Chicago - Mackinac Update

What great fun! With over 425 entries they have run out of room to put the boats at the finish! The marina at Mackinac only has room for about 72 boats but of course at the end of a race they just raft boat to boat across all of the open water. Even so, there is a limit to how much open water there is! The previous record was 325 entries in 1998. They are trying to figure out where they can provide more dockage. The wonderful boldface on the web site is "we have temporarily closed the registration feature!" It is kind of fun to watch the "exodus." Pretty much everyone leaves the same morning because that is about the only way to get out. We were all the way back in the stack after the Bayview - perhaps 50 boats between us and open water. By 11 AM they were all just heading out. Think of a log jam breaking up and you get the picture. Reboot has gone international. Our crew now includes Nigel and Sue Astbuyr Rollason from Chudleigh, Devon, England. Nigel is a former Isle of Man motorcycle racer having taken first place in both the individual and sidecar classes. He raced for BSA motorcycles for some years. You can have some fun if you google Nigel and Isle of Man. Both Sue and Nigel are veterans of the famous Fastnet race having done four (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005) in their MGRS 34 IOR 3/4 ton class racing yacht. We are also hoping to be joined by our embeded journalist from the Wall Street Journal - James Taranto. James was to make the Bayview - Mackinac race last year but when we blew out of the Chicago - Mac he was of course left without a ride.