Why Mackinac sailors keep coming back

by Phoebe Wall Howard, Shifting Gears
Non-sailors think these men, women (and children) are just plain crazy.

Every single year, sailors from all over the world spend months planning to compete in long-distance races to Mackinac Island — a vacation destination known for its Victorian architecture, horse-drawn carriage rides and natural beauty, located in Lake Huron between the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan.

Travel by race boat is anything but romantic.

Hundreds of boats sail from Port Huron or Chicago — or both — every July.

Racers often wear wet, smelly gear around the clock. Sleep shifts last just a few hours — or not any at all if there’s an emergency or extreme winds. Sailors eat hard-boiled eggs and power bars for days.

At the end, whether it’s 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., onlookers cheer from Windermere Point as boats cross the finish line at Round Island Lighthouse. Tracker technology allows people to monitor races in real time. – Full report