J/Sailors Set Chicago Mackinac Race and Super Mac Race Records!

ByStuart Johnstone

(Mackinac Island, MI)- By finishing the Chicago Mackinac Race (289.0nm) in 23 hrs 24 mins 22 secs, the 80-foot canting keelboat MAVERICK owned by Sanford Burris and brothers Bill  & Bud Kinney set the new elapsed time record by over an hour. Previously, the record had been set 20 years ago by Roy Disney’s 75-footer PYEWACKET at 24 hrs 33 mins. Furthermore, MAVERICK also crushed the Super Mac Race (Chicago to Port Huron 595.0nm) record by 10+ hours!

What was unique about MAVERICK’s crew is that two sons were aboard and of the nineteen-man crew, only two were pros. As a largely amateur, family-oriented team, the MAVERICK crew has mostly grown up on the Cleveland waterfront sailing a variety of J/Boats over time, from J/22s to J/24s, J/70s to J/80s, J/105s, J/109s, and J/111s!

Finally, MAVERICK’s  navigator/ strategist was none other than your J/Newsletter Editor- Stuart Johnstone- now fastest Chicago-Mac Race navigator ever!