Life on the Edge-Port Huron to Mackinac
The
Chamber is excited to announce that we now have available the first-ever copy of
Victory by Tom Ervin!
At the age of 63, with very little big boat racing experience
and no offshore experience, Tom Ervin decided to race in his first Bayview Mackinac
Race in July of 2005. Little could he have imagined that this would become the greatest
adventure of his life. The 2005 race was the fastest ever conducted in the 81 year
history of the race. The wind came out of the south for twenty hours and for an
eight hour period on the second day of the race prevailed at over 20 knots. These
conditions permitted the entire fleet on both courses to sail on a broad reach for
the majority of the race and eclipse all previous speed records.
This book recites his experience aboard the J105, VENOM, and
also includes stories from the Southampton Course overall winner, COLT 45 and the
Shore Course overall winner, BANTU. You'll also read about Kevin Morin aboard another
J105, JUNTO, who went up the mast during the height of the storm to
make a repair.
The dismasting of MYSTERY and the courageous voyage of Matt Troy,
family and friends in his first race as skipper aboard his own boat, WHITE WATER,
complete the racing stories from the 2005 race. You'll also look behind the scenes
to glimpse the tremendous organization it takes to conduct a race encompassing 3,000
sailors, over 250 boats, numerous yacht clubs, race sponsors and the cities of Port
Huron and Mackinac Island.
You'll hear, from its last living survivor, ninety seven year
old Bob Roadstrum, a first hand account of the first Bayview Mackinac Race of 1925.
This is followed by the 1975 dismasting of HERITAGE and a gripping photo of it passing
the EDMUND FITZGERALD only months before it sank in Lake Superior. Finally, you'll
hear the dramatic story of the 1985 sinking of TOMAHAWK and the rescue of its crew
as told by Tom Lowry, skipper aboard TOMAHAWK and Charles Bayer, skipper of the
rescuing sailboat, OLD BEAR.