Race Chair Mica Reardon and Principal Race Officer Peter Gerard will lead the on-the-water efforts for
the 2026 running of the storied Great Lakes event

DETROIT (February 9, 2026) – Bayview Yacht Club proudly announces its top two volunteer
officials for the 102nd running of the Bayview Mackinac Race, as enthusiasm for the 2026 event
continues to build with 145 boats registered within days of registration opening on January 19 at
noon.

Mica Reardon will serve as the 2026 Race Chair, and Peter Gerard has been appointed Principal
Race Officer for the 2026 and 2027 races. Together, they will lead a team of dozens of volunteers
responsible for organizing and running the race, which will start Saturday, July 18, 2026 in Port
Huron, with viewing of the boats traveling to the starting line in Southern Lake Huron from the
Black River and both U.S. and Canadian shorelines.

Since its beginning in 1925, the Bayview Mackinac Race has been run annually without interruption,
enduring wars, economic crises and other global challenges. Approximately 200 boats compete
each year, with a record fleet of 350 boats sailing in 2024 during the race’s 100th running. That
milestone event drew sailors from 44 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, along with 14
countries across four continents, ranging in age from 11 to 90.

Michigan’s Thumb Coast, other Lake Huron shorelines and Mackinac Island offer viewing
opportunities throughout the race, while a live race-tracking program allows shoreside fans to
follow competitors along the course. Known for its blend of endurance, strategy and tradition, the
Bayview Mackinac Race attracts competitive racing teams as well as cruising sailors, families and
those seeking new challenges on the Great Lakes.

More information about the race is available at www.bycmack.com. Sponsorship opportunities for
the 2026 event remain available.

About the 2026 Race Leadership
Mica Reardon discovered sailing in 2018 while participating in Bayview’s Thursday Night Race
Series on the Detroit River and joined Bayview Yacht Club later that season. She has since served as
Principal Race Officer for the club’s Thursday Night Race Series, Spring Round Up, Women-on
Water Regatta and North Channel Race, along with numerous other local and regional events. A
southeast Michigan native, Reardon works professionally as a Marketing Project Manager for the
Detroit Pistons.

“The Bayview Mackinac Race is the flagship event for our Club, and it’s been exciting to see
the enthusiasm sailors already have for the 102nd running,” Reardon said. “Building on the
momentum of the record-setting 100th race and the success of 2025, we’re looking forward
to another exceptional year on the water.”

Peter Gerard will make his debut as Principal Race Officer (PRO) for a Great Lakes distance race at
the 2026 Bayview Mackinac Race. A resident of Newport, Rhode Island and Dallas, Texas, Gerard
has held leadership roles at multiple yacht clubs and within US Sailing, the sport’s national
governing body. His racing experience spans boats from 12 Metres to Shields across multiple
continents, and he has served as Americas Vice President of the International 12 Metre Association
and President of the Shields Class Sailing Association.

Gerard is a US Sailing-certified National Judge and Regional Race Officer and has served as PRO for
events including the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta and Race Week, the 12-Metre North
American Championship, the Ida Lewis Distance Race and numerous classic yacht regattas on the
East Coast and in the Caribbean. He has also served on the boards of The Sailing Museum and
National Sailing Hall of Fame and The Herreshoff Marine Museum.

“It’s an honor to join the team behind the Bayview Mackinac Race, one of the most respected
distance races in North American sailing,” Gerard said. “In a sport rooted in tradition, this
race stands apart, and I look forward to supporting the sailors, volunteers and organizers
who make it possible.”

High-resolution headshots of the Race Chair and Principal Race Officer are available upon request.

About Bayview Yacht Club
Founded in 1915, Bayview Yacht Club is widely regarded as the premier sailing club in Michigan
and the Midwest. Located on the Detroit River near the mouth of Lake St. Clair, the club has hosted
the Bayview Mackinac Race annually since 1925 and counts more than 900 members. Additional
information on membership, learn-to-sail programs and hosting events at Bayview’s clubhouse is
available at www.byc.com.