sailboat race from port huron to mackinac

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Annual Port Huron to Mackinac sailboat race underway

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PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) — About 200 sailboats and 1,600 sailors are on their way from Port Huron to Mackinac Island following the start of the annual Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race on Lake Huron.

Race Chair Robert Nutter says weather conditions were favorable for Saturday’s start near the Blue Water Bridge that connects the U.S. and Canada.

Nutter says that depending on the strength of the wind, the first boats could arrive at Mackinac Island late Sunday to early Monday.

The event has 20 boat classes and features two courses. The Cove Island Course is 280 nautical miles (518 kilometers) while the Shore Course is 205 nautical miles (379 kilometers).

Planning already underway for 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race

While the 99th annual running of the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race is set for this July, sailors can already pre-register for the 100th running next year.

More than 160 boats are signed up to participate in the 2023 race, set for July 15.

“Registration for this year’s race is off to a strong start. Seeing the number of new and returning boats already registered is exciting. We have boats from Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, and Ontario, Canada already signed up to race," Kevin Thomas, chair of the 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race, said in a statement.

In anticipation of the 100 th consecutive running in 2024, officials said pre-registration is now open. By pre-registering, sailors will be allowed to register for the race a week before official race registration opens in early October 2023.  

Large fleet expected for 100th running

“Planning for the 2024 Bayview Mackinac Race is going very well; we are looking at some exciting ideas for sailors and the public. We are expecting boats and sailors from all over the world to come to Michigan to participate in the 100 th ," Charlie Trost, chair of the 2024 Bayview Mackinac Race, said in a statement. “We expect a large fleet for the 2024 race, maybe the largest ever, and with limited dockage, berthing on the island will be at a premium. The goal in opening pre-registration so early is to secure boats who have been regular participants of the race and give new and out-of-town boats time to plan.”

New competitors need to ask for an invite

The 100 th Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race will start on July 20, 2024. Current or returning competitors can register their boat record at www.bycmack.com . New competitors must complete a request for an invitation that can also be found on the official race website.  Those with questions can email Trost at [email protected]. 

“Anticipation for the 100 th Race is building across the entire sailing community, and I believe you are seeing this reflected in the number of new and returning boats competing this year. I know I wouldn’t want my first Mackinac Race to be the 100 th ," Paul Hulsey, 2023 Bayview Yacht Club commodore, said in a statement.

The 2023 Race starts Saturday, July 15, 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. The fleet races to the finish line at Mackinac Island on two courses: the shorter Shore Course (204 nautical miles); and the longer Cove Island Course (259 nautical miles).

Festival plans

The Blue Water Festival during Port Huron's Boat Week is set for July 12-15 this year. While event details have not yet been posted, prior years have involved carnivals, fireworks and street vendors, among other activities.

Traditional Boat Week events also include a parade on Wednesday, Family Night in the area of the 10th Street Bridge Thursday, and the city's biggest party during Boat Night Friday.

"It should be very similar from last year with the street fair, mannequins, carnival, concerts, food, and boats," Port Huron DDA Director Natacha Hayden said in an email. "I don’t have all the music line up yet, but I am planning on having entertainment on Saturday as well to complement the week." Contact Liz Shepard at [email protected].

Registration open for 100th Port Huron to Mackinac boat race

Registration is open for the 100th  Bayview Port Huron to Mackinac Race.

A total of 234 boats are already registered for milestone race (National Fleet Services will be the presenting sponsor) with a possibility of reaching 300. The boat needs to be invited or request to be invited.

The 1925 Original Course will be used by all competitors. The race will start on July 20, at approximately 10:30 a.m.

“As you can imagine with this being such a significant event, we are witnessing an extraordinary level of interest and enthusiasm for the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race," said Charlie Trost, 2024 Bayview Mackinac race chair. “Sailors, both seasoned veterans and newcomers alike, are gearing up to be part of this historic occasion. The race is not only a test of skill, but also a celebration of the enduring spirit of adventure and competition.

Mackinac Island Events

Bayview Mackinac Race

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July 24, 2021 at 12:00 pm – July 27, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Hosted by the Bayview Yacht Club, this annual freshwater race attracts spectators and sailors from around the globe. The race begins in Port Huron sailing all the way to Mackinac Island battling everything Mother Nature wants to throw their way. Join in on the adventure or watch as they come sailing in to the island this summer!

Bayview Yacht Club

313-822-1853

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Merritt, Scott Sellers come from 'dead last,' win 46.5-hour race from Chicago to Mackinac

Merritt Sellers, at 15, and the crew sailing on "nosurprise" won a 46.5-hour race from Chicago to Mackinac Island by fewer than 6 minutes on Monday.

The crew of eight sailors scrambled to overcome a mistake and seize victory. This was the second year in a row that the 36-foot sailboat owned by Scott Sellers of Larkspur, California, won its class in a race from Lake Michigan to the Straits of Mackinac. The boat is based at the Little Traverse Yacht Club in Harbor Springs, where Sellers has a summer house.

"We were over (the starting line) early, so had to go back and restart," Merritt Sellers told the Detroit Free Press while returning the transponder that tracks race boats to event organizers based at the Pink Pony in the Chippewa Hotel on Mackinac Island . "We were dead last for a while. We were a mile behind. The entire race, we were fighting back, taking boat by boat."

It wasn't until early Monday, she said, that nosurprise moved into first place.

"Then we lost it and then we got it back," Sellers said.

The sailors on the boat − from Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, Connecticut, Ohio and California − wanted to be right at the line to go full speed as soon as the gun fired. They didn't realize they were early until about 3 minutes into the race.

"They say it over the radio. They call your sail number," Sellers said. "It took us 7 minutes to get back" to the starting line.

The crew, which included Hadley Camp and Owen Beckley of Harbor Springs, finished in 46:27:06 hours, according to the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac results posted online .

"We didn't panic"

Hannah Sellers didn't sail after last year, despite winning.

"It was a pretty gnarly race — pouring rain and thunderstorms and lightning for hours. It was one of the most intense storms I've ever seen. It felt really exciting to race through that," 18-year-old Hannah Sellers told the Free Press at the time . "Then a tough finish for seven hours upwind with intense waves and a cold front. It was pretty chilly on the boat."

This year, the wind was "up and down and shifting directions. We had to shift a lot of gears and change a lot of sails," Scott Sellers, a private equity manager, told the Free Press after the race. "We didn't realize we were over early, and we had to go back. ... But we didn't panic. We knew it was a really long race. We were conservative in our tactics."

Winning, he said, "takes a combination of a lot of effort, skill and luck, and we had all three."

Scott Sellers grew up in Birmingham and began racing Mackinac at age 14 with his father — Bob Sellers, who owned the Pontiac Buick General Motors dealership in Farmington Hills before selling it, moving to Florida and retiring from racing as an "old goat." He earned that title, which carries honor in the sailing community and is sometimes tattooed on ankles of sailors, as someone who raced at least 25 times from Port Huron to Mackinac Island.

More: At 15, Merritt Sellers returns to Mackinac races and inspires young first-time sailors

The J/111 was viewed as highly competitive, as illustrated by the tight margins between the top finishers. Colin Caliban of Covert, Michigan, and his seven crew members placed second on No Quarter. The boat from South Haven Yacht Club finished in 46:32:07 hours. Bradley Faber of Holland, Michigan, and his four crew members finished third on Utah of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club in 46:50:06 hours.

Bayview Mackinac vs Chicago to Mackinac

Nearly 200 boats raced in the Bayview Mackinac race a week ago. More than 230 boats sailed from Chicago, according to the Chicago Yacht Club. Race officials said they didn't expect any changes to the nosurprise victory but said results are considered provisional initially in case of protest or another unexpected development.

Only Merritt and Scott Sellers sailed the 2022 Port Huron to Mackinac race together, with Merritt driving alone at night, and won their class . They did not make the podium this year in the Bayview Mackinac Race. But Merritt Sellers is c redited with inspiring other young sailors to race the long Mackinac course.

The sailboat that carried Merritt and Scott Sellers to victory had been owned by Dave Irish, a Great Lakes legend and past president of U.S. Sailing. He earned a reputation for offshore sailing skill and mentoring sailors who went on to compete in America's Cup. 

Scott Sellers, who sailed 20 Mackinac races with Irish, purchased the boat in 2020 with hopes of carrying on his legacy of introducing new sailors to the sport. Of the eight crew members finishing Monday, five were 25 or younger.

"One more thing that made this special was that it was a three-peat," Sellers said. "Winning the J/111 class three years in a row, every year since the prior boat owner and my sailing mentor, Dave Irish, passed."

More: Sailors overcome emergency at 2 a.m. in rough waters to win Bayview Mackinac race

More: Mackinac Island police seize e-bikes, issue tickets to visitors who break rules

More: Mackinac Island gets new restaurant on Main Street honoring old Michigan family

Editor's note: Phoebe Wall Howard, an autos reporter, also writes about sailing and Mackinac Island. She is a member of the Port Huron Yacht Club and part of a longtime sailing family that has visited Mackinac since her childhood.

Contact  Phoebe Wall Howard : 313-618-1034 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter  @phoebesaid .