Michigan's Triple Play Scrapbook
Published: Monday, August 8, 2022 12:00 pm
By: Mark Reid
Every July Michigan’s sailing season is packed with energy and excitement as a Triple Play of events are packed with two weeks and 3 weekends that takes hundreds of sailboats of all shapes and sizes with thousands of enthusiastic sailors from young and old; male and female; kids, parents and a smattering of professionals to create a triumphant spectacle on and off our spectacular Great Lakes.
This year was no exception, as for the first time since 2019 it was all on for the 98th Bayview Yacht Club’s Port Huron-to-Mackinac Race, the Chicago Yacht Club’s 113th Race to Mackinac and the 65th Ugotta Regatta in Harbor Springs.
The three race events could not have been more different as it was a test of crew, machine, technology and pure stamina.
For this writer it was these three events, two concerts and an Indianapolis Motor Speedway Triple Header of their own that led me to the East, West, South and North ends of the State and beyond and below to Chicago and Indiana.
So here is a smattering of the action and a portfolio of memories of the 2022 Michigan Triple Play!
“No Surprise” this year in the 98th Running of the Port Huron to Mackinac Race
It was that time of the year again just 3 short weeks ago when the Mackinac Island came alive with the sight and spectacle of hundreds of brightly colored boats of all shapes and sizes that first appeared on the horizon, then filled the marina with pennants, flags and balloons as the weary sailors arrive with tall tales of bravado, chivalry and heroism.
Port Huron Yacht Club. Race Headquarters for the Race to Mackinac.
Massive spinnaker and sails were laid out to dry on the lawns in front of the Island House Hotel as the men and women, young and old made their way downtown to the Pink Pony, Horn’s, the Village Inn and other restaurants to shake off their sea legs and have a cold one or two with families and friends in attendance.
Mackinac, sometimes known as the “Monte Carlo” of the Midwest with its horses, fudge and cool breezes thrives as it lives and breathes for this, as the island's residents and visitors (fudgies) wouldn't have it any other way.
What a difference a year, actually two years made for the Bayview Yacht Club’s Port Huron to Mackinac Race which was blessed with epic sailing conditions last year that led to a record shattering trip up Lake Huron and around the “thumb” last year by Dawn Riley’s Oakcliff Sailing Academy’s OC 86 which was preceded with multiple challenges in 2020 in a race that took place at the height of different Covid restrictions around Michigan and on Mackinac Island.
This year was filled with light and shifty breezes which varied from steady winds along the shore for those who took advantage of being in the right place at the right time versus a couple of massive holes which left many crews, on some of the fastest boats swatting flies for hours at a time before catching enough of a lift to carry the fleet through the Straights and across a brand new finish line in front of the dozens of lawn chairs that dot the luminesce green lawns of Mission Point Resort and its spectacular shoreline.
It came as “no surprise” then that one of the stars of this years 98th running of the race was a 14-year-old girl sailing with just her father and almost winning the whole shebang!
The race which starts off Port Huron, Michigan just past the Blue Water Bridge as 172 sailboats hit the starting line in multiple groups according to their length and rating certificates. It features two different racecourses which vary in length, wind conditions and strategy. The “Shore” Course follows Michigan’s Lake Huron shoreline and is approximately 204 nautical miles (NM). The “Cove Island” Course is around 259 NM and all the racers that choose that path have to round an invisible “virtual” mark.
The parade of 170 yachts out to the course is an event itself.
The race is the highlight of Port Huron and its Canadian sister city Sarnia as thousands of fans line the shore to watch the parade of boats leave the harbor and make their way out to the racecourse. It was a beautiful sunny day under blue skies, but unfortunately for a short time little wind. But that soon changed after the second start and a brief postponement as a steady 6 to 8 knot breezes filled in and sent the boats up the shore in fine fashion.
The story of Merritt and Scott Sellers, father and daughter is inspiring and heart lifting. They sailed their J-111 “nosurprise” on the Shore Course winning the doublehanded class (just 2 crew onboard) and eventually finishing third overall. They are from the San Francisco Bay Area and keep a summer home in Harbor Springs. They belong to the prestigious St Francis Yacht Club, which hosts the world-famous Rolex Big Boat Series every September.
“We had always talked about doing adventures together and we have been sailing together for 3 years now and the last couple of summers we had done double-handed cruises together and one day it was really windy blowing 25 knots and we were sailing from Leland, Michigan back to Harbor Springs (their summer home) and we put up a spinnaker and we realized that we could handle that, just the two of us and we said that someday we’ll do a double-handed together,” recounted a very proud father. “Last year Merritt did her first Mackinac Race from Chicago and we said let’s do something more interesting this year and do the double-hander in the Bayview Race.”
“We got them at night,” relayed Scott Sellers upon arrival. “I worried they would get us. We went from 2 miles back to 2 miles in front.”
They finished shortly before sunset to the delight of the spectators that had assembled on the docks! Their time was 1d 9 hr. 27 minutes.
“The highlight for me was probably the finish when everyone was cheering and it felt really good!” said Merritt. “And the fact that I had done that and at a point in my sailing career that I was able to that just felt really good and it was great. Everything was pretty mellow and manageable.”
My Girl and Centurion sail under the Big Blue Bridge to Canada.
There was a nervous moment in the race for Merritt and Scott, but it was actually pivotal when in the early morning hours as the young teenager was steering with her dad below they “had rough take down a Code Zero and put up two spinnakers and we had some trouble and lost a ton of time,” said Merritt, (at which time we were momentarily “interrupted” in our interview as they had to run back up on stage and accept the banner for 3rd Place overall in the Race!)
Anyway; “so it started getting out of hand and unfurling as we were pulling it down (remember it’s just the two of them, no additional crew to help) and we started going really slow and lost a little bit of distance at the time.”
“That was a key part of the race,” Scott said. “Merritt wasn’t here as a passenger.”
“It’s so cool to see so many girls sailing,” Merritt said. “I’m on a sailing team with guys on it and, at first, I didn’t feel I was quite one of them. I want more women in the sport.”
The next race up is the Chicago to Mackinac Race Scott is going to sail with his other daughter Hannah who is 18, as Merritt sits that one out.
“We are going to do a fully crewed race, Hannah has done the last two Bayview’s with us (aboard their J-111) and Merritt did Chicago with us last year so I’m going to swap out and have a different daughter and a different experience,” said Scott.
As with a couple of years ago this race was not without its challenges. Tragically the 2022 Race Chairman Luiz Eduardo Kahl passed away last fall and 2020 Mac Chair Chris Clark took the reigns for this year’s event. Clark had heroically navigated the stormy Covid waters that year pulling off a race against impossible odds and certainly is no stranger to getting things organized and under control in short order.
For Clark it was great to have the “whole” course back as the fleet can again venture into Canadian waters for the first time in a couple years without the threat of a severe boundary penalty or seizure of your yacht by the friendly “Mounties” to the north.
As Clark familiarly remarked; “we only own half of the lake!”
For the first time in the Bayview Yacht Club’s storied history a woman is at the helm.
The Bayview Yacht Club’s Port Huron Race “Old Goats.”
“It really hit me when I was walking up on the stage (for the Race Awards presentations) that we’re back,” said Lynn Kotwicki, the Bayview Yacht Club’s first female Commodore. “To see how many people are here; all the sponsors, all the families it got emotional for me.”
This year Commodore Kotwicki sailed in her 25th Bayview Race making her an “old goat”. She sailed on Hot Ticket, a 40-foot J120 finishing 5th in class in 2 d 6 hrs. and 1 minute.
“So last year we celebrated that we became the longest consecutive freshwater race in the world!” said Kotwicki. “Double up on that in two years for the 100th running of race, we’ve been planning for a couple of years already and it’s going to be spectacular!”
It was a more productive path for the Club’s Vice Commodore Paul Hulsey who took not only line honors, but also was first in Division II and also first in Class R finishing in 1 d 6 hrs. and 37 minutes on Hoodlum!
“This was probably the easiest Mackinac I have ever sailed,” said Paul Hulsey, who has sailed 38 Port Huron to Mackinac Races. “The weather was perfect, the wind was perfect for “our” course, though not so much for the bigger boats! Of the 38 Macs I’ve sailed this was one of the three most memorable. Because we won overall! It was just a great time.”
“We have great sailors onboard and we’ve sailed together for years and yeah; we got a little lucky at the end of the day,” said Hulsey, whose boat Hoodlum is a Melges 32. “My boat excels in down wind conditions. The first day was all jib reaching and my boat doesn’t do well because it is too small.” (Shorter waterline length)
“We found ourselves at the top of Michigan (the thumb) very much behind and we were a little discouraged because we had worked really hard, but we picked up some great conditions and battled back,” said Hulsey. “We flew the spinnaker all day Sunday and it was perfect conditions. We were doing 12 knots on the shore and the big boats were just doing 2 knots! We were in completely different weather.”
“The breeze was out of the NE which allowed my boat to excel and the wind started getting light again the last two miles,” said Hulsey. “We were lucky to be in the right position, because as soon as we finished the wind shut off!”
“One of the reasons this year was the most memorable was because my father, who was a former Commodore in the 80’s passed last year and we had a little ceremony out on the lake to remember him and because of that, this might go down as my best Mackinac Race,” said Hulsey. “Though on my 25th race I was sailing on Natalie J and we took overall that year. Winning overalls don’t happen very often and now winning on my own boat I have two!”
Natalie J is one of the “turbo” class flyers. It is a GL 52 and those boats are the fastest in the race. She was first to finish of the yachts that raced on the Cove Island Course. The GL 52’s can be seen racing all summer in different ports of call on Lake Michigan.
Natalie J celebrates their first to finish!
Comfortably Numb, homage to Pink Floyd, though the owner Mark Miller wasn’t aware that the band’s former leader Roger Waters is performing next weekend at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, fared much better on the water as the Beneteau 42 finished first in Class P and 9th in line honors on the Shore Course in 1 d 14 hrs. and 48 minutes.
Speaking of music, the Bayview Yacht knows how to put on a party as favorites Endless Summer with their array of costumes and wardrobe changes was a huge hit with not only us old goats, but the kids as well!
Mission Point Resort plays host to both Awards Parties this year, taking over from the Grand Hotel which had hosted the closing ceremonies for at least the last several years. This marks a return for MPR which held the Bayview Yacht Club’s “Bacardi Party” after many races on its large grassy lawn in front of the resort.
It’s clear that the Ware family which now own the iconic and historic property that they are hoping to host for years to come. “We are working on that now.”
“We are a great location and a great spot to watch the race and having the Bayview Race here for us is very exciting and we are thrilled to host it this year,” said Mark Ware who is MPR’s CEO. “My sister Liz is in love with the yacht races here and it’s her favorite weekend! It’s what brought us to the island.”
“So having it here and the Ware’s are thrilled to be part of it!”
It is just part of the Ware’s plan on reinvigorating the beautiful resort on the Island’s East side.
“Over the last seven years we have put in about $13 million dollars into the properties and we have renovated 241 rooms,” said Ware. “We have redone our Conference Center and we want to bring in the history of the hotel and make it alive!”
They passed with flying colors as the threatening rain and dark skies never materialized as MPR did an amazing job in their first time in a long time.
All in all, it was a banner year for the Bayview Yacht Club as they prepare for the big one in 2 years. The 100th Anniversary Race!!
It was a Wild and Chaotic but Safe Race to Mackinac
It didn’t take much to notice that the two races to Mackinac Island couldn't have been more different.
In the space of just a few days the weather and conditions on the water did a complete turn-around.
The Chicago skyline provides an amazing backdrop for the start of the race.
In what was described as one of the "easiest races I've ever done", last week by Bayview Yacht Club Vice-Commodore Paul Hulsey winner in his Division of the Port Huron sponsored by Atwater Brewing race on Hoodlum to "this was the widest variance of conditions I've ever sailed in my 41 races and halfway through the race I'm thinking I am never going to do this again!" said Bert Vander Weele from Plainwell, Michigan aboard Imagine.
One thing for certain, the Chicago Yacht Club's adherence and leadership on safety protocols and preparation was a major asset to the crews out on the water in typhoon like conditions that saw winds clock in at nearly 60 miles an hour with hail, crazy seas and enough lightning in one night to last a lifetime!
“I have not seen a crazier show, more lightning that I have ever seen,” exclaimed Jack Howard on Jahazi.
In a night that was filled with severe storm warnings, possibly even a small tornado or two in the Chicago area and that was when the 240 boats and crews were still at the dock in their slips!
Race day for the 113th Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust (CYCRTM) dawned with bright blue sunshine illuminating the crystal-clear turquoise waters with a moderate sea state as fresh winds out of the SW leading to spinnaker starts as the fleet was sent on their way North to Mackinac Island.
But that was not a harbinger of things to come as the weather forecasts called for a "freight train" of continuous storms all the way from Iowa along with colliding pressure from coming down from Lake Superior.
Shortly before nightfall as the boats made their way northward the first set of squalls hit the fleet with winds seemingly materializing from nowhere to hurricane force in mere moments as storms encompassed the entirety of Lake Michigan with little or no place to hide.
Time to celebrate at the Grand Hotel’s Porch Party.
Shortly after the start Defiance returned to the Yacht Club due to a severe hand injury to one of its crew and withdrew from the race.
Doug DeVos's Windquest and the GL52 Mockingbird retired from competition almost as soon as it started.
The Chicago to Mackinac Race started in 1898 with a mere five boats, The Mac has evolved into a world-class sporting event. At 333 miles (289.4 nautical miles), the Race to Mackinac is the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world. ‘The Mac’ starts at the Chicago Lighthouse, just off Navy Pier and continues to Mackinac Island.
Longtime presenting partner Wintrust Bank not only provides a solid sponsorship off the water but was represented on it when Vice Chairman and Chief Lending Officer Richard Murphy sailed with the company’s first sponsored boat when Nick Gibbens, from San Rafael, CA, Wintrust’s Richard Murphy and David Normandin chartered Mojo a Beneteau 40.7 and brought in a seasoned crew partly from Northern California to actually win their Division after surviving a collision at the start.
With Gibbens who was born and raised in Bay Area. Grew up in Berkeley and has been sailing on the Bay and Ocean all of my life, though this is his first Mackinac race were his trusted longtime sailing companions; Dave Gruver who is from Mill Valley, CA, John Collins who is also lives in Mill Valley and Doug Johnstone from Marina del Rey, CA. He is a surveyor by trade and he was our navigator, weather strategist and all-over strategic guru.
The crew and boat had only been together for a few days before the race and earned a section win in the Beneteau 40.7 class.
“It was everything and more than I could have expected for my first distance race,” said Murphy of Wintrust, “What an incredible experience to do this with our team.”
Race chair Sam Veilleux raced on board Dakota, a Beneteau 47.7 co-owned by Steve Sickler and Ray Groble. They were the second cruising boat to finish early Sunday morning, following in Peter Thornton’s 104-foot ketch, Whitehawk, which earned the Royono Trophy as the first monohull boat to finish. On board was 94-year-old Gene McCarthy, who claimed a new Mac record for the most races ever sailed at 67.
“What a delight to be on a boat longer than my age,” joked McCarthy.
“This year proved yet again why the Mac is America’s Offshore Challenge,” said Veilleux. “What a tough, fun, exciting challenge it turned out to be. Congratulations to everyone who was so well prepared for the expected weather, competed hard and joined us today to celebrate a race to remember.”
The beautiful Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
The first night’s storms wrecked sailors’ nerves, but the fleet’s consensus was all the safety preparation, practice and pre-set plans came into effect. Natalie J’s owner Philip O’Neil III said; “We expect storms in the summer here in the Midwest,” said O’Neil, whose TP 52 was the first race boat to finish Sunday at 6:17:53 EDT. “We took our main down when it hit 40 knots; and saw 69 knots at one point. The team had already talked through the scenarios so when it happened everyone knew what their job was.”
“It was a big deal, but it wasn’t a big deal; everyone jumped in and did what they planned on doing. When it was over, we got back to racing,” said O’Neil.
Not every boat fared quite as well as Natalie J. In total, out of the 244 registered, 29 boats retired or chose to withdraw, reasons ranging from the impending weather, shredded sails, equipment failures and minor injuries.
In one punch after another, storm cells rocked the racing and cruising divisions throughout the first night. The predicted storms not only came to fruition, but they also continued throughout the night in rapid succession.
As the fleet moved north it was beset by multiple reports of ripped main sails, exploded spinnakers, and broken equipment as the fleet encountered an endless stream of 40 mph + sustained wind, rain and lightning.
Longtime weather expert Chris Bedford, CYCRTM weather router who is highly trusted to provide critical forecasting models by numerous international regattas, what happened last night was a unique event, “we went through a mesoscale convective system (MCS),” he said.
For non-weather gurus, an MCS equates to a large mass of thunderstorms, which moved across Lake Michigan from the Wisconsin shore. “But what made last night extra unique, is it that the first mass was then followed by another one early this morning. From preliminary reports, it appears the first round was probably most impactful with strongest wind gusts between 45 to 55 knots,” said Bedford.
Usual Suspects made it and have time to celebrate!
The Racing and Cruising divisions experienced the storm systems in very different ways. The Cruising Division had nearly a 24-hour head start and was already further north on the lake off Ludington as the Racing Division boats were located between Milwaukee and Muskegon.
When the first round of storms hit, the winds shifted dramatically from south to north for the Racing boats. The Cruising Division’s version got more of a push from the south, further propelling them up the Michigan shoreline. Rocky Levy on board Dakota, said: “We’ve had 50-knot winds knock us down and a bunch of things broke, but not our spirits! Almost there!”
Bedford said that while storms like this are not uncommon to occur in the summertime, he doesn’t recall a whole night of storms like this. “Usually, it’s a one and done kind of thing, but this year it was something we refer to as training, which is one storm after another.
“I don’t blame anybody that decided to withdraw. There is nothing to say in the randomness of weather it couldn’t have been worse.”
Veilleux who sailed on Cruising Class Winner Dakota underscored Bedford. “Ultimately the goal with our safety protocols and requirements is to help prepare our sailors and boats for situations like this with confidence.
“Chris’s advance weather briefings clearly outlined the impending weather to our racers, allowing them to make informed decisions in the best interest for both the crews and their boats,” Veilleux said.
It was another eventful race for Lynn Kotwicki who is the first female Commodore of the Bayview Yacht Club on Hot Ticket and for Scott Sellers from Northern California who was racing with another daughter this time as 18-year-old Hannah took the wild ride on the J-111 nosurprise. 14-year-old Merritt made history last week when they finished first in the Two-Handed Division in the Port Huron to Mackinac Race.
The Sellers’ team finished 1st in the J-111 Division and 26th overall on arrival to Mackinac in 1d 12hrs and 38 minutes on nosurprise. This was Hannah’s first Chicago race, but she has raced twice in the Port Huron race as she primarily trims sails onboard.
“It was a pretty gnarly (teenager, remember?) and it was one of the most intense storms I've ever seen, but felt really exciting to race through that," said Hannah Sellers. “It was pretty chilly on the boat!”
Hannah will attend Brown University, who has their own formable sailing program, like her sisters has sailed almost from the time they could walk.
At the CYC Old Goats reception (25 or more completed Chicago to Mackinac Races) I talked with Jack Howard who sailed on the J-120 Jahazi, which is Swahili for “yacht” about their experience on stormy Lake Michigan during the race.
“We had air from the beginning and that was nice. The predictions came true with intense storm cells all the way from Iowa that were continuous across Wisconsin with another low up by Lake Superior,” said Howard. “You're going to be in it no matter what and you're not going to be able to avoid it, so the question was how long you want to be in it. Like most storms it comes down the lake.”
The Marina at Mackinac Island is full of yachts again!
“It was really relentless for 5 1/2 five hours of 40 mph winds and it was something we haven't seen in a while,” continued Howard. “Usually, you get something sweeping across the lake for a half hour or so you know but this was like three major cells and they started right around when we were off of Milwaukee and some of the guys heard our section hit 26 knots on a J-120! Okay I've been I've been 26 knots out of GL70!”
In covering this amazing race there are hundreds of dramatic tales from the thousands who sailed through what was probably a once in a lifetime adventure that most of us will never experience, but here are a few more tales of what many of the race winners had to say.
My good friend and husband of my good friend Patty DeBoer McGovern Casey on Usual Suspects a TP52 finished 4th in their section at 1d 4hrs and 58 minutes.
“The plan was to go to the Wisconsin shore, but the favorite tack took us more to the middle of the lake as Heartbreaker, Natalie J and Grit went over to the Wisconsin shore with us,” said Casey McGovern. “Probably a smart move because when the storm hit, they were a little more in the lee. We had a kite up and we're going pretty well. We saw the storm coming and said we need to get the kite down. We were not able to get the main and jib down in time because we were running towards the Wisconsin shore and it hit hard and we didn't think it was going to hit that hard!”
“We ran with it for about 40 minutes at over 25 knots. We were flogging the main, it was unbelievable!” said McGovern. “At that time, it was pretty much pretty much damage control and we didn't break anything. This was the quickest Mac I've ever done! We were staring at Sleeping Bear Dunes at 8:30 in the morning!”
“I sailed on Heartbreaker for a couple of seasons and that is really professional program. This is just dad's and kids,” said McGovern. “I loved it because it was so fast and it was made for the GL 52’s. It was perfect conditions and we didn't get beat by any of the GL70’s! We are a Corinthian program in the GL52 series. We have just 1 pro on this boat and he keeps us safe and keeps us going. I think you can have up to 2 professionals on a boat, but everybody on this boat has a son and a daughter, so it's just dads and kids.”
“My daughter Hazel grew up racing Lasers, Opties, and VXs. So, she knows the game and she's keen on sailing this on this boat,” said McGovern. “So, if you play it safe and do things right, it's a safe boat. It's a ton of fun!”
In a race that will be remembered as “one for the books,” the race finished with the Sailors Celebration, hosted for the first time on the great lawn of Mission Point Resort.
While this year’s race didn’t break any official records other than the number of Lake Michigan lightning strikes during Saturday night’s storms, it was one of the overall fastest races in recent years.
By the time the Grand Hotel Porch Party ended Sunday evening, nearly all of the 33 boats in the Cruising Division had finished; and half of the turbo boats in Section 1 were drying out their gear.
A You Got to Regatta (Dads and Kids Rule!)
The Ugotta Regatta traditionally follows on the heels of the two Races to Mackinac. It has become one of the premier regattas in the Midwest and annually attracts up to 100 boats or more from a variety of classes. This year it featured the GL-52s, J-111’s and the J-70s amongst others. It also draws in sailing’s biggest stars, who either race there for the challenge and enjoyment or it’s on their “bucket” list after the Mac Races.
This year it was more dad’s and kids, plus Dawn Riley, Terry Hutchinson and Ed Baird and other notable world class sailors raced out on the emerald water of Little Traverse Bay which is nestled in between Petosky, Harbor Springs and what was the old cement factory now turned the chic and fashionable destination of the fabulously wealthy: Bay Harbor.
The host city of Harbor Springs boasts one of the deepest natural harbors in the Great Lakes is a quaint little town made up of large New England style “summer cottages”, restaurants and shops. While it primarily feeds on a majority of its residents and visitors during Memorial Day thru the fall colors, some of the best skiing in the upper Midwest is right down the street in Boyne Highlands and Nubs Nob.
The Little Traverse Bay Yacht Club in Harbor Springs, Michigan.
Sailboats from across the U.S. head to Harbor Springs each summer for one of the nation’s best-known sailing traditions: the LTYC “Ugotta” Regatta. Hosted by the Little Traverse Yacht Club, the Ugotta brings some of the best sailboat racers in the country to sail in one of the world’s best sailing venues in Little Traverse Bay. This year they are celebrating the 61st running of the LTYC Regatta!
Little Traverse Yacht Club was founded in 1895, making it one of the oldest Yacht Clubs in the Midwest. The Club was originally founded as a sailing organization for those individuals who participated in sailboat racing on the waters of Little Traverse Bay.
During World War I, Little Traverse Yacht Club served as a substitute destination for the Chicago to Mackinac Race. The tradition still can be seen today as the LTYC Ugotta Regatta continues to be part of the Lake Michigan racing circuit. Yachts, having completed the Mac Race, often hold over in Harbor Springs for the Ugotta the weekend following the Mac.
In 1934, the Yacht Club was instrumental in the establishment of the Northern Michigan Sloop, which is still raced as one design on the Bay.
Youth education has been a focus. In 1955, a teaching club for young persons was established under the auspices of Fred Ford and evolved into the founding of Little Traverse.
“To enhance the enjoyment of boating in and around Little Traverse Bay for its members, through activities that promote racing, cruising, instruction, social activities, and fellowship;” from the bylaws of Little Traverse Bay Yacht Club in 1895.
In 1965, Little Traverse Yacht Club purchased the current clubhouse and water frontage. Remodeling the clubhouse, covering the deck, and re-design of waterfront space have greatly expanded the usefulness of the property.
The start of the GL 52’s in the final race of the Ugotta Regatta.
In action on the water in the final day Windquest the GL52 had a nail-biting finish as Skipper Dalton DeVos, who took over from his dad Doug, who was out of town and missed this one as he steered past Natalie J in the final yards before the finish line to complete an epic comeback to capture the weekend in the GL 52 Division.
It was a critical win for Windquest who has to make up for lost points in the Season Championship for dropping out of the Chicago to Mackinac Race due to concerns of the boat’s ability to withstand the extreme weather conditions experienced by the fleet during the race.
In the J-111 Class it was Scott Sellers and his 12-year-old daughter Haley on nosurprise giving Ian Hill’s Sittella with American Magic and multiple World Champion Terry Hutchinson calling tactics all she could handle before giving way and losing out by just 1 point in that Division.
“I love sailing and I love my daughters and I get the type of experiences I had when I was growing up and it is special to be able to do that and winning is just a bonus,” said Sellers.
Sellers’s other daughter Merritt who is 14 and sailed with him in the 2-Handed Class in the Port Huron to Mackinac Race steered the family’s J-70 Tres Burritos to a mid-fleet final finish in a loaded Division in challenging conditions.
Onboard with Sellers was longtime friend and crew member Adam Lowry.
“Scott and I went to college together, so we have known each other forever. I am more of a dinghy sailor. I hop on the boat with Scott when I am able to,” said Lowry. “Usually, I have other small boat commitments. I have probably sailed in about 15 Mackinac Races. Scott’s boat used to be owned by Dave Irish who is a legend around here. Dave’s last Mackinac race was in 2018 and we won the race that year. Grew up in Grosse Point, Michigan and went to Stanford. I met my wife when I was on Stanford’s sailing team.”
“We were able to stay ahead of Sittella, (their chief competition), because they were over early,” said Lowry. “We were able to hold them off, just barely. Those guys were super-fast. Not just smart with Terry (Hutchinson) on board. They were the fastest boat clearly. They were nipping at our heels at the end, but we managed to get a couple win off them.”
There are dozens of spinnakers on Little Traverse Bay.
“We are sailing with my daughter who is 13, Scott’s girl who is 12, so this is a family program,” continued Lowry. “So, if you can push the leader (the pro’s) you’re doing okay and I got to sail with my daughter which was awesome!
“This is our first time here and we normally campaign the boat out of Hampton, Virginia. We did Key West with Terry and it is always a blessing when we have him,” said Sittella owner Ian Hill, who plans to take his boat to Cleveland for the J-111 North Americans at the end of September. “The crew really worked hard today and all weekend. We had a nice battle with the second-place boat (nosurprise). We had an awesome tactical duel on the last beat.”
“Northern Michigan and Harbor Springs at the end of July, there probably isn’t a lot better spots to go racing anywhere on the planet. The race committee did a great job waiting for the breeze today,” said Hutchinson who maintains a busy schedule as Tactician on Quantum in the TP52 Super Series and Executive Director of American Magic America’s America’s Cup team. “So, I just it’s fun to sail with good people and sailing with Ian (Hill, Sittella’s owner) on J-111’s and J-70’s he has become a great friend and becoming a great sailor.”
“We shot ourselves in the foot unfortunately, we were set up for a really nice start and we are too programmed to be perfectly on the line, in the situation we were in we did an excellent job executing all the maneuvers but just carried a little bit too much speed, so I misjudged it, but it’s not the first mistake that gets you, it is the second one and we didn’t make the second one which was good,” said Hutchinson. “We hung tough, sailed a couple of different shifts and we let Sittella’s boat speed work for her and got into a good spot at the top mark, it was a great day out there.”
The lesson learned this Triple Play sailing season was that safety, plus mom and dad and their kids; rule!
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tags: Events, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Racing
