July 25, 2023
St. Clair Shores skipper finishes first in 99th sailing of Port Huron to Mackinac race
Published 11:52 pm ET July 24, 2023 | Updated 11:52 pm ET July 24, 2023 Sailboats lined up for the Bayview Mackinac Race. Photo Provided by The City of Port Huron Fast Tango, a 39-fo
The 10-member crew, representing the Bayview Yacht Club, recorded a time of 46 hours, 19 minutes and 46 seconds to finish more than 10 minutes ahead of Kevin Lemonds’ boat, Janine, from the Grosse Ile Yacht Club. Janine’s time was 46:30:21.
Fast Tango was making its 15th appearance in the Mackinac race with five previous class victories in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2022.
Prophit’s 2023 crew included Canton’s Brad Everingham, Port Huron’s Grand Moore, Molly Radtke, David Paschke and RC Paschke of Grosse Pointe Farms, Kellen McGee of Lisle (Illinois), Marc Magnan and Dave Simon of Grosse Pointe Woods and Art LeVasseur of Grosse Pointe.
More than 190 boats competed in the longest consecutively run long-distance freshwater race in the country.
The race began just north of the Blue Water Bridge on Saturday with the boats racing 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).
Race chairman Kevin Thomas said the family aspect and the tradition of the race keeps sailing enthusiasts returning with close to 300 entries expected for the 100th race next year.
“You have the family side of it,” Thomas told News reporter Ted Kulfan in a race preview last week. “It’s something I’ve grown up with and you’ll find that a pretty common story around these parts (Thomas’ father and grandfather both sailed).
“I’ve been doing this race since I was 14 years old. My favorite thing is how unique this sport is. It breaks the age barriers. You finish this race and you’re all on the island and they all have something in common. There’s a tremendous team exercise to it.”
Diablo, a Grosse Pointe Farms boat owned by Brad Kimmel and Steve Young and featured in another preview by Kulfan, finished in 15th place in a time of 47:42:16.
Steve Young and Brad Kimmel, co-owners of Diablo, a 360-foot J-111, will have their kids sprinkled among the crew for the Bayview Port Huron to Mackinac Race. For Young, his daughter Evelyn, 16, and son, Alex, 14, and Kimmel’s daughter, Addie, 16. They’re shown here as younger children. Courtesy of Brad Kimmel
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