WINDS PICK UP, BALANCE OF FLEET SAILS TO FINISH IN 2003 CHICAGO YACHT CLUB RACE TO MACKINAC PRESENTED BY LANDS' END

Retriever, Bantu, Cathexis and Lightning Win Division Titles

CHICAGO, July 15, 2003 - Light winds that challenged most racers over the weekend and much of the day Monday picked up speed early Tuesday to bring the remainder of the boats participating in the 2003 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands' End Business Outfitters to the finish line.

Overnight, winds at the finish line picked up to about 8 knots, increasing to 15 knots by morning.

As of 9:30 a.m. CDT, all but one boat had crossed the finish line at Mackinac Island, Mich., 333 miles north of the race's starting point in Chicago.

"The beauty of the Race to Mackinac is that weather conditions make each race completely different and you never know what to expect," said Michael Bucklo, chairman of the Chicago Yacht Club Mackinac Committee. "This year, light and variable winds for much of the race presented a different set of challenges than last year's fast and stormy finish. Light winds really test the skills and know-how of racers because boats must make the most of every wind gust in order to advance their position."

Final results and corrected times for the for the 97th running of the "Mac" in the race's four divisions are:

Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division

1st Place - Retriever, Alden51 owned by David Verdier of Grand Rapids, Mich., 30:12:39.
2nd Place - Bacchant, 75 Square Meter owned by Jerome D. Sullivan out of Milwaukee Yacht Club, 30:35:08.
3rd Place - Wooton 2, Sabre40 owned by W. Harris Smith out of Chicago Yacht Club, 30:37:19.

First-to-Finish Honors - Rosebud, TransPac52 out of San Francisco owned by Gary Evans and Roger Sturgeon finished the race in an elapsed time of 36:44:40.

Mackinac Cup Division

1st Place - Bantu, Block Island 40, owned by Thomas J. Kuber out of Marinette and Menominee Yacht Club, 29:55:18.
2nd Place - Cheep N Deep, C&C39 owned by Randall B. Kuhn out of Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club, 30:01:00.
3rd Place - Nana, Ericson 39 owned by William McCaffrey and Alan Baske out of Waukegan Yacht Club, 30:28:34.

First-to-Finish Honors - Cheep N Deep finished the race in an elapsed time of 48:33:11.

Multihull Division

1st Place - Cathexis, Crowther 10.6 owned by Irving DeRoeck out of Escanaba Yacht Club, 42:34:12.
2nd Place - Gamera, F25C owned by Matthew Scharl of the Midwest Open Racing Fleet, 44:45:51.
3rd Place - Nice Pair, Crowther Super Shockwave owned by Bruce Geffen of Ann Arbor, Mich., 44:54:16.

First-to-Finish Honors - Caliente, a Criswhite44 owned by Michael Steck of Naperville, Ill., finished the race in 41:38:32.

Open Division

1st Place - Lightning, Schock 40 owned by Krzysztof Kaminski out of the Polish Yachting Association, Chicago, 33:01:55.
2nd Place - Alchemy, Andrews77 owned by Richard and Mary Compton of Santa Barbara, Calif., 36:37:20.

Overall and Division First-to-Finish Honors - Alchemy, which finished the race in an elapsed time of 35:25:17.

Skippers and crew of winning boats in each division are awarded Lands' End squall jackets and Korbel champagne.

More Race Comment

"Our fastest speed during this race was about 15 knots (17.40 mph)," said Alchemy's Richard Compton. "We fell into a big hole near Charlevoix and just sat there for about two hours."

During last year's race, Caliente capsized during the strong storms, and the crew was rescued by competitor Kokomo and the freighter Algo Marine. "We're thrilled to have made first to finish honors after capsizing last year," said crew member Mark Muehler. "We went up the middle of the lake and experienced winds of 6-7 knots. Through the Straits until we hit the Bridge, the wind picked up and we were moving at approximately 16 knots."

"We had great wind all the way through the Straits until a half mile to the finish," said Skipper Shawn O'Neill of the Eagle. "We had a two mile lead on the next closest competitor and we hit a pocket dead air, so they nearly caught up with us."

The public can follow the progress of the boats up Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island and the latest scoring information at www.chicagoyachtclub.org.

The Race to Mackinac is Chicago Yacht Club's world-renowned race that challenges the endurance, speed and agility of skippers and crewmembers from around the globe each year. The 333-mile race from Chicago to Mackinac Island at the northern end of Lake Michigan is the world's longest freshwater race and one of the most prestigious in the United States.

"The Mac" is a handicapped race with four divisions: Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division, made up of larger boats; Mackinac Cup Division, made up of smaller boats; Multihull Division; and Open division. Each division is scored separately and boats compete only with others in their division. As a result, there are four division winners based on handicapped, corrected time and four First-To-Finish honors are awarded based on the fastest elapsed time.

New to the race this year, all monohull boats are being scored using the US SAILING AMERICAP II TM handicap system, which allows for boats of different sizes to compete against each other more equitably. This new system will provide significantly more competitive racing while continuing to reward preparation, skill and perhaps, a little luck. Multihull boats continue to sail under lake Michigan Performance Handicapped Racing Federation (LMPRFH) handicaps.

Also new to the Race to Mackinac this year is its presenting sponsor, Lands' End Business Outfitters, a division of direct merchant Lands' End.

The start of the race was on Lake Michigan approximately 1.5 miles east of Chicago's Monroe Harbor. Prior to the start, competing boats paraded for the public past Navy Pier with their ceremonial flags raised. The finish line for the race is the lighthouse on Round Island, off Mackinac Island, Michigan.

The 2003 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands' End marks the 105th anniversary of the race's founding in 1898. Several years passed between the first and second running of the race and the event was also suspended for a period following the United States' entry into World War I. The challenging conditions on Lake Michigan require the best of racing, tactics, strategy and boat speed. Participation in "The Mac" is by invitation only from Chicago Yacht Club.

About the Chicago Yacht Club

Founded in 1875 with the goal of advancing the community’s knowledge, enjoyment and participation in boating and the nautical arts, the Chicago Yacht Club remains a valuable resource for its members and for the Chicago community. The Club has been a leader for more than 75 years in teaching children and adults how to sail, and is a preeminent organizer and host of regattas, races and predicted logs in the United States.