Four Detroit area boats place in Chicago Mackinac race

All sections have finished in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.

For the most part (of course it varied across Lake Michigan to some extent) the race started light, with better winds in the middle. And some classes had the frustration of seeing the wind die under the Mackinac Bridge.

Windquest was first to finish the 333 mile course at 9:55 p.m. Sunday.

Detroit-area winners include Send in the Clowns in the J-105 class, owned by Terry Timm and David Laidlaw of Ann Arbor. Double Time placed third in the multihull class. The boat is owned by Martin Foster of Chesterfield Township.

Spirit Walker took first in Section 3; it’s owned by Vern McCain of South Haven. And Phil and Sharon O’Niel of Bloomfield Hills took third place in the Turbo Class with Natalie J.

There were two local boats that missed a flag by mere minutes on corrected time. Flying Buffalo, Bob and Al Declercq’s former family boat, sailing out of Clinton Township and leased for this season, corrected to four minutes from third in Section 8.

And Tim Prophit of Grosse Pointe Park was just two minutes on corrected tme from third in Fast Tango.

We wish these and all Detroit area boats faster winds in the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race this weekend.