2001 Port Huron Mackinac Race Coverage  Article

An off wind, big boat race

The Port Huron to Mac has a reputation as an upwind race.  It's the counterpart to the typically downwind Chicago Mac.  Well, after a pleasant Chicago Mac the Port Huron race has provided a large amount of spinnaker sailing.  As of 0723 26 boats have finished.  All but one are either in the Open class or PHRF A.  One Shore Course boat has taken a gun.

Winds have consistently been from the south.  Spinnakers were hoisted at the start on Saturday afternoon and have been flying since.  

Saturday has good sailing winds from the south at 15-16 knots.  The trimaran Earth Voyager was the first around the NGS turning buoy at 2348 Saturday nite.  First reported monohull was Holua @ 0046 on Sunday.  The first nite saw light southerly winds peaking at 11 knots.

On Sunday morning weather forecasts indicated an expected increase to 20 knots from the SW.  Such a switch would have allowed fast passage for all boats.  However, this forecast did not realize itself.  Sunday afternoon the winds were under 10 knots and even less at the Mackinac Island finish.

No matter the fleet's scratch boat Earth Voyager set a new record for the Southampton course.  Her elapsed time just over 24 hours!

A few hours later the first monohull Decision an Andrews 70 finished.  Once again a new record had been set this time for both all mono hulls and PHRF Class A.  Decision would eventually manage to correct out on her Class.  Her crew must now wait on the Island to see how they fare overall.

Over the last 24 hours observations indicate the fleet has seen very little wind.  An example: "6½ miles out at ½ knot speed."  At the Lake Huron north weather buoy there has been only 1 reading above 10 knots in the last 24 hours.  On Mackinac Island there have been no 10 knot readings!

Such conditions inevitably favor bigger boats.  Their taller masts allow them access to what wind there is.  

Lake Huron's forecast still tantalizes with predictions of 15-20 knots South Westerlies.  By this point sailors are surely skeptical of such a fine breeze.  Those boats already in are probably ironically hopeful that such a breeze remains out of competitors reach.