Bayview-Mackinac Race is Host to Long Traditions in Sailing
By Eric Fish

The crew of Dolphin takes a break from the party to pose for a photograph. The Bay City boat is captained by Larry Ruhland and crewed by Dale Decker, Kurt Snyder, Pat and Mike Ruhland, Richard Maxson, Amien Carter, Linden Talley, Greg Howe, Terry Peters, Steve Eichel, Kendall Talley, Ryan Mynsberg, Ken Ruppel, Lynn Shwall, Harry Wing, Matt Maciek, and Jeff Gawrich.

"Good Morning, Billy!" yelled Mike Ruhland across the Mackinac Island Harbor Tuesday morning, July 14. Mr. Ruhland, aboard Dolphin, was greeting Special-K skipper Bill O'Rourke, who had just finished the 83rd sailing of the Bayview-Mackinac yacht race and was preparing to dock.

"Holy cow, like 13 guys stuck their heads out of boats," Dolphin crewmate Harry Wing joked of the disruption.

Messrs. Ruhland and Wing have more than 50 years of racing experience between them. They race annually in the Bayview event on board Dolphin, which belongs to Mr. Ruhland's father, Larry.

In their years of sailing, they've developed great camaraderie with each other and with the 16 other crew members that race Dolphin. When they're not sailing, they can be found playing hockey in the Bay City area.

From left, crew members Jack Rickard and Mary Murphy sit next to captain Gene McCarthy and crew member Jarrett Altmin on board Pororoca, which finished the 83rd sailing of the Bayview Mackinac yacht race Monday, July 23 at 7:16 a.m.

"You can't play hockey all year," Mr. Ruhland said.

It is the "off-season from sailing," added Mr. Wing.

Historically, Dolphin has achieved great success in the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island race. The boat achieved back-to-back first place finishes in its respective class in 2005 and 2006. This year, however, Dolphin placed eighth in the IRC A Class.

In 2004, when Cameron Benedict began sailing aboard his father's yacht, Shape, the course traveled through a powerful storm, exciting enough for the first-time Bayview Mackinac sailor to keep coming back for more.

"That was pretty awesome," said Mr. Benedict, who was 12 at the time. "I thought it was pretty awesome because we were going so fast."

His father, Chris, skippers the boat, which has a crew of seven.

Following the completion of the race, the crew members meet up with family and friends who have come to Mackinac to celebrate the team's finish.

"When we get up here, we have one heck of a time reminiscing about the race and what's happening in the race and why we didn't win or what we didn't do," Chris Benedict said. "When you get here you realize this is a sport just like any other sport," Chris Benedict said.

Like Dolphin, Shape has a history of success in the Bayview Mackinac race. It's won seven first place finishes, five second place finishes, and six third place finishes in its class.

This year, Shape took seventh place in the IRC D Class.

On board Pororoca, skipper Gene McCarthy slumped into a seat and kicked his legs out. Pororoca, which means "God Almighty Power" in Portuguese, sailed in the GL 70 Class.

Mr. McCarthy was joined by a crew of 12 and placed seventh in the class. The finish comes only about a week after placing third in class in the Chicago to Mackinac race.

Mr. McCarthy has been sailing for over 25 years now and still loves the challenge of the race and the satisfaction of completing the journey.

"We've run out of fingers and toes a couple of times," Pororoca crew member Jack Ricard said, referring to the number of races Mr. McCarthy has been involved in.