Fresh water single handed sailing: The SuperMac

[jfoster]

From SCUTTLEBUTT 2561 – March 26, 2008

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/

GOING SOLO
This year will mark the 30th running of the Port Huron to Mackinac Solo
Challenge and the 12th running of the Chicago to Mackinac Solo
Challenge. Both of these races will begin on Saturday, March 21. In
2007, 17 sailors started the Port Huron Challenge and 28 started the
Chicago to Mackinac Challenge. These are not French solo sailors; their
boats are mostly production cruiser/racers – or cruisers – but this does
not diminish the accomplishment that sailing one of these events
represents. The emphasis is on finishing the challenge, not winning the
race, and every finisher becomes a full member of the Great Lakes
Singlehanded Society; it is the only way to get in. Although the the
GLSS has sent Steve Pettingill and Tim Kent off to do solo around the
world races, you would be hard pressed to recognize the boats or sailors
who take this challenge every year.

This year some of the sailors will go farther; this is a SuperMac year,
so that sailors that wish to do so will pass up the charms of finishing
on Mackinac Island and complete both legs of the course, either Port
Huron to Chicago or Chicago to Port Huron, which means completing a 595
mile course solo. For the first time, the GLSS is offering the chance to
compete in the longest freshwater solo race ever – the SuperMac and
Back. These competitors will race either from Port Huron to Chicago and
back to Port Huron or Chicago to Port Huron and back to Chicago, a 1,190
mile long course. Several skippers of the some of the faster boats in
the fleet have committed to this event. For more information on the
Mackinac Challenges or any of the events offered by the GLSS on Lakes
Huron, Michigan, Superior, Erie or St. Clair, visit their website at
www.solosailor.org

http://www.solosailor.org/allmac.php#smac

The Challenges

The Mac Solo Challenges consist of the Port Huron to Mackinac Island (265 statute miles) and the Chicago to Mackinac Island (330 statute miles). The Challenges are held annually, generally taking place on the third or fourth Saturday in June. These two Challenges run concurrently, and feature a common finish line at Mackinac Island. The President's Cup Trophy is awarded to the first time finisher on each lake who has the fastest corrected time. An awards luncheon takes place on Mackinac Island on the Wednesday following the start of the Challenges, and non-member skippers who successfully complete either Challenge will be awarded lifetime membership in the Society.

This will be a Super Mac year, and if you can stand the thought of passing up the Island to head down the lakes, this is your chance to shine. If you just can't get enough solo sailing in a month to satisfy the urge to swat flies and deal with thunderstorms, we're offering for the first time, a Super Mac and Back! See the Notice of Race for all the details...

Are you even remotely thinking at this point of participating in one of the Super Mac or Super Mac and Back Solo Challenges? If so, it is important that you make email contact as soon as possible with the Lake Michigan Vice Chairman, Matt Scharl. Matt has volunteered to organize this portion of the Solo Mac Challenges, and since the logistics of both the Super Macs and Super Mac and Back are wildly different from the regular Mac Challenges, a little extra help from you is needed. It is necessary for Matt to determine, as early as possible, from which city (Port Huron or Chicago) you will be starting, and whether or not you intend to enter the Super Mac or the Super Mac and Back Solo Challenge. Please include in your email to Matt whether you'll be competing in the monohull or multihull division, and your boat type. This information will go a long way to aid in planning the event. Send an email to Matt Scharl with your intentions. Thanks for your cooperation!

For more information about the Solo Mac Challenges including the Super Mac and Super Mac and Back, please see the Solo Mac FAQ.

 

[haulback]

Interesting.........both Port Huron to Mackinac and SHTP 30 years old.

 

[Alchera]

SuperMac and Back - almost as long as a TransPac, without the ability to get safely offshore at any time. Sounds really brutal. Must be tough to get any sleep at all.

- Mark