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| Mac Race Memories |
Gene McCarthy's Racing History
- 54 Mac races
- 17 Ocean Racing Conference Series (SORC)
- 2 races from Miami to Jamaica
- 7 World Star Championship races
- 2 Olympic trials
Seventy-nine year old Gene McCarthy has raced the Mac for 54 years. This year he will be celebrating the race on his Nelson Marek '68 with his family, including his daughter, son, and two grandchildren. He is a member of the Island Goats Sailing Society, a group of sailors who have completed a minimum of 25 Mac races.
Gene has shared some of his favorite race stories of the past 54 years with us. His favorite race? "Every one of them."
"This one year in the race, conditions were very hazy and, in fact, by the time we were approaching Gray's Reef, heavy fog had set in. We had slowed to approximately 1 mph. The foredeck crew had laced the halyards throughout the race and it was thought to be a good time to have a man climb to the top of the mast and untangle the halyards. I was the chosen individual. When I was hoisted above the fog to where there was blue cloudless sky - it's called 'ground fog' - I was 60 feet above the water and could see all of the other boats."
"I didn't finish one race in 1975. There was no wind and a 24 hour time limit after the first finishing boat in your class. We knew the boats we were sailing against were smaller than us and certainly our time must have expired. We went into Harbor Springs."
"There was one fatality, a man by the name of Bill Tripp who was told by his doctor that if he raced that summer he would die of a heart attack. He raced anyway, and after an emergency weather call, died of a heart attack when he jumped to respond."
"There was a man who demanded cleanliness and order on his boat. When a crew member didn't put one of his boots away, the captain threw his boot overboard. Needless to say, that man was very clean after."
"I've never been afraid on a sailboat. The reason for that, I believe, comes with experience. Through my career I've had three dismastings, I've been overboard three times and I've been saved three times."
"In 1970 the fleet experienced a hurricane on Lake Michigan. They don't name hurricanes on the Great Lakes. Winds were 65 mph for five hours and 50 mph for 8 hours. Eighty-two boats finished and 89 failed to finish. We finished [but] had significant damage, as did everyone who finished the race. It was a great illustration of the fact that our Lake Michigan sailors are eminently qualified to manage conditions at sea."
Links and Race Information
The Chicago Yacht Club's site contains documents, multimedia and information regarding event schedules, transportation, race history, current entries, sponsors and results.
The Mac Chat Series captures story-telling sailors at their best. Some of the best tales of the Chicago to Mackinac are revealed in these videos.
The Island Goat Sailing Society was established in 1950 by Hobart "Red" Olsen. To become a member, one must have raced at least 8,325 miles (25 races) from Chicago to Mackinac Island.
Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
Related Articles
Forty years ago, Lakeland Boating's Natalie Levy explored the history of the world's longest freshwater race. Read her 1968 article, "World's Freshwater Classic."
Racing to Mackinac
When Lakeland Boating's Jerry Dennis wasn't getting ditched, puking all day or standing still in dead air, he had the time of his life. Read our July 2006 story here.
"2 big-name boats to lead Mack race"
"Two legendary boats - the America's Cup catamaran Stars and Stripes; and Windquest, the fastest monohull on the Great Lakes - will be the stars of this year's Port Huron-to-Mackinac Race on July 12."
"ESPN Classic to air 100th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac documentary"
"Chicago Yacht Club has announced that ESPN Classic will air a one-hour documentary regarding the 100th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands' End Business Outfitters. 2008 marks the 100th running of 'the Mac,' the world's longest annual freshwater sailing distance race. This documentary will be presented by Rolex Watch USA, the Official Timekeeper of the 100th Race. This year, the Mac will start off Chicago's lakefront on July 19, 2008."
"Mackinac officials name new route. Captains prepare with one month left until major race."
With one year of racing under the belt of the new course, Port Huron-to-Mackinac Sailboat Race officials decided to give it a name for its second go-round this summer. And so, the fourth course for the 84-year-old race has been named the Thunder Bay Course.
"The Patriarch Serves His Passion"
Chicago-area sailor Tom Neill shares his passion for the sport with his extended family.
"Grand Hotel Marks 75 Years of Family Stewardship"
Grand Hotel marks a milestone when it opens its doors for the 2008 season May 2nd, celebrating 75 consecutive years of stewardship by the family that has made the hotel the icon that it is today.
American Sailors
A new television series from Grooters Productions
With the 100th running of the Chicago to Mackinac yacht race just weeks away, award-winning production company Grooters Productions of Holland, Michigan prepares for the filming of a new series called American Sailors.
American Sailors will capture the stories of sailors as they test their wits and their boats against one another on the water. Shot entirely in stunning Hi Definition, this series takes viewers behind the scenes in a sport as old as the wind but as contemporary as alternative energy.
The pilot episode of the series will focus on three sailors from three different generations who will compete against each other and against 450 other boats, the largest field ever, in this years Chicago to Mackinac race. The Mac is the world's longest and oldest freshwater race. This year's race is generating extra excitement and attention, including broadcast coverage from Gary Jobson and ESPN Classic.
American Sailors takes a different approach than ESPN, more about the characters, the strategy, and the backstory behind the men and women who run the race. The pilot episode features three skippers who take the helm of boats from different classes and sizes, but who each enter the race with the intent to catch the right wind and finish first overall. Our slogan is "the wind shows no favorites - anyone can win."
In modern sail racing anyone can win. Head to head competition is the driver, but the sport itself is a refreshing release and an abiding passion for those who love it.
The Racers
The Cowboy
Peerless - Skipper, Brian Torresen
Brian, age 36, is one of the most sought after sailboat experts in the Midwest. Raised in the family boatyard along the shores of Lake Michigan, Brian has sailboats and racing ingrained in his soul. An experienced class racer, expert rigger and industry expert - he knows boats, how to handle them, tune them, equip them and sail them. For over 20 years he's been the ringer on crews for maxi-skippers from all over the globe. This year he's going to skipper his first Mac race. He's going all out for speed on a lightweight Melges 32, he's assembled a crackpot crew from around the country, and he's aiming to win the whole thing.
The School Teacher
Souvenir - Skipper, Steve Schiller
Steve teaches middle school, but the Schiller sailing legacy is three generations deep on the boat. Steve races the family sailboat with his sons and couple of his buddies. The Souvenir is entering her 31st Chicago to Mackinac race, and she's a former champion. Sure, it was 1977 when she last took her division, but Steve and his crew know the course, know their boat, and know their chances. Steve's father, Joe L. Schiller, skipper of the 1997 campaign, will be watching with his grandkids from the race tent on Mackinac Island. No boat will receive a more celebrated finish than Souvenir.
The Old Goat
Windancer - Skipper, John Nedeau
If Ernest Hemingway were to pick a character to write about in the race, even money says he'd go with Skipper John Nedeau. John's boat, Windancer, is one of the most majestic GL-70's and among the biggest, most beautiful boats in the regatta. This is John's 61st running of the race - he's the longest running skipper by more than ten years. There's not a story he doesn't know or a condition he hasn't met. John's crackpot crew includes ringers like his 14-year-old granddaughter, and three of his kids. This is one guy who knows the course, conditions and competition better than anyone on the lake. A leader, coach and inspiration to many racers, this sport's hall-of-fame legend isn't ready to give up any time soon.
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