CHICAGO (WBBM) -- More than 300 sailboats set out this Saturday in the 99th Chicago-to-Mackinac Island, Michigan, race.
WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
Newsradio 780 talked to some of the captains who are getting ready to set sail.
Standing on board the J'hawker, we spoke with Captain Ken Brown about why the J'hawker's owner chose to name his sailboat after a Civil War guerrilla fighter.
"He likes the idea of, the allusion to rape, murder, burn, pillage, don't think of the consequences."
But that's just a joke, right?
"Our competitors don't speak nicely of us sometimes. That we will do just about anything to win."
Captain Brown says he's done 15 Mackinac races.
"Last year, we were doing 23 knots. The wind was blowing 35 knots. We had a spinnaker up. We were passing everybody. That was a great experience. We don't have that very often."
Sometimes it's the doldrums.
"There have been times when you look at the GPS and it tells you you're going to finish the race in 12 hours. And then the wind dies and it says 24 hours, then 36 hours. Then somehow it flashes on there - when are we going to finish? And it says 'never.' And you think, do I really want to be out here?
"There are times when you get halfway to the island and you run out of food. And you say, 'We didn't bring enough food.' And the owner says, 'Sail faster.'"
The race begins Saturday morning at 10:30 off Navy Pier.
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