Detroit’s Bayview Yacht Club will present the 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race on July 15, with the first boats crossing the starting line at 11:30 a.m. in southern Lake Huron, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. The BYC MACK is the longest consecutively run freshwater yacht race in the world.
The 99th consecutive running of the race up Lake Huron to Mackinac Island will feature more than 200 boats, an increase of 15 percent over last year, with 50 new boats returning after taking at least one year off.
The organizers state each year the economic impact of the race on the communities involved is approximated between $30 million and $59 million (depending on weather conditions), making it one of the premier events hosted in Michigan, and one with a significant economic impact to a host of local businesses, especially in tourism.
Again, this year, sailors will race either of the two courses on Lake Huron, the 259 nautical mile (298 statute mile) Cove Island Course, which takes boats into Canadian waters, and the 204 nautical mile (235 statute mile) Shore Course along the Michigan shoreline. The first BYC MACK took place in 1925 with 12 yachts participating.
“We welcome back all the boats and sailors who have been away, as well as all the first-time competitors in this year’s race,” says Kevin Thomas, chair of the 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race. “Skippers and crews are practicing and preparing to take on Lake Huron once again.”
Boats and crews sailing on the Cove Island Course will compete for the overall J.L. Hudson Trophy, while the Shore Course races compete for the overall Canadian Club Classic Trophy. The Corinthian Trophy will be awarded to the boat with an all-amateur crew that achieves the best corrected time in seconds per mile on either course.
For the second year, the Island Awards Party, where flags and trophies are presented to the winning skippers of each division and class, will take place at Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island on July 18.
The Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation is the presenting sponsor. And, as the Race nears its 100th consecutive running of the BYC MACK on July 24, 2024, interest from new sponsors has increased.
New sponsors for 2023 are Wagoneer by Jeep, the official vehicle; The Long Drink; Griffin Claw Brewing
Company, the official craft beer and craft vodka seltzer; Dickie McCamey; South Bay Supply; Flagstar Bank, and MicroCODE.
Returning sponsors are Precision Garage Door; Faygo, the official pop/soft drink; Aperol/Campari America; Tito’s, the official vodka; Mission Point Resort, the official hotel; Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry, the official ferry; Sika Corp.; Pink Pony; Marx Layne and Co.; High Winds Graphix; and Aitken & Ormond Insurance and Frankenmuth Insurance as co-sponsors of the “Kids Club” at the Island Awards.
According to Paul Hulsey, 2023 Bayview Yacht Club Commodore, “With the anticipation for the 100th BYC MACK next year, we have witnessed a boost in both participants and in sponsor interest. We already have 202 boats preregistered for the 2024 race, and new and returning brands are signing up and inquiring about partnering with the race.”
More than 1,600 sailors and 1,100 shore crew will take part in this year’s race. Sailing fans worldwide can track individual boats or the entire fleet on the official race site, www.bycmack.com through Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices on each boat provided by YB Tracking.
Bayview Yacht Club, founded in 1915, is located on the Detroit River at 100 Clairepointe St. and has more than 900 members.