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Mackinac 2010
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the lake fox does it again
wins mac
mahem on the starting line
(Monday, July 26, 2010) The “Lake Fox”, Robert Vickery, sailed his boat, Collaboration 2, to victory in the Beneteau 40.7 section on the 102nd race from Chicago to Mackinac Island. Mojo, with co-skippers Gary Powell, Scot Ruhlander and Jeff Comeaux finished in 2nd place about eight minutes behind Vickery. Dave Tarson’s Excalibur finished in 3rd place, twelve minutes behind the leader. Thirteen boats of the Lake Michigan Beneteau 40.7 Fleet participated in the race.
 The race started in a southwest breeze of about 15 knots necessitating a port tack start. Just before the starting gun, Broderi collided with Rhumb Runner, driving her bow deep into Rhumb Runner’s fore-section. The impact caused Rhumb Runner’s propeller to fall off and she was taking on water. There was a twelve foot crack below the waterline. Coast Guard came to the rescue with a pump. Katie Goldman is the skipper of Rhumb Runner. Pam Lefebvre, on Rhumb Runner’s bow, was taken to the hospital and released with bruises and a knee wrap. Rhumb Runner retired from the race. At a protest hearing on Mackinac Island on Tuesday morning, Broderi was disqualified for violation of Rules 16.1 (Changing Course) and Rule 14 (Avoiding Contact). Broderi’s protest against Rhumb Runner for violating Rule 10 (Opposite tacks) was dismissed. It is the intention of Bob Kolar, skipper of Broderi, to appeal the decision.
This was the seventh time in as many years that Collaboration has placed in the top three in the 40.7 section. Basically every year she’s been entered in the section. This is also the fourth time Vickery has won the 40.7 section in these seven years, having a previous string of three straight victories from 2004, 2005 and 2006. This record of Mackinac achievement, along with being the winner over all the sections at both the 2008 Verve Cup regatta and the 2010 NOOD regatta and other achievements, has earned Vickery the title of “The Lake Fox”. Furthermore, in these last seven years, no other boat competing in the Chicago to Mackinac race has equaled Vickery’s achievement of placing in their section all seven times and winning four times. (only Lou Sandoval’s and Jack Buoscio’s Beneteau 36.7, Karma, has won 1st place more times than Collaboration in that period, five times, except Karma did not place at all in 2007).
2nd place Mojo finished in 1st place in the Mackinac race last year. 3rd place Excalibur won the 40.7 section in the Mac in 2003 and placed 3rd in 2006 and 2007.
 We interviewed Bob Vickery after the race:
40.7: Did you have any plan before the start and if so how did that affect what happened in the first few hours after the start?
Vickery: “We did have a pre-race plan which was based on our weather forecast. Our plan was to get as far north and stay to the east of the rhumb line, The forecast we had was clear and emphatic that pressure would be dramatically lighter to the west and suggested to push east at almost any cost. Their Sunday prediction was stronger pressure on the Michigan shore.
“From the start we pressed low and worked east. MOJO, Excaliber, Flyswatter and Turning Point were in the group nearest us. MOJO, Flyswatter and Turning Point set the pace and did an excellent job of keeping speed up and weaving through the early start sections. In doing so they put together a 1 mile lead. Excaliber was with us and worked the low road for lateral separation. In retrospect, I think our strategy was flawed to this point. We should not have pressed down, but rather sailed faster VMG numbers. I think that it is clear for the Mac Races that faster VMG is more important than positioning. Of course positioning is important, just don't give up speed and distance to get it.
.jpg) “By Saturday evening we sailed into the glue and waited for the predicted Northerly shift. After the northerly settled in we sailed the favorable tack which found us off of the Michigan coast Sunday morning near Muskegon.
“We short tacked up the coast to Point Betsie and tried to use the shore to stay out of the bigger waves. Pressure seemed better near shore as well so staying east made sense. I kept the off watch on the rail from 11PM Saturday until 3 PM Sunday, which gave us a bit better speed and pointing. This was no small contribution from the crew. Their dedication to winning and to continue to hike while pounding through the waves all night long was very significant. That strategy seemed to pay dividends and brought us back in touch with MOJO, and Turning Point.”
40.7: How did your strategy evolve on Saturday evening, and on Sunday, and Monday? What were you observing with other boats in the section, either visually or using the Iboat trackers?
Vickery: “Sunday afternoon we were able to get cell service and get a look at the race tracker which showed us slightly behind MOJO, Turning Point and Excaliber, but several miles east of them. We entered the Manitou Passage Sunday evening and worked the lines of wind pressure to the east side. That breeze gave us a nice starboard gybe angle and speed. We could see the four other boats to the west and noted that they didn't have as much pressure. Turning Point looked to be on heading to go outside the islands, but MOJO, Excaliber and Flyswatter stayed in the Passage. I knew this was going to be a critical period of the race and both of our watches did an excellent job of trimming and continually pushing the boat. We gybed 4 times to stay in pressure and on favorable tacks.
“By Monday morning we were past the North Manitou Shoal light and in the lead, but once again in the glue. Excaliber was further west of us, MOJO worked east and Flyswatter was on our line and slightly behind. Our concern at this point was that if we reached up on Port gybe we would be giving up distance to the westerly boats and that if the breeze filled in from the SW as predicted, we would have a hard time coming down to course for Grays reef. We looked for an opportunity to escape on Starboard and started working further to the right. The breeze did start to fill in and we took that opportunity to work the right on Starboard. Later, off of Grand Traverse Bay we found another shaft of pressure which launched us forward to a lead of 1.5 miles.”
40.7: Can you describe what happened towards the end of the race, say from the Manitous to the bridge and then to the finish? Weren't you in about 5th place before the Manitou's, then caught up there and passed like maybe Excalibur, Turning Point and Mojo?
Vickery: “Going into the Manitou Passage we had six 40.7's with-in 2 miles of each other. Mojo, Excaliber, Turning Point, Flyswatter and Can Can were all with-in sight. What a testimony to the level racing of our class. To race for 225 miles in varied conditions and be in a virtual tie with five other boats is incredible.
“From Gray's Reef to the finish the breeze was steady and became an exercise in covering the boats behind by staying between them and the mark.”
40.7: Can you describe any exciting incidents on the race?
Vickery: “The start was pretty interesting with the collision between Rhumb Runner and Broderi occurring within twenty feet of us. We had to take some evasive action to avoid that snafu and make sure there were no injuries, which caused us to be tardy on the initial spinnaker set.
“Sunday afternoon the motor overheated while charging batteries and Chris Jungmann, partner/cook/mechanic extraordinare jumped into action and solved that problem which could have been very serious.”
40.7: Who was your MVP?
Vickery: “We had nine MVP's. The way they hiked with-out complaint for the 16 hour stretch Sunday and then stayed alert and active Monday morning in the light stuff, they all get the AAA rating in my book. Any boat, any condition, any race!”
 40.7: And, who were your crew this year?
Vickery: “Our crew this year was truly a dream team of talent and pleasant personalities. Owen Beckley and John Beery were watch captains. The heavy lifting, hiking and sail changes were completed by the capable team of Brian Shaw, Mark Pawlikowski, Eddie Jungmann, Laura Olsen, John Durlack and Mac Rookie, Matt Luzadder. Of course I can't say enough about my partner Chris Jungmann who supports all of my decisions, good and bad, and serves a continuous menu of hot, delicious food.”
 Dave Tarson, the skipper of Excalibur, the 3rd place boat had this to say about the race:
“Our strategy was pretty simple at first. The forecasts we were looking at showed more pressure toward the right side of the lake and dying from the middle going to the east so we wanted to cover the right side and tend to the right of rhumb. We were beginning to have our doubts at the beginning when the left side of the fleet started to leg out on us but we were already committed to the right. As night fell we lost sight of the fleet and did not know where we were until we reached the Michigan shore and were able to look online. We found ourselves in 1st place with Fly Swater about a mile behind us and Collaboration inshore to their right. At that point our strategy changed and became covering Bob (Vickery). We were successful all day until that evening, as the moon came up, Bob jibed into the moonlight and disappeared. As we came through the Manitou’s we jibed North soon after clearing the lighthouse so nobody could get to the inside. We had lost sight of the fleet. Then the wind died. The morning came and we found that Collaboration and Mojo had slipped by us and the rest of the race was covering Fly Swater and trying to make up distance on the new leaders.“
 Meanwhile, Katie Goldman, the damaged Rhumb Runner’s skipper, is trying valiantly to get her program back on track. Damage estimates range from $55,000 to the boat being a total loss. Either way, Rhumb Runner is out for the year. Undaunted, Katie will continue. One of her crew members, Neal Creighton, owns a Beneteau 40.7, Impetuous, which hasn’t been racing but is moored in Belmont Harbor. Katie’s plan is to transfer the racing equipment to Impetuous and begin racing on her starting at the Zukasky Regatta on August 14th and then continue on through the rest of the season.
Katie had these words about the accident:
“The extent of damage is very overwhelming, this collision ruined my, my families’, and sixteen crew members’ summer. We as skippers all know how much time we put into our boats. We just painted the pretty pink bottom, redid our rig, fixed the bottom, bought a new main sail and new instruments, etc. for this season so Rhumb Runner could compete on a weekly basis in our fleet regattas. The boat will surely NOT be back out on the water for 2010.”
 Late on Tuesday afternoon, performer Willie Bean entertained aboard La Tempete. Many of the fleet's crew attended this raft party.
 Aboard Vayu, Terry Koller, sailed his 25th Chicago to Mackinac Race and was inducted into the Island Goats Society.
A history of the Lake Michigan Beneteau 40.7 Fleet on the Chicago to Mackinac Island Race is at: 40.7 Mackinac History
Current standings for the 2010 season series are at:
Results of the Beneteau 40.7 Section on the 2010 Chicago to Mackinac Island Race:
Photos of the 40.7 Fleet on the Mackinac Race begin at: Mac Photos 2010 Photos of the fleet in 2010 are at Photos 2010 More albums of fleet photos are at: 40.7 Photos Suggestion: use the full screen play option.
Anyone can submit photos for publishing on the 40.7 websites. Email to cygnus(at)interaccess.com.
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