16 July 2003. Light winds made for challenging racing for the 281 boats and nearly 3,000 sailors competing in the 97th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, the world’s longest annual freshwater race, which started Saturday July 12..

“Conditions on the lake are much calmer than last year, which was one of the fastest Macs in recent history,” said Race spokesperson Dick Schweers. “Many believed Alchemy could beat the record finish time set last year by Roy Disney’s Pyewacket, however, the wind did not cooperate.” The Pyewacket record of 23:30:24 in 2002 beat the previous record finish time of 25:50:44 set in 1987 by Dick Jennings’ Pied Piper. The record for multihull boats was set in 1998 by Steve Fossett’s Stars and Stripes, which finished in 18:50:32. The race normally takes 40 to 60 hours to complete.

Racers reported inconsistent wind conditions throughout the day Sunday. “It’s been a very tricky race tactically, as we have been running into small pockets of wind periodically,” said racer Shawn O’Neill of Eagle via satellite phone Sunday afternoon.

Light but varying wind conditions during the early morning hours Monday continued to challenge the 280 sailboats making their way north from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Mich. Winds were south to southwest at 3 to 5 knots at the finish line and slightly stronger west of the Mackinac Bridge, according to Race spokesman Dick Schweers.

Approximately 100 of the 280 boats have crossed the finish line in the 2003 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands’ End Business Outfitters, the world’s longest annual freshwater race.

Many of the racers reaching the finish line early on Monday had to deal with very light winds from the Bridge to the finish, often sitting within sight of the finish for one or two hours.

Overnight Monday, winds at the finish line picked up to about 8 knots, increasing to 15 knots by morning.

As of 9:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday, all but one boat had crossed the finish line at Mackinac Island, Mich., 333 miles north of the race's starting point in Chicago.

"The beauty of the Race to Mackinac is that weather conditions make each race completely different and you never know what to expect," said Michael Bucklo, chairman of the Chicago Yacht Club Mackinac Committee. "This year, light and variable winds for much of the race presented a different set of challenges than last year's fast and stormy finish. Light winds really test the skills and know-how of racers because boats must make the most of every wind gust in order to advance their position."

The Race to Mackinac is Chicago Yacht Club’s world-renowned race that challenges the endurance, speed and agility of skippers and crewmembers from around the globe each year. The 333-mile race from Chicago to Mackinac Island at the northern end of Lake Michigan is the world’s longest freshwater race and one of the most prestigious in the United States.

"The Mac" is a handicapped race with four divisions: Mackinac Cup Division, made up of larger boats; Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division, made up of smaller boats; Multihull Division; and Open division. Each division is scored separately and boats compete only with others in their division. As a result, there are four overall winners based on handicapped, corrected time and four First-To-Finish honors are awarded based on the fastest elapsed time.

New to the Race to Mackinac this year is its presenting sponsor, Lands’End Business Outfitters, a division of direct merchant Lands’ End.

The start of the race was on Lake Michigan approximately 1.5 miles east of Chicago’s Monroe Harbor. Prior to the start, competing boats paraded for the public past Navy Pier with their ceremonial flags raised. The finish line for the race is the lighthouse on Round Island, off Mackinac Island, Michigan.

The 2003 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands’ End marks the 105th anniversary of the race’s founding in 1898 and the 97th running of the event. Several years passed between the first and second running of the race and the event was also suspended for a period following the United States’ entry into World War I. The challenging conditions on Lake Michigan require the best of racing, tactics, strategy and boat speed. Participation in “The Mac” is by invitation only from Chicago Yacht Club.

For complete results, please see http://www.chicagoyachtclub.com/racetomackinac/index.html#.