History
The first race was held in 1925 with the sloop Bernida skippered by Russ Pouliot winning against 12 yachts. In the 2012 race, Bernida once again raced with owner/skipper Al Declercq claiming victory in PHRF H and Overall for the Shore Course along with his crew Matthew (son), Ken and Connor Flaska, and Fred and Ward Detwiller they finished around 1130 AM Monday. Dozens of divisions and classes of boats were added over the years.
The inaugural race course was 235 statute miles (378 km) up the Michigan shore line. In 1935, the course was lengthened to 290 miles (470 km) and required participants to round Cove Island Buoy just south of Canada's Georgian Bay. Fog created confusion and the longer course was abandoned as dangerous and slow in 1936. In 1972 the 290-mile (470 km) Cove Island course was restored. Twenty years later, participating yachts were divided into two separate fleets, with one heading east to round Cove Island and the other following the original shore course. After the Canadian government's decision to decommission the Cove Island buoy in 2000, the longer course was replaced with the Southampton Course in which sailors are directed toward Southampton, Ontario and then to the finish line at Mackinac Island.
In 2007, the Bayview Yacht Club announced a new course (Thunder Bay Course) in which all boats round at NOAA Weather Buoy 45003, located about 43 miles (69 km) northeast of Alpena, Michigan. Longer than the shore course but not quite as lengthy as the Southampton or Cove Island courses, it marked the first time in 15 years that all Port Huron to Mackinac racing yachts followed a unified course. In 2009 the race will return to the Cove Island course (rounding a private buoy), with cruising and smaller boats sailing the Thunder Bay course.
Read more about this topic: Port Huron To Mackinac Boat Race
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