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Event has seen its share of star power in 79 years
By MARY LOU CREAMER
Times Herald
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By TONY PITTS, Times Herald
TAKING A BREATHER: Stripes, which sailed in the Chicago-to Mackinac Island Race, arrived Tuesday in Port Huron. The crew will spend some time getting the boat ready to make a return trip to the island.
By MELISSA WAWZYSKO, Times Herald
MAKING IT FIT: Crew member Neil Stewart of Toronto stuffs the spinnaker through an access hole in the cabin of Earth Voyager after arriving Tuesday at the River Street Marina on the Black River.
Ted Turner
Bob Seger
Bill Martin
Gordon Lightfoot
Photo courtesy of CANDICE MILLER
A MILESTONE: Rep. Candice Miller, with Norm Silverman aboard Insatiable, sailed in her 25th Mackinac race in 2001, making her an "old goat." This year, she will be sailing in her 27th race, also aboard Insatiable.
ONLINE
RACE INFORMATION
BAYVIEW YACHT CLUB:
www.byc.com
CHICAGO YACHT CLUB:
www.chicagoyachtclub.com
PORT HURON YACHT CLUB:
www.phyc.org
S. Rep. Candice Miller had a hard time describing the look of disbelief that came over the faces of the Republican leadership when she told them she would miss Monday's House vote on Capitol Hill.
"They said, 'You're going to be doing what?'" the Harrison Township Republican said. "I said 'I'll be racing on a sailboat.' Then I said, 'This is what I do guys. I sail.'"
For the most part, the true celebrities of the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race are the boats. Still, the regatta has drawn some notable human participants who often end up garnering as much attention as their vessels.
Celebrities have ranged from a cable TV mogul to rock stars and politicians.
When the boats take off Saturday for this year's race, they will carry the freshman congresswoman as well as the president of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Michigan rocker Bob Seger, who has won the event the past two years, is taking a hiatus from the race.
Miller, Michigan's former secretary of state, laughs about her so-called "celebrity" status in the race.
"I come from a sailing family, and my brother, Gary Snider, is pretty well known in sailing circles," she said. "So, when I introduce myself as Candice Miller most people say, 'Gary's sister?'
"That's a nice change, because sailing is an outlet for me away from the politics."
Famous faces
Perhaps one of the biggest celebrities ever to compete was billionaire and former CNN owner Ted Turner. Once known as "mouth of the South," Turner sailed his yacht Tenacious in the 1978 Mackinac.
Fresh off a victory in the America's Cup with his yacht Courageous, Turner may have figured a trip across Lake Huron would be an easy addition to his trophy case. Wrong.
His luck ran out, losing to the 32-foot Hot Flash, that year's overall winner.
"That wasn't a very good race for him," Miller said. "In fact, he got beat badly, and he's never been back."
That same year, pop singer Gordon Lightfoot sent his Golden Goose although he sat out the race.
In 1980, the boat and singer were in town for the regatta. But the Goose was cooked shortly after the start of the race when a storm erupted and lightning struck both Lightfoot's 45-foot wooden sloop and the Coast Guard cutter Bramble.
Lightfoot raced on without power. He didn't win, but came back to sail in at least two more Mackinac races.
In 1990, the star power was on land.
Spencer Christian, the then-popular weather forecaster with ABC's Good Morning America, did live reports from the foot of the Seventh Street Bridge. The weather didn't exactly cooperate -- it rained all morning -- but he stayed around to chat with local residents.
Homegrown stars
Miller is marking her 27th Mackinac and has made some racing history along the way.
In 2001, Miller became the fifth woman to become an Old Goat, an honor given to sailors who have competed in 25 Port Huron races. In 1971, she was part of the all-female crew on Sayonara, the first such crew to compete in a Mackinac race.
"That was quite an experience. We didn't win, but we had fun," said Miller, who has sailed the past two years with Insatiable, a 46-foot Tartan.
This year's star power also includes Bill Martin, who owns the Santa Cruz 70, Stripes.
The Ann Arbor businessman is perhaps best known as athletic director at the University of Michigan, but he's also the president of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
As for Seger, who couldn't be reached for comment, rumors abound as to why he bowed out.
He is finishing a new album, but some speculate it might be due to a proposed rating system change that would've put his boat, Lightning, into a class of its own. There also is talk that he is selling or already has sold the Santa Cruz 52.
"That's a bummer," fan Rita Gonzalez, 35, of Mussey Township said upon hearing the news. "I saw him last year. I was hoping to meet him this year."
Race chairman Paul Falcone said stars get the same treatment as any other racer.
"They're just another boat you're trying to give some bad wind," he said. "Still, they do bring added media exposure to the race, which is nice. Maybe I should call Eminem and see what he's doing this weekend."
Originally published Wednesday, July 16, 2003
m Contact Mary Lou Creamer at (810) 989-6279 or
mlcreamer@gannett.com.
