It begins and ends with a party.
In between it’s the longest-running long-distance freshwater sailing race in the country.
About 220 sailboats, big yachts like the 105-foot Whitehawk, to 24 foot boats, will compete in the 95th running of what is now the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race in Lake Huron.
Boat Week activities are underway, with a big carnival tonight on Family Night at the Blue Water Fest. Boat Night is tomorrow night on the eve of the race.
Larry Bell, founder of Bell’s Beer, says despite the competitive nature of the sailors, one goal is the most important:
“Safety is the number one concern,” Bell tells WJR’s Paul W. Smith.
Sailors will choose from two courses, and then the sails will dot the horizon Saturday morning, from Port Huron to Mackinac.
New for the 2019 Port Huron to Mackinac race— record high water levels.
Deeper water is better for the boats, making it less likely to hit the boulders closer to shore that Lake Huron is famous for.