community weblog - [ Kudos to Port Huron Yacht Club! ]

Our boat, Victrix (Concordia 47, USA 47001), did the Port Huron 100 (PH100) sponsored by the Port Huron Yacht Club last weekend. This is the second year that PHYC has put on this particular race. The race gets underway around 7PM on Friday just up the channel from the Blue Water Bridge. The first leg of the course takes the fleet across the lake to Kettle Point on the Canadian shore. From there it is out into the middle of the lake to the Southern Lake Huron Weather Buoy. The third leg brings the fleet back to the US shore to round the Port Sanilac harbor buoy. The final leg takes them along the American shore to Channel Buoy #1 at the mouth of the St. Clair River. This year, the winds were generally light but the gorgeous night skies and mild temperatures more than compensated for the slow ride. This is a race that every SE Michigan crew should consider signing up for!

First and foremost, it gives you a chance to hang out at the Port Huron Yacht Club. PHYC is one of Michigan’s great undiscovered secrets! The total lack of pretension hits you like a cool breeze on a hot day the moment you walk in the door. Where other clubs in Michigan are putting millions into their pool deck, PHYC is putting their money into state-of-the-art docks. Where other clubs are worrying about how many trophies their members bring home, PHYC is focusing on developing races and events that are inviting to boats and crews of all skill levels. Where other clubs have a way of making non-members feel like interlopers, PHYC has a way of making you feel welcome, like you belong – if only for the weekend. If yacht racing in Michigan is to thrive, other clubs in the state need to take a close look at what is working so well for PHYC.

The other phenomenal thing about the PH100 is that it gives your crew a great way to shake out your offshore, overnight racing skills prior to the Bayview Mackinac Race. It is long enough that you need to worry about all of the same things like: food, water, fatigue, lighting, offshore safety, clothing, tactics, changing weather, blue water sailing, and point-to-point navigation. And yet the race is short enough that if you miss a detail or two you don’t suffer (too much). It is just close enough to the big race that consciously or sub-consciously your crew will be more aware of what it needs to do to properly prepare for the longer race.

For those of you that haven’t yet discovered the PHYC, I recommend that you give it a look. A great opportunity to do so is coming up in the next couple of weeks. Thursday, July 21st, they are hosting Family Night at the club as part of their Mackinaw race event lineup. The event is open to the public and features the Foster’s mechanical surf board and the Mickey Rat Band. It is a great night to be in Port Huron as the crowds are slightly less dense than on Boat Night (July 22nd). Give Port Huron a look, you won’t be disappointed!

You can find more information on the club and its events on the club’s website www.phyc.org.

-- Tor Hough (Crew, Victrix, USA 47001)