Earth Voyager first home

But Allan Fletcher’s Santa Cruz 70 Colt leads on corrected in the Bacardi Bayview Mackinac Race

15 of the 268 boats competing in the 81st Bacardi Bayview Mackinac Race had finished by early Sunday evening (July 24), having started off Port Huron, Mich., the prior Saturday morning with thousands of spectators bidding them farewell and fair winds.

Though the start had to be delayed by 55 minutes due to light winds, the Bayview Yacht Club’s tracking system reported that 120 boats had rounded the halfway marks on the race’s 254 nm Southampton Course and the 204nm Shoreline Course by Sunday mid-morning. According to Race Chairman Luiz Kahl, it was a good sign that "there was some decent breeze out there."

As it turns out, Kahl had figured correctly. Massive storms crossed Lake Huron in the early morning hours, which brought several hours of significant breezes, sustained at 30 knots. "That’s unusual for this race, and the direction was good for many of the boats to be reaching or running toward the finish," said Bayview Yacht Club's Ted Everingham on Sunday as he pondered the position of the remainder of the fleet. "The problem now is that the wind is beginning to die, and it’s more westerly now, so those same boats are beating into the finish. I don’t expect a stampede of finishers anytime soon, although the whole fleet is within 60-70 miles of Mackinac Island."

Taking line honoors at 12:45 Sunday afternoon, and nearly one and a half hours before its closest competitor, was Ray Howe’s Earth Voyager in Open Class A. However, by the time four of the boat’s class mates had completed the Southampton Course, the speedy Formula 60 trimaran had fallen to fourth overall on corrected time. With three boats yet to finish, Nice Pair, a 38ft Crowther owned by Bruce Geffen led the fleet.

Nine of the 11 IRC Class A boats had also finished by early Sunday night, with Allan Fletcher’s Santa Cruz 70 Colt taking a seven-minute lead on the class on corrected time. Two of the nine IRC Class B boats had finished, with Bill Alcott’s Andrews 68 Equation leading on corrected time.

Latest results (top 30):

Pos	Sail no	Boat	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	Corrected	Class
1	USA 50045	Colt 45	Sunday - 17:23:38	25:48:38	34:24:19	IRC A
2	USA 702	Evolution	Sunday - 17:25:31	25:50:31	34:31:29	IRC A
3	USA 87666	Thirsty Tiger	Sunday - 17:57:16	26:22:16	34:50:10	IRC A
4	USA 41104	Pied Piper	Sunday - 18:10:09	26:35:09	35:00:48	IRC A
5	USA 97656	Holua	Sunday - 17:55:35	26:20:35	35:48:00	IRC A
6	USA 323	Equation	Sunday - 16:54:46	25:29:46	36:15:19	IRC B
7	USA 18970	Nitemare	Sunday - 19:20:18	27:45:18	36:33:12	IRC A
8	USA 97363	Denali	Sunday - 17:55:40	26:30:40	36:35:07	IRC B
9	USA 25168	Stripes	Sunday - 19:26:22	27:51:22	36:46:12	IRC A
10	USA 52701	Windancer	Sunday - 19:40:36	28:05:36	37:15:06	IRC A
11	USA 97503	Chance	Sunday - 20:01:08	28:26:08	37:44:02	IRC A
12	USA 77984	Pororoca	Sunday - 20:16:34	28:41:34	38:06:14	IRC A
13	USA 77	Dolphin	Monday - 00:56:31	33:41:31	38:16:26	IRC C
14	USA 5455	Capers	Monday - 01:01:04	34:46:04	38:29:16	J120
15	USA 42968	Mr Bill's Wild Ride	Monday - 02:45:34	37:20:34	38:30:01	J35 / T35
16	USA 51115	Twister	Sunday - 22:11:25	30:46:25	38:39:05	IRC B
17	USA 25405	Old Bear	Sunday - 20:21:12	28:56:12	38:44:46	IRC B
18	USA 50048	Main Street	Sunday - 22:14:16	30:49:16	38:48:13	IRC B
19	USA 25580	Sagitta	Monday - 01:28:44	34:53:44	38:48:13	IRC D
20	USA 51587	Collaboration 2	Monday - 00:59:10	35:44:10	38:48:33	IRC F
21	USA 50596	Natalie J	Sunday - 23:29:49	32:14:49	38:49:31	IRC C
22	USA 25600	Rampage	Sunday - 23:19:51	31:54:51	38:50:22	IRC B
23	CAN 161	Smokum Too	Monday - 02:40:10	37:25:10	38:50:28	IRC F
24	KA 3928	Margaret Rintoul IV	Monday - 01:14:17	33:59:17	38:50:54	IRC C
25	USA 15005	Merlin	Monday - 01:44:40	35:29:40	38:54:06	J120
26	USA 47001	Victrix	Sunday - 23:27:56	32:02:56	38:54:26	IRC B
27	CAN 333	Station Wagon	Monday - 02:30:05	36:35:05	38:57:45	IRC E
28	USA 43828	Falcon	Monday - 03:30:07	38:05:07	38:59:57	J35 / T35
29	USA SM2	Majic	Monday - 00:42:25	34:07:25	39:00:11	IRC D
30	USA 25497	Carinthia	Monday - 01:41:49	35:26:49	39:01:37	J120

Open class:

Pos	Sail	Boat	Rounding Time	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	Corrected
1	USA 333	Nice Pair	Sunday - 03:14	Sunday - 18:09:00	26:24:00	27:56:49
2	USA 27060	Moxie	Sunday - 04:15	Sunday - 21:45:07	30:00:07	31:27:14
3	USA 25568	Stampede	Sunday - 03:56	Sunday - 22:38:48	30:53:48	31:46:37
4	USA 13	Double Time	Sunday - 03:18	Sunday - 20:09:12	28:24:12	32:47:29
5	USA 25601	Wahoo	Sunday - 02:32	Sunday - 14:13:25	22:28:25	33:12:00
6	USA 224	Controlled Chaos	Sunday - 04:44	Monday - 01:02:29	33:17:29	34:14:24
7	USA 018	Earth Voyager	Sunday - 01:22	Sunday - 12:45:30	21:00:30	34:34:16
8	E 5	Adagio		Retired	Retired	Retired
9	T 1	Ollie		Retired	Retired	Retired

For its 14th year, BACARDI U.S.A., INC., the #1 distilled spirits distributor in the United States and the world, is the title sponsor of the race. Associate sponsors are the 90 Outstate Lincoln Mercury Dealers as official automotive sponsor; NEWS/TALK 760 WJR as official media sponsor; Hour Detroit Magazine; Acheson Ventures; Big Boy Restaurants International; Meijer; Ahee Jewelers; PRNewswire as official newswire of the race; Boat/US; Colony Marine; Interactive Creations, Webasto Products; NGS American; West Marine; Shepler’s Ferry & Marine Service; Doyle Sailmakers; Chippewa and Lilac Tree Hotels; Coca-Cola; Ocean Spray; Eventful Services; Armadillo Printwear; Sea Tow; WSI; General RV; Toshiba; Nobeltec; Michigan Brewing Company; and Maylone Enterprises.