The 118th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac returns July 16–17, 2027, with registration opening December 1. Race organizers also announced the new Whitehawk Division, honoring longtime competitor Peter Thornton as participation in the cruising fleet continues to grow.

This summer, PlanetSail founder and sailing journalist Matt Sheahan joined us in Chicago to experience the 2026 Race to Mackinac firsthand and share the story of the Mac Race with sailors around the world.

From the start off Chicago to 333 miles of offshore racing on Lake Michigan, the new film explores the scale, challenge, people and traditions that make the Race to Mackinac unlike any other offshore race.

The 117th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust once again demonstrated the scale and competitive depth that have established it as the largest annual offshore race in the world. The 333-mile course–spanning the length of Lake Michigan–challenged 250 teams with nearly the full spectrum of offshore sailing conditions, from upwind and downwind racing to heavy air, tactical light winds and powerful overnight thunderstorms.

All competitors are safe following a strong line of thunderstorms that swept across the fleet in northern Lake Michigan overnight during the 117th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust.

Sailors reported winds exceeding 35 knots as the storm moved through, with winds causing several teams to experience moderate damage, including one report of a broken rudder and another of a mast failure.