Excitement mounts for Mack crews

By Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki

July 11, 2014 at 2:48 pm

Last minute fixes are being made at this time on the Port Huron’s Black River, as boats make that little extra tweak that might, just might, give the crews that extra advantage in the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race tomorrow.

Robb Farr of Beverly Hills was adding an additional set of tracks on his C&C 35 Against The Wind to help them go faster, well, against the wind.

“A lot of boats we race against have them,” Farr said, as a crew member attached the tracks to the deck.

A few wells down, Grant Hilger of Freeland was hosing off the Beneteau 36.7 Sohest after repairing a light.

“Now I’m going to head home and get some sleep,” Hilger said.

The excitement is mounting for the sailors, no matter how many times they’ve done this race.

Ray and Winnie Adams of West Bloomfield were spending the night aboard Epic, their Beneteau 42s7. Ray is about to do his 39th Mackinac, Winnie has done 32 or 33.

“I can’t remember which,” she laughed.

Epic has won two Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinacs and three of the Bayview Mackinac races.

“We’re looking to win again,” Ray said, smiling. “We’ve been second and third a number of times. It’s like kissing your sister.”