Windquest Breaks First-in Record in 82nd Port Huron Race
By Bernie Nguyen

Winning the Crusing Class D section in the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island yachting classic was the crew of Yare, (from left) Paul Roth, John Tipp, Rick Ellison, Jim Stapleton, and Dann Deaver.

A good mix of wind characterized the 82nd running of Bayview Yacht Club's Mackinac race last weekend, creating new records and many good stories. Some 234 boats started the race at Port Huron Saturday, and 213 finished at Mackinac Island.

Windquest, an 86-foot Max Z86 sailboat owned by Doug DeVos of Macatawa, broke the first-in record when she crossed the Mission Point finish line at 2:57 p.m. Sunday, July 16, just 24 hours, 17 minutes after she left Port Huron. It was the second record-breaker in two years, with Equation, Bill Alcott's 68-foot Andrews from the Bayview Yacht Club, setting a new record last year. Windquest broke Equation's 2005 record by 1 hour, 12 minutes, 8 seconds.

With handicaps computed, Windquest dropped to fourth place in Division I on the 253nautical-mile Southampton course and Equation moved to first, with a corrected time of 40:06:48. Windquest ended the race with a corrected time of 41:16:31.

Sailboats from the Bayview Yacht Club Mackinac Race dock at the Mackinac Island marina after the competition. Many then headed to Chicago for the Race to Mackinac classic this weekend. Seen moored at the Arnold Dock is the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, which is based at Port Huron and followed the race to the Island.

Sailors reported a fastpaced race with enough weather changes to test the crews and keep energy levels high. Brian Lang of Bloomfield Hills, skipper of Marksman, which finished at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, said the race was one of many extremes and pushed the expertise of all sailors to deal with every kind of wind.

"It was a complex race, with dozens of sail changes," Mr. Lang said, explaining that the wind ranged from strong to nearly non-existent, taking sailors from "exhilarating spinnaker runs" to dead calms.

"It was an interesting mix of conditions," he said, adding that his boat suffered a broken halyard, although that didn't stop his crew from finishing the race.

The yacht Marskman crew, (from left) Rick Wyatt, Tim Jordan, owner Brian Lang, Kevin Stork and Matt Dahline, celebrate the end of another successful race in Mackinac's harbor.

He has raced in 18 Port Huron regattas, and eagerly anticipates them each year.

"We look forward to coming to Mackinac Island and doing this every summer," he said. "I don't lose my affection for the race or Mackinac Island, ever."

David Corcoran of First Light, skippered by Brad Light, agreed, and said that the race kept sailors alert.

"The race itself had a little bit of everything," he said, recounting a moment when a boat ahead of them tipped because of the wind.

"We made a sail change before we had a problem," he said. "The race was pretty good for us."

Racers stayed strong despite the many changes of sail and wind. According to John Tipp, skipper of Yare, the race kept a steady pace for most of the boats.

"It was what we call mostly a parade race, meaning most of the boats are just following each other," he said. "We had a great time."

Yare, which sails from Frankfort, arrived at 7:28 a.m. Monday and took first place in Cruising Class A and seventh overall in Division III Shore Cruising with a corrected time of 32:55:45. This year's race was Mr. Tipp's 44th consecutive running of the Port Huron regatta, and he has enjoyed his races tremendously.

The Port Huron Yacht Race and the Chicago to Mackinac Race contribute greatly to seasonal business on Mackinac Island, said John Slevin, who manages the Lilac Tree and Chippewa hotels.

"We're typically filled for Sunday through Tuesday of those weekends," he said. "It's a huge benefit, and it makes the whole season worthwhile. "We've seen the generation switch," he noted, explaining that the sailors who have traditionally come to Mackinac for many years are now starting to hand over their boats to their sons and daughters, allowing the race to continue its longstanding relationship with Island businesses.

"They're essential," he said of the many sailors that sail into the finish line at Mackinac. "They're one of the reasons we're able to operate."

The racers agree.

"We'll be back next year," Mr. Tipp said, "because that's why we live."

The race covered two courses. The 204-nautical-mile Shore Course, more commonly chosen by smaller sailboats, shoots straight up Lake Huron along the shoreline directly to Mackinac. The 253-nauticalmile Southampton course, usually reserved for larger boats,

takes sailors to Southampton, Ontario, before angling off to the finish at Mackinac Island.

Sea Wise, a 27-foot Bristol out of Grosse Pointe, took first place in Division II Shore Course, with a corrected time of 37:55:42. Division III Shore Cruising was won by Insatiable, a 46-foot Tartan out of Whitmore Lake. The Open Division was won by Adagio, a 35-foot Gougeon from Bay City that finished with a corrected time of 35:53:58.

Boats are given corrected times, a formula which adapts for racing boats of different designs against each other based on handicaps according to design. Thus, while Windquest was first to arrive on the Island, its corrected time placed it behind other boats which arrived later but sailed more efficiently, based on their boat construction.

Complete race results are posted at www.byc.com/ mack06/.