Ideal conditions start August sailing series
Bob Yin captains Dolce during the first August race of 2026 for the Escanaba Yacht Club. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
Last week's EYC race took sailors on a south-to-north course. The number eight buoy seen here was the fifth mark, and boats were instructed to take it to starboard. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
The orange inflatable seen resting on Dolce's cabin is hauled in and out of the water on race nights to serve at the start buoy. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
The Escanaba fleet exits the harbor in preparation of a sailing race. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
A sailboat nears the Escanaba Crib Light during a race around Little Bay de Noc last Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
Bob Yin captains Dolce during the first August race of 2026 for the Escanaba Yacht Club. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
Last week's EYC race took sailors on a south-to-north course. The number eight buoy seen here was the fifth mark, and boats were instructed to take it to starboard. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
The orange inflatable seen resting on Dolce's cabin is hauled in and out of the water on race nights to serve at the start buoy. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
The Escanaba fleet exits the harbor in preparation of a sailing race. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
A sailboat nears the Escanaba Crib Light during a race around Little Bay de Noc last Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Murad Abel)
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LITTLE BAY DE NOC — Though winds appeared almost too mild before the start of last week’s sailing race organized by the Escanaba Yacht Club (EYC), the breeze picked up to give boats steady air from the southwest throughout the event.
The Scout boat Good N Windy took first place in the six-leg course for the cruising class, and Hoopla won the spinnaker class, which was even longer with eight legs.
“The boats quickly traversed a winding course that required many sailing maneuvers challenging the crew and prompting some mistakes in execution,” wrote Vice Commodore of Sail John Anthony after tallying the results.
After departing from the start line near Sand Point, boats headed north and first went outside the crib light, taking it to port.
The next mark was the Nahant wreck buoy, a green can, to starboard. The fleet tacked and went back outside the lighthouse to starboard, then back through the starting line before taking the number eight buoy to starboard and back through the finish line.
Such concluded the course for cruising vessels; those with spinnakers were challenged to continue by rounding the start buoy to starboard and then back to the number eight buoy to starboard.
At least one crew was confused and took the number eight buoy the wrong way around — to port instead of starboard. Manitu lost the lead as they circled back to “unwind” their path.
Final scores with corrected times for the cruising class placed Good N Windy in first, Wanderer in second and Manitu in third.
In the spinnaker class, Hoopla took first and Dolce picked up second place.
The EYC's next event will be the second race of the August series, which begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday the 12th. The pre-race skipper's meeting takes place at 6 p.m. at the EYC — found near the intersection of Ludington Street, Water Plant Road and Loren Jenkins Memorial Drive — and the races are open for public entries and participation. Spectators are always invited and encouraged to watch the action from the end of Sand Point, where the race committee uses flags to signal to sailors how much time remains before the official start.