time of 93:24.41. Next best on corrected time were Dick Jenning’s Real Crude, Nils Muench’s Moonraker and Don Wildman’s Heritage (first to finish)

The 4th race in 1983 was won overall by Don Wildman’s Heritage, a Charles Morgan 63’ 12-Metre from Chicago Yacht Club. The first reference to a “Super Mac” was found in the Detroit Free Press in that year. Heritage also won the 76th Race to Mackinac but they were not around to celebrate because they were among more than 50 of 287 boats that continued on to Sarnia. Heritage also went on to win the 59th Port Huron-Mackinac race the following week, sweeping all three Mac races in 1983.

The 5th race in 1985 was won overall by Hector J. Marchand’s Dazzler, a J/41 from Michigan City Yacht Club. There were 41 boats entered in the 1985 ‘Sarnia Race.’

The 6th race in 1987 had two winners. In IMS, the winner overall was Tom Giesler’s Double Digits, a J/35 from South Haven Yacht Club. And in IOR, the winner overall was Terry Reagan’s Moody Blue, a Van Dam/Nelson-Marek 36 from Muskegon Yacht Club. [Note: Both winners were also award the Sheldon Clark-Aaron DeRoy Intercity Mackinac Trophy. The large cast bronze plaque, first awarded in 1927, was donated as the award for “the best corrected time per mile in the Chicago to Mackinac and Detroit to Mackinac Races.” It was awarded instead to the “Super Mac” winner in 1987, and again in 2000 and 2015 (it’s unknown why the 2009 Super Mac winner did not receive the Clark-DeRoy Trophy).]

The 7th race in 1989 had no finishers. That year, the Chicago Race to Mackinac was a ‘drifter’ with boats spending more time bobbing in light air than racing. The Race to Mackinac race was so slow many crews ran out of food and had to dip in to Lake Michigan for drinking water, and many simply dropped out. There were no finishers for the ‘Sarnia Race’ – and that version of the race has not been contested again.

2000: The 8th Race - Port Huron, MI to Chicago, IL

To celebrate the year 2000, and the 125th anniversary of the Chicago Yacht Club, the longer race was added once again to the Bayview Mackinac Race with competitors crossing the finish line at Mackinac Island and continuing on to Chicago to complete the “Millennium 600.” Though still not officially known as a Super Mac Race, there are again references in yacht club and newspapers in 2000.

Once again the 8th race had two winners. In IMS, the overall winner was Tom Neill’s Nitemare, a Great Lakes 70 from Chicago Yacht Club. In PHRF, the overall winner was Rich Stearns & Lynn A. Williams Jr.’s Glider, a Cal 40 from Chicago Yacht Club. Both were also awarded the Clark-DeRoy Trophy.

It was a fast race in 2000, and a new elapsed time record was set by Doug Baker’s Magnitude 80, an Andrews 80 from Long Beach, CA. After a medium breeze in the Port Huron to Mackinac Island leg, a front came through sending the big boats roaring down the length of Lake Michigan to Chicago. Magnitude finished Tue at 3:25:02am with an elapsed time of 61:25:02 – still the fastest Super Mac passage in either direction. Second to Magnitude were Peter Thornton’s Holua, Tom Neill’s Nitemare, Dick Jenning’s Pied Piper, Bill Martin’s Stripes, Bob Saielle’s Mongoose from San Diego, Mike Brotz’ Chance and John Nedeau’s Windancer VI.

2009 & 2015: The 9th & 10th Races – Chicago, IL to Port Huron, MI

The 9th race was won by Philip D. O’Neill III’s Natalie J, a Nelson-Marek 46 from Bayview Yacht Club, over 3 hours ahead of the next finisher on corrected time. Why Natalie J was not awarded the Clark-DeRoy is a mystery. The first boat to finish was Fred Ball’s Lucretia, a Newick designed 50 foot trimaran, with Natalie J second on elapsed time, followed by Ron White’s trimaran Cheekee Monkey, Jay Gillespie’s Fine Line and Bruce Geffen’s catamaran Nice Pair.

The 10th race, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Bayview Yacht Club, was won by Michael Leland’s Hope, a Najad 332 from Michigan City Yacht Club – the smallest boat in the fleet of 31! The wind was moderate to light for the first several days but filled in with 24-32 knot following winds on Tue, favoring the smaller boats on corrected time as the big boats never experienced the stronger wind. Hope was also awarded the Clark-DeRoy Trophy.

The first boat to finish was Peter & Christopher Thornton’s il Mostro, a Volvo 70 (former Puma) with an elapsed time of 64:56:35, believed to be the fastest passage from Chicago to Port Huron. Il Mostro was followed by Rick Warner’s trimaran Arete’, Bill Alcott / Tom Anderson’s STP65 Equation, Philip D. O’Neill III’s TP52 Natalie J and Dale Smirl’s JV/66 Defiance.

“The longest freshwater race on earth?”

The Chicago Race to Mackinac and the Lake Ontario 300 both claim title of longest annual freshwater race. It appears the Chicago Race is the longest annual port to port race, with the Ontario 300 an out and back/return race.

The much longer “Super Mac” has been publicized as the “longest freshwater race on earth.” For now the Super Mac is the longest recurring freshwater race, with 10 official races held.

However, the GLSS (Great Lakes Solo Singlehanded Society) held a 1034 nautical mile “Super Mac and Back” in 2008. Only 4 boats competed, 2 in each direction, but that race has not yet been repeated.

And a 600 nautical mile Lake Ontario 600 was held in 2014, scheduled to repeat in 2016.