CHICAGO YACHT CLUB 110TH RACE TO MACKINAC HAS SLOPPY, DEADLY START

SAILOR MISSING IN SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE STARTING LINE

 WAVES OF 6-8 FEET PREVAILED ON LAKE MICHIGAN AT THE RACE START

 DDWIGHT CASIMERE WEATHERING THE STORM AT THE STARTING LINE

 GETTING A STEADY PICTURE WAS A REAL  CHALLENGE IN THE STEEP CHOP

 HEAVY WINDS KEPT MANY BOATS FROM MAKING HEADWAY AT THE START

CREW MEMBERS KEEP THE BOAT ON THE WIND IN A SAILING MANEUVER

BELOW: CHICAGO SKYLINE OBSCURED IN HIGH WINDS AND FOG AT RACE START

by Dwight Casimere

Choppy seas and sloppy weather conditions marred the start of the Chicago Yacht Club 110th Race to Mackinac, considered the nation's premiere yachting event. Further, a man lost at sea following a report of a man overboard, on the race boat, Imedi, in the Turbo section, considered the largest and fastest of the 306 boats in the race, resulted in 39 boats returning to the Chicago Yacht Club, ending their race participation. The missing sailor has been identified as 53 year old Jon Santarelli of Lincoln Park.

The first-to-finish was the veteran racing boat Il Mostro helmed by Peter Thornton and his three generation crew of co-skippers which included his 19 year old son Jack and nephew Brodin. The boat last did such a finish in 2012. For more information on the race, visit ChicagoYachtClub.org.