The Race Course: The Bells Beer Bayview Mackinac Race (aka the Port Huron to Mackinac race) is sponsored by Bell's Beer and the Bayview Yacht Club and is reported to be the second longest consecutively held freshwater race. The race will celebrate its 90th year in 2014. Over two hundred boats, from 30' to 70', compete annually along two courses. The Shore Course and Cove Island course both begin in Lake Huron just north of the St. Clair River. Although of different lengths, both courses finish at Mackinac Island. The Crew: Our crew is a group of 12 people, of which half are young boys. This race will provide these kids with memories that will last forever. During the race and in the preparation leading up to it, we intend for the children to be totally hands on in racing & running the boat. The children will learn new skills throughout the spring which would include navigation, weather, standing and running rigging, reparing the boat. But most importantly - building a team and solving problems.
Our Boat: Christina with a Sea II- Launched February 15th, 2010, Charleston, SC. She is a Beneteau 49 equipped with a suite of the latest electronic and safety gear. Dual GPS electronic chart plotters, AIS Transceiver, Broadband RADAR, GPS EPIRB as well as, multiple handheld GPS and VHF/GPS receivers and transceivers. In her first year she made multiple offshore passages up and down the Southeast coast before finally setting sail May 31st 2011 for Detroit. An offshore adventure that took her owner/family on an 84 hour offshore passage to New York, the trip continued for the next week-and-a-half up the Hudson and across the Erie Canal, finally arriving in Detroit June 14th. Since then she has sailed into nearly every port along the west coast of Michigan that can accommodate her, to include, of course, Mackinac Island. Safety: As we will have young people on board, safety will be our primary concern. Each child and adult, will be outfitted with all of the required safety equipment; and then some. We have elected to use this modern boat, built by one of the most respected builders, Beneteau. We have selected a Crew comprised of Dads that have previously run the "Mac", as it is know around here; and their young sailor sons.