www.iFourWinns.com

http://newssun.suntimes.com/news/6582026-418/2-found-dead-after-boat-capsizes-during-race-to-mackinac.html

The thought of getting thrown overboard in the Middle of Lake Michigan at midnight in steep 6 foot waves is just terrifying! Condolences to the sailor's family's

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Our Boating Blog: http://ben-dana.blogspot.com/

2005 268 Vista "Sea Pickle II"
1979 AMF Alcort Puffer
Previous:
2003 FW190 Horizon
1973 Startcraft 18ft "Sea Pickle"

This hit a little too close to home for me. One of the victims was an alternate crew member of my dad's boat for his Wednesday night jib and main fleet races. In fact, I was visiting two weeks ago and sailed on my dad's boat and WingNuts was out there with us. Very sad indeed.

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http://youtu.be/-4ckF7u1iNk
2003 PowerQuest 260 Legend SX
2014 Lund WC 14

2007 H210 Volvo 5.7 Gi/SX (sold in 2012)
2007 H180 Volvo 3.0 (sold in 2009)

Shows you the power of what we sometimes take for granted. Lake Michigan (and all of the great lakes) are big and very powerful. I know those storms that blew through were nasty. VERY SEASONED sailors that knew what they were doing were lost. So sad for their family and friends.

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Thats enough to make me want to sell my boat everytime I hear of things like this.

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1989 205 Sundowner
5.0 HO OMC Cobra

I was going to chastise someone when I heard people drowned in a "lake" but then when "they drowned when their boat flipped in 60 mile-an-hour winds and six-foot seas" on Lake Michigan that is a different story. It is nothing short of an ocean out there. I bet it was more than six-foot seas out there though. Very sad.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

In case anyone is interested, our nautical engineer here at work was in the Chi-Mac race that night. He said they were about 5 miles behind the boat that flipped. He told me this morning that the winds were gusting to 60 mph on their instruments, but that the waves were not that large as was reported. It was the force of the wind that caused the boat to overturn. He said their boat, which was bigger, heeled over on it's side, and the mast spars went in the water, but the boat quickly righted itself. Everyone had harnesses' on , lifejackets and EPIRB's.

The sailboats that were on the scene first, were a little upset with the Coast Guard, as they did not put a diver in the water once they were on scene. They tapped the hull side, heard nothing, and started searching away from the boat. Both of the fatalities were found still in their harness' under the boat, several hours later. It took the CG vessel from Charlevoix about an hour to get on the scene.
The boat that flipped was a smaller, flatter bottom boat with "wings" and many feel that either they lost the keel weight due to mechanical failure, or the "wings" and the boats hull shape, combined with the winds contributed to the tragedy.

Very sad this happenened.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy