Chicago's lakefront is about to turn into a wall of white sails as the 117th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac heads out this weekend. From hardened regatta pros to multigenerational family crews, hundreds of teams will push through the 333‑mile freshwater slog to Mackinac Island over two days of starts. The race is a deep‑rooted Lake Michigan summer tradition, and once again it comes with a crowd‑pleasing shoreline leg that lets spectators get close to the action.
According to the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, the 117th running, presented by Wintrust, begins July 10–11 and will feature roughly 260 boats and thousands of sailors on the 333‑mile route north. Rich Murphy, Vice Chairman and Chief Lending Officer at Wintrust, said the sponsor is "proud to support this rich history" and to help "introduce new generations to the sport" as crews set up for the long haul away from Chicago's skyline.
The fleet is anything but local‑only. Competitors are coming from 45 states and eight countries, and 36 teams are on the starting line for the first time, signaling fresh energy in the race. Race chair Kevin Foote has called the Mac "part of Chicago's sporting fabric since 1898 — older than the World Series and the Indianapolis 500," a comparison reporters have highlighted when sizing up the race's place on the city's summer sports calendar, as reported by MLive.
Start Schedule And Where To Watch
The Cruising Division heads out first on Friday, July 10 at 3 p.m. The Racing Division follows on Saturday, July 11, with class starts rolling from 11 a.m. into the early afternoon. The Skyline Sprint, the spectator‑friendly opening leg introduced last year, will again send boats skimming close to the shoreline, from Navy Pier north past Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors. That setup creates a built‑in viewing corridor for lakefront residents, beachgoers and anyone who just happens to be out for a walk, per Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.
Finish Line And Festivities
For those who make it all the way up the lake, the payoff is Mackinac Island itself. Boats are welcomed at the finish, and sailors shift from race mode to recovery at a post‑race celebration at Mission Point Resort, where crews traditionally regroup after the long run. The island's hotels, shops, and waterfront lawn are a big part of the race's charm and a well‑earned break after the 333‑mile passage, as reported by MLive.
Follow The Fleet
If you are not hopping on a boat, you can still keep tabs on the drama in real time. The event offers a live race tracker along with social media updates that let fans watch the fleet inch up Lake Michigan from afar. Local coverage points to the Chicago Yacht Club's tracker as the simplest way to follow positions and progress throughout the race, per CBS Chicago.
What's New This Year
This edition of the race introduces a Mixed Plus Award, a new honor that spotlights top teams that prioritize inclusive crew lineups, an effort organizers say is aimed at drawing more women and youth into offshore racing. Coverage of the rollout notes the award alongside the strong group of first‑time entrants, a pairing that underscores how the Mac fleet continues to evolve, per Sail-World.
Whether you are trimming sails or watching from a blanket on the grass, the Race to Mackinac functions as both a serious test of skill and a classic Chicago summer ritual. The fleet typically finishes over several days as boats work through whatever conditions Lake Michigan decides to serve up, and organizers and sailors alike say the blend of battle‑hardened veterans and wide‑eyed newcomers keeps the Mac fiercely competitive and reliably unpredictable year after year.
