Mac Wrap

Mr. Clean
gives you the skinny from the Midwest. Read up.

The first of the freshwater classics, the 2008
Bayview Mackinac Race, is in the history books. It’s also in the
record books as what may possibly the fastest PH-Mack race in history.
It’s a tough comparison to make since this is only the third year for
BYC’s latest
Mackinac course, but when the slowest boat on the course finishes
on Monday, you know it was a real barn burner.
The 2008 race sent the fleet off on a downwind start, with plenty of
breeze for everyone. A line of squalls moved through on Monday morning,
with the wind veering into the WNW, which put the majority of the fleet
on a screaming fetch in up to 30 knots for the rest of the race. Here
are some of the stories:

Lion, Tamed
The big news was, of course, Stars & Stripes – one of the
fastest race boats ever built. The crew of the catamaran – the
sister ship to the America’s Cup winning boat – included some
well-known Anarchists as well as rock stars like Bill Hardesty, Randy
Smythe, and John Farrar. Around 50 miles from the finish, S&S was
well ahead of the fleet in around 8 knots of breeze, sailing under full
main and jib at 23 knots of boatspeed in completely flat seas with the
rig canted max to windward. She was around two hours from a record that
might not be broken for decades when a carbon strut that helps to stay
the headstay and huge bowsprit failed. The headstay lifted, and the
unsupported rig toppled over to windward and aft.