The team competed in both the Chicago to Mackinac and the Bayview Port Huron Mackinac races as well as the Bay Harbor regatta. The ‘salt water’ sailors from the Bay Area competed in the world’s longest freshwater races. The ‘freshwater’ experience is definitely different – you don’t have to recoil from the bow wave as it WILL dry, the boat sits lower in the water (density difference), you can wash your cloths, happily go for a swim (needed as it was hot and humid), there is no ‘sea’ smell and there are many many many insects and not enough birds to eat them all!!!

Overall it was a great three weeks of close racing. In the Port Huron-Mac after 24 hours of racing 10 Santa Cruz 70’s were within 4 miles of each other. The light and variable winds certainly kept us on our toes during the 285 mile race with a total of: 26 Spinnaker changes 31 Jib changes 3 Drifters 24 Daisy’s. That’s an average of 2.5 changes per hour! Needless to say the foredeck crew was well rehearsed by the end.

Overall it was a very interesting way to spend the month of July. Thank you to Terry Kohler and the Isaacson’s for their support which made it all possible.