Yacht Racers Will Set Sail Next Week
Chicago to Mackinac
By Sean Ely

The eight men boarding the chartered 35-foot J/109 sailboat, Guaranteed. Period, will pack food for a couple of days and a change of clothes and set sail Saturday, July 14, for the 99th annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.

All are members of Lands' End Business Outfitters and will comprise the third racing team in the company's history. Lands' End is sponsoring the race for its sixth consecutive year, but entered its own boat only two years ago. So far, they have done well, even without a lot of practice.

"We have a few seasoned veterans on the crew, and we try to get together a couple of days before the race, and get on the water at least once," said Captain Ralph Adolphs, who is the health promotion manager for Lands' End. "We don't own or even have the boat for a long period of time, because we charter the boat from the Chicago Yacht Club. Despite all of that, we have had quite a bit of success, for not having a lot of experience. We finished third in our class and 13th overall two years ago, and second in our class, and fifth overall last year."

Three hundred boats will set sail off from the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago Saturday, July 14, with the various size classes crossing the starting line at 10 minute intervals.

The eight crew members aboard Guaranteed. Period will rotate positions on the boat during the two-day adventure; there is much work to do. There will be sail trimmers, a designated navigator, and an experienced tactician, to keep the boat on pace and in the correct direction. During the nighttime, two watch captains will be on duty.

"Everyone kicks in and helps during the race," Mr. Adolphs said. "We will have three or four different guys who can drive the boat at any given time. We will always have a sharp and alert person at the wheel. There is just no guarantee that the boat is always moving. It can get very calm on Lake Michigan, and we have definitely seen double zeroes on the speedometer."

Mr. Adolphs said the crew will keep it simple while on the boat.

"There will be a lot of chatter to keep everyone sharp," he said. "We don't do anything special, we just try to sail fast and have fun. We keep a lot of liquid available to stay hydrated with all of the warm weather, and enough food on board, as well; just the basic things needed to complete the race."

Lands' End provides all the race gear for the Chicago Yacht Club, Sailing Club, and its racing crew. All will be outfitted for foul weather, with special shirts and jackets to protect against ultra violet rays, rain, heat, and cold.

Lands' End used to just sell sailboat hardware, said Mr. Adolphs.

"Its fun to go back to that history and be involved in this wonderful Chicago-to- Mackinac race, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it," he said. "I love to sail, and its been fun, because I have a great group from Lands' End that I get to work with. It's just a fun project to be involved in with the company. The camaraderie between the crew members is special, and there is nothing not to like about it. Its great to be on the water, and its great to smell the fudge on Mackinac Island at the finish line."

The finish line runs between the Round Island Lighthouse and Windermere Point, and the race committee, judges, family members of the crews, and spectators line the point day and night to spot the leading boats. At night, spotlights help the judges distinguish the sail numbers to make sure all of the finishes are recorded accurately.

Although this is a heated competition, winning isn't the main goal.

"Certainly, one of the expectations is to have fun," Mr. Adolphs said. "Being out there and having a good time is key. I wear a T-shirt that says, 'Life's hard, sailing is easy, tack on headers, stay on lists, and have fun.'"

Mr. Adolphs says the sailors love the Pink Pony at the Chippewa Hotel, which overlooks the harbor, filled with the racing boats. He enjoys running around the perimeter of the Island for exercise.

Progress of the boats during the race can be monitored with real time GPS positioning of the boats at www.fistracking. com. Finish times will be recorded on the Chicago Yacht Club Web site.