Sailors from 15 different U.S. states as well as Ontario, Switzerland, and as far off as Hong Kong, are preparing for the race of a lifetime – the 333 mile Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Wintrust.
The Mac, as it is affectionately known, kicks off Friday, July 10, 2026 (cruising division) and Saturday, July 11, 2026 (racing division) with 3,000 sailors competing in this world-class sporting event. Although The Mac remains primarily an amateur event, this race has a proven track record of attracting some of the finest sailing talent in the sport.
The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac is the longest, annual freshwater sailing race in the world. It takes place on Lake Michigan.
Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Quicklinks: (Look for updates as racetime approaches)
Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac – Photos via Instagram
Here are the latest photos of Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac via instagram. If you have an instagram photo to share of Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac, tag it with #cycrtm and your photos will appear in the photo stream below.
Headed to the start of the 2022 Chicago #racetomackinac with team Alpha Puppy! Race #10
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#chicagosailing #lakemichigan #cycrtm #americasoffshorechallenge #chicagotomac #mackinacisland #sailing
Headed to the start of the 2022 Chicago #racetomackinac with team Alpha Puppy! Race #10 . . . #chicagosailing #lakemichigan #cycrtm #americasoffshorechallenge #chicagotomac #mackinacisland #sailing...
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day two and three of the mac:)… w Scott, Michael, Stacie, Doug, Laura, and Bill on Endless Summer:)… #cycrtm
This year’s Mac swag for the ladies. Also fun fact: our crew is 50/50 men and women. 💪 #rhumbrunner racetomackinac #cycrtm2022 #cycrtm...
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Midnight on the Docks. 24" x 30, oil on cradled birch panel. If you've ever sailed the Race to Mackinac, then you know this scene, on the Tuesday night after the awards, when everyone is tucked in and tuckered out. #CYCRTM, #mackinacisland #addictedtomackinacisland #puremichigan #fineart #mackinacslittlegallery
Midnight on the Docks. 24" x 30, oil on cradled birch panel. If you've ever sailed the Race to Mackinac, then you know this scene, on the Tuesday night after the awards, when everyone is tucked in and tuckered out. #CYCRTM, #mackinacisland #addictedtomackinacisland #puremichigan #fineart #mackinacslittlegallery...
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Congratulations to the crews who have crossed the finish line of the 112th Chicago Yacht Club racetomackinac. Welcome to #PureMichigan!
📷: greendrinks #CYCRTM #LakeMichigan #LakeHuron #sailing #summer #MyMackinac #OnePureMichigan
Congratulations to the crews who have crossed the finish line of the 112th Chicago Yacht Club racetomackinac. Welcome to #PureMichigan! 📷: greendrinks #CYCRTM #LakeMichigan #LakeHuron #sailing #summer #MyMackinac #OnePureMichigan...
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Go Scarlet Begonias, sail fast and safely to Mackinac. #svscaletbegonias #cycrtm #cycrtm2023
Go Scarlet Begonias, sail fast and safely to Mackinac. #svscaletbegonias #cycrtm #cycrtm2023...
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Post-race partying after six days of race committee duty for racetomackinac, and a tiny view of the minor chaos of docking 100+ boats at the island. Parties included a newly created brunch for first timers - both crew of new boat/skipper combos doing their inaugural race, and individual crew members doing their first Mac. Love the positive reinforcement for newbies. #cycrtm
Post-race partying after six days of race committee duty for racetomackinac, and a tiny view of the minor chaos of docking 100+ boats at the island. Parties included a newly created brunch for first timers - both crew of new boat/skipper combos doing their inaugural race, and individual crew members doing their first Mac. Love the positive reinforcement for newbies. #cycrtm...
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Good times never seemed so good on the island ⛵️🐴🍦 #cycrtm
Day 25: Watch the boats cross the finish line in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac! Congratulations to Whitehawk! The first boat to cross the finish line! ⛵️🍾🥂☀️ racetomackinac chicagoyachtclub #94GrandSummerDays
Day 25: Watch the boats cross the finish line in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac! Congratulations to Whitehawk! The first boat to cross the finish line! ⛵️🍾🥂☀️ racetomackinac chicagoyachtclub #94GrandSummerDays...
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Awaiting the contenders of #CYCRTM #AmericasOffShoreChallenge #racetomackinac #mackinacisland #studiomeriel
Michigan’s own Railcar Graffiti brings American old-time string bands and Celtic roots to Marquette Park for a special Monday – Music in the Park.
Railcar Graffiti has been putting on an energetic, engaging and entertaining good time for crowds in Michigan since 2014.
Special Monday Concert!
Bringing their own captivating brand of Alternative old time, with influences from American string bands and Celtic roots. Their high spirited shows give a taste of older music traditions but with a new flair that is uniquely Railcar Graffiti.
Free Event!
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6:30pm, Marquette Park, Mackinac Island – Free
With a spectacular backdrop, our summer concert series takes place on the lawn of a National Historic Landmark, Marquette Park, which is at the foothills of Historic Fort Mackinac downtown across from the marina. Bring a picnic and tune in for some great live folk, rock, country, blues—the best of Americana. All concerts are free. We recommend bringing a blanket or lawn chairs for your comfort.
Music In The Park
EVERY THURSDAY 6:30pm
MARQUETTE PARK
Rain location: Mission Point Theater
For the fun of it, for the escape of it: Join the magic of the Grand Princess and Superhero Package at America’s Summer Place. Your own princess or superhero will have a Grand time dressing up as their favorite princess or superhero for two days filled with fun activities and entertainment. Create lasting memories and family traditions at Grand Hotel while experiencing moments directly from storybooks.
Package Includes:
Grand Hotel accommodations
Breakfast and dinner daily
All resort amenities
Royal Welcome Reception with Princesses and Superhero’s
Singa-long and bedtime stories in the Theatre
Superhero Training in the Tea Garden
Afternoon Tea and activities with characters
Not-So-Quite Midnight Ball
Grand Princess and Superhero Graduation
Complimentary admission to the Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum
The Grand Princess and Superhero Package is also available online or by calling Grand Hotel reservations at 1-800-334-7263.
View Grand Hotel Policies and Information >> to learn more about our evening dress code, luggage process, and more.
View the Tentative Agenda below. Please note that the events, times and locations listed in the Tentative Agenda are subject to change.
*Subject to 6% Michigan sales tax, 3% Mackinac Island assessment, 19.5% resort fee, and a $15.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability, 30-day cancellation policy applies.
Mackinac Arts Council welcomes Nathan Graham back to Music in the Park!
Born and raised in Chicago, Graham meshes South Side Blues with Nashville Americana, beginning his career backing blues singers at famous haunts like Buddy Guy’s Legends and Kingston Mines. He spent a decade as a guitar-for-hire before picking up a mic to tell his own stories on the stage.
Soulful and steady, Graham’s music offers a raw introspective of the human condition that’s both painful and comforting. His guitar conveys heartbreak, lyrics tell stories of regret, but his rich vocal delivery offers the remedy.
Having brought his songs on international tours with both major label and indie acts, Graham is challenging the notion of what it means to be a singer-songwriter. He’s driving inclusivity within the genre, and he hopes to evoke a sense of understanding in the process.
Rain Location: Mission Point Theater
Mackinac’s own CowBot will open for Nathan Graham. See you in the park!
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6:30pm, Marquette Park, Mackinac Island – Free
With a spectacular backdrop, our summer concert series takes place on the lawn of a National Historic Landmark, Marquette Park, which is at the foothills of Historic Fort Mackinac downtown across from the marina. Bring a picnic and tune in for some great live folk, rock, country, blues—the best of Americana. All concerts are free. We recommend bringing a blanket or lawn chairs for your comfort.
Music In The Park
EVERY THURSDAY 6:30pm
MARQUETTE PARK
Rain location: Mission Point Theater
The Bayview Mackinac Race – which will begin on Saturday, July 18, 2026 – is recognized as one of the most challenging freshwater boat races in the world. Join the excitement of the Port Huron to Mackinac Race as boat racers sail Michigan’s Great Lakes to reach their final destination, Mackinac Island. It’s all Pure Michigan from start to finish!
In the ten decades that the Bayview Mackinac Race has been sailed, much has happened. Wars, economic depressions, and other significant events have transpired, yet the Race has gone on. In fact, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wired a message to Bayview during World War II when word reached the White House that the Club was considering canceling the race. That message read: “Sail your race.” Even then, it was clear that this race was and is important for sailors and for the State of Michigan. Bayview did sail the Mackinac Race that year, and has done so every single year since the first Bayview Mackinac Race in 1925, making it the longest consecutively run freshwater race in the world. This year’s race starts on July 18, 2026.
In its own way, the Bayview Mackinac race has become a vital part of Great Lakes history, Michigan history, and sailing history.
Celebrate the start of the race in Port Huron. Then follow the course of the Port Huron to Mackinac Race as they head north along the shores of Michigan’s eastern coast. Join the festivities at the finish line on Mackinac Island. Where the hospitality and celebration is always second to none.
Graham Young is a songwriter and musician from Petoskey, Michigan, now based in Los Angeles. After more than a decade as the frontman of beloved Northern Michigan band Michigan Rattlers, Graham is stepping into a new chapter with his first journey as a solo artist.
Rooted in the great American songwriting tradition, Graham’s music is shaped by lived experience, his own stories, the stories of his family, and the countless lives he’s crossed paths with on the road. His songs are intimate and observant, offering listeners a clear-eyed reflection of themselves and the world around them. Thoughtful, soulful, and quietly powerful, his work invites connection long after the final note fades.
Like Marilyn Monroe, Graham is also a Gemini. Proof that duality, charm, and depth run deep.
(Rain Location: Mission Point Theater)
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6:30pm, Marquette Park, Mackinac Island – Free
With a spectacular backdrop, our summer concert series takes place on the lawn of a National Historic Landmark, Marquette Park, which is at the foothills of Historic Fort Mackinac downtown across from the marina. Bring a picnic and tune in for some great live folk, rock, country, blues—the best of Americana. All concerts are free. We recommend bringing a blanket or lawn chairs for your comfort.
Music In The Park
EVERY THURSDAY 6:30pm
MARQUETTE PARK
Rain location: Mission Point Theater
