Registration Ramps Up for 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race
Cove Island Course Returns for 98th Consecutive Running of the Race
Published: Tuesday, May 17, 2022 12:00 pm
A version of this article appeared in the Launch (May/June) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
Bayview Yacht Club, one of the nation’s most storied and historical sailing clubs, announced the kickoff of the 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race, the world’s longest consecutively run long-distance freshwater yacht race and return of the Cove Island Course.
The Race starts Saturday, July 16th, with the first boats expected to cross the starting line at 11:30 a.m. on Lake Huron, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. Traditionally, the fleet has been divided into two racing courses, the shorter Shore Course (204 nautical miles) and the longer Cove Island Course (259 nautical miles). Covid-19 travel restrictions prohibited the use of the Cove Island Course for the past two years due to its requirement for sailors to cross into Canadian waters.
According to Chris Clark, 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race Chair, “We are off to a strong start for the 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race. Registration is ahead of schedule, and after two years of Covid-19 restrictions that closed the Canadian border, we are pleased to announce sailors will once again be permitted to compete on Cove Island Course. Having spoken to a number of sailors, they have been anticipating the day when they can race and see nothing but the stars, with no land in sight.”
Clark continued, “We would also like to thank the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources for working with us to get the majority of the fleet docked back on Mackinac Island after the last two years of Covid caused limitations.”
More than 140 boats have already signed up with that number expected to climb to more than 200. With limited docking on Mackinac Island, docking preference will be granted to boats pertaining to the order of paid Race registration. To register for the BYC MACK please visit HERE.
In anticipation of the 2024 Bayview Mackinac Race, its 100th consecutive running, the Chicago Yacht Club has agreed to switch start dates with Bayview for 2023. Traditionally, the race start dates of the second and third weekends of July, are alternated between the two clubs. As a result of the agreement, the 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race will take place first, (July 15th, 2023) and the following year, the Centennial Race will take place second (July 20th, 2024). Future race dates can be found on the race website, www.bycmack.com.
“To accommodate our 100th running, Chicago has graciously agreed to the change in schedule.” according to Lynn Kotwicki, 2022 Bayview Yacht Club Commodore. “Traditionally when our race is second, we get a larger number of boats from Chicago to participate in the Bayview Mack. The 2023 schedule change was requested in order for the Centennial Race in 2024 race to be second, drawing the greatest number of participants to celebrate our hundred years of racing up Lake Huron. We are expecting the Centennial to be one of the biggest, most exciting sailing competitions in recent history.”
Also new for this year, the Island Awards Party, following the race on Tuesday, July 19 will be held at Mission Point Resort.
“We are very excited to be back at Mission Point Resort and we look forward to a long-term partnership with the Ware Family,” said Matt Prost, Bayview Yacht Club General Manager and COO.
For 2022, Atwater Beer returns as a presenting sponsor with the Bayview Mackinac Foundation. Other returning sponsors include Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry, the official ferry service of the Race, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Additional sponsors will be announced during the BYC Mack media day in June.
About Bayview Yacht Club
Bayview Yacht Club, founded in 1915, is widely regarded as the premier sailing club in Michigan and the Midwest. Located on the Detroit River near the mouth of Lake St. Clair, it has been hosting the Bayview Mackinac Race since 1925 and has more than 1,000 members. For more information: www.byc.com.
tags: Events, Lake Huron, Race, Sailing, Yacht Club
