Whitehawk claims line honors for 114th Race to Mackinac


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Posted Jul 23, 2023

CHICAGO and MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich., July 23, 2023 – Racing into the Mackinac Straits, the majestic 104-foot ketch Whitehawk had every sail raised and every trick out of the bag to overtake Eagle One, the sleek 65-foot cruising boat that had led the entire fleet since the start. Trailing Eagle One for 288 nautical miles, it took until the final mile for Peter Thornton’s Whitehawk to overtake and clinch line honors of the 114th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust.

Eagle One, owned by Tim Lariviere of Grosse Pointe, Mich. and his crew of predominantly Bayview Yacht Club past commodores, credited Thornton for a well-sailed race and earned victory. This is Thornton’s second consecutive line honors with Whitehawk.

The Race to Mackinac began Friday afternoon for the Cruising Division, and Saturday for the Racing Division. Saturday’s boats began in beautiful downwind conditions for the first half of the fleet, but as a rain squall approached, snowflake-sized raindrops pelted the faster race boats as they began the 289-nautical miles (333 statute miles) up to Mackinac.

Sunday afternoon and evening, the two fleets continue to make their way up Lake Michigan, sailing in moderate conditions along the Michigan shoreline. The faster boats competing in the Racing Division are expected to finish overnight, with the remaining teams crossing the finish line throughout the day Monday. 

HOW TO WATCH: Live Race Tracking and CYCRTM social media

YB Race Tracking

Fans will be able to follow both the cruising and racing fleets via YB Tracking HERE. Each boat is equipped with a satellite tracker that sends GPS information (location, speed, and direction) every 15 minutes and displays the location and track on the race course.

Social Media 

Race organizers will be actively posting updates to CYC Race to Mackinac Social Media. We encourage all fans to follow the race on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and stay engaged with the race as much as possible!

114th CYCRTM Fun Facts:

  • More than 2,100 racers from 16 countries and nearly every state in the U.S. is represented (45)
  • 240 entries
  • The teams will compete on state-of-the-art carbon fiber racing boats to family cruisers ranging from 29 feet to 104 feet
  • Crew numbers range between two (for the Doublehanded Division), to 22 (on board Maverick, the Andrews 80).

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