Bayview Mackinac Race Turns 102 With Over 200 Boats Setting Sail

This July 18 more than 200 sailboats will leave Port Huron bound for Mackinac Island, marking the 102nd running of the Bayview Mackinac Race. The event traces its roots to a daring 1924 showcase race from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda, a victory that sparked the idea of a trans‑lake classic.

From a Dozen Sailboats to a Marathon Field

In 1925 only a dozen vessels attempted the inaugural race; high seas, strong winds and broken gear forced six of them to shelter in Harbor Beach or turn back. Bayview Yacht Club’s Bernida captured the first trophy, covering the 261‑mile course in 49 hours 50 minutes, according to a July 28, 1925 Times Herald report.

A historic marker honoring the race was installed in Quay Street Park in 2015, a reminder of the event’s enduring appeal.

Commodore Brian Geraghty, Bayview’s historian, told the Times Herald in 2019 that the Detroit‑based club’s crew, after winning a 731‑mile race aboard the schooner Lloyd W. Berry, declared “We made a names for ourselves.” The salty veterans were stunned, and Geraghty added, “That was the start of something big.”

War, the White House, and a Pandemic’s Twist

When World War II threatened the tradition, Bayview wrote to the White House asking whether to cancel. The reply was enthusiastic: “We want you to race because yachting makes good naval officers.” Of the club’s 250 all‑male members, 105 entered the services—an unmatched percentage that still fuels pride today.

The race survived another crisis in 2020. While the Chicago counterpart was called off, the Port Huron‑to‑Mackinac event pressed on with a reduced fleet and a single, unified course.

The 2025 Battle for the Top Spot

This year’s race is billed as a 28‑hour showdown among 95 finishing teams. The TP 52 HEARTBREAKER, skippered by Bob Hughes, captured overall and Class A honors; MOCKINGBIRD (Chris Duhon) placed second, while NATALIE J (Phil O’Neil) secured third, all separated by mere minutes on the water.

According to ORC.org the competition was swift, with the three TP 52s locked in a tight boat‑for‑boat battle that lasted almost a full day before the finish line.

Year‑by‑Year Milestones

• 1925: Bernida wins after high winds force six of 12 boats to seek shelter or turn back.
• 1932: Port Huron’s first entry is the 38‑footer Djinn; Dr. Arnold Francois competes only once, citing cost and time.
• 1940: Most damaging winds in race history force 32 of 40 boats to retire.
• 1942: Bayview considers suspending the race for WWII; a White House message urges continuation.
• 1949: Susan Briggs Fisher, owner of Old Rarity, becomes the first female skipper.
• 1954: A new rescue‑motor rule saves Dick Bell (Kandu) after he falls overboard; Bell and crew win their division.
• 1961: The fleet surpasses 200 boats for the first time.
• 1962: Hog farmer Dick Smalley (Illinois) wins overall aboard Robin in the slowest race ever.
• 1972: The 275‑mile Cove Island Course, tried in 1935 and abandoned, returns as an alternative to the 204‑mile Shore Course.
• 1975: First Super Mackinac run sees 160 boats travel roughly 600 miles from Port Huron to Chicago.
• 1980: Lightning fuses anchor chain links on Coast Guard cutter Bramble; a race‑boat crew member suffers a head injury.
• 1985: Record fleet of 316 boats is hit by severe storms; Tomahawk sinks—the first loss—while 96 boats withdraw.
• 1987: Coast Guard Seaman Jeffrey Boggess, 19, of Dandridge, Tenn., is struck by lightning and later dies.
• 1999: Strong winds produce the slowest race since 1989; veteran D. Kent Herzer disappears from Rowdy’s deck and is never found.
• 2000: The 253‑mile Southampton Course replaces the Cove Island Course.
• 2001: Decision is disqualified at the last minute, clearing Lightning (Bob Seger) for overall win; Earth Voyager sets a 24h19m record.
• 2002: A January train crash damages Earth Voyager in storage; the boat does not race.
• 2003: Earth Voyager breaks its own record, finishing first in 23h14m.
• 2004: The 90‑foot Genuine Risk debuts and claims the first Mackinac finish.
• 2005: Earth Voyager shatters its previous mark by two hours, completing the Southampton Course in 21h; Equation sets a monohull record of 25h29m.
• 2007: A single course around a buoy east of Alpena is introduced; Earth Voyager leads, Rowdy wins its class.
• 2008: Earth Voyager records a 14h57m crossing; local boat Rebel captures its class win.
• 2009: Cove Island Course returns; Windquest arrives first in 34h39m53s while smaller boats stay closer to shore.
• 2010: Hong Kong’s 80‑footer Beau Geste crosses first in the 86th running, completing the Cove Island Course in 28h17m49s.
• 2011: Cheekee Monkee leads the fleet; Fine Line (Jay Gillespie) is the first local boat, seventh overall.
• 2012: Bernida returns, matching its 1925 triumph with the fastest corrected time on the Shore Course.
• 2013: With most big boats on the Shore Course, Il Mostro (Peter Thornton) shatters the course record at 19h11m31s; Equation wins on corrected time.
• 2014: Windquest arrives first, but Natalie J claims the overall title on corrected time, leaving Windquest fourth.
• 2015: Rick Warner and Arete reach the island first in 23:12:51, take second in the Cove Island Multihull division; Il Mostro leads Division I on corrected time.
• 2017: Il Mostro breaks its own Cove Island elapsed record with a 21h45m12s crossing, leading over 200 boats.
• 2018: Windquest finishes first in 38h43m14s; light winds cause nearly 30 boats to retire before the finish.
• 2025: HEARTBREAKER (Bob Hughes) wins overall and Class A; MOCKINGBIRD (Chris Duhon) second; NATALIE J (Phil O’Neil) third among 95 teams after a 28‑hour battle.

Contact Liz Shepard at [email protected] for more race details or interview requests.