WINDQUEST.

The 86-foot yacht Windquest is the first boat to finish the annual sailboat race from Port Huron to Mackinac Island.

The sponsoring Bayview Yacht Club says the boat with its crew of 20 crossed the finish line at 5:31 p.m. Sunday. Doug and Dick DeVos own Windquest.

The race kicked off Saturday at Port Huron under blue skies and a light wind on Lake Huron.

More than 200 boats are participating in the "Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race." The various classes began the race Saturday morning in staggered start times. Winners are determined based on a handicapping system weighting each boat's ability.

Windquest was the only finisher by 6:15 p.m. Sunday.

Thanks, Freep.

The Port Huron Times-Herald has a nice video of the light-air conditions at the start of the race, here.

Take a tour of The Blue Monster ...



Stepping her 125' mast (this is pretty neat ... I wonder if Aubrey had some Velvet Revolver aboard Surprise? Probably would have.) ...



Up close on the water ...



WINDQUESTs CV is here.

I remember the summer of 2004, seeing Windquest at the marina in Harbor Springs, Michigan. The boat looked fast. That hull was the deepest blue possible before turning black. The gold lettering, rightfully regal. The lines and hardware were as neat and clean as surgeon's instruments. The boat was empty, not a soul abord, yet Nirvana's Nevermind was rockin' the boat's sound system.

Goosebumps.

Congratulations, Windquest! Next week ... Chicago.