THIRTY-FIVE racers participated in this year's Doublehanded Sailing Association Huron Challenge. Pictured here as a boat works to get to the finish buoy (center) two other racers have already finished and head into the Rogers City Marina. (Photo by Angie Asam)

For 25 years the Doublehanded Sailing Association Huron Challenge has been finishing up in Rogers City and enjoying a dinner by the Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce in the Pavilion at Lakeside Park. This year was no different as 35 sailboats entered the race, although six did not finish, and nearly 100 people enjoyed a dinner of Plath’s Smoked Loin, baked beans, potato salad, rolls and other fixings complete with cakes donated by Glen’s Market of Rogers City.

The dinner is followed by the awards banquet and lasted until about 9 p.m. Monday night despite the cold, rainy weather. The first sailboat arrived at the Rogers City Marina on Sunday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. and for the next 24 hours they trickled in with the last arriving on Monday afternoon around the same time, according to harbormaster Brian Wagner.

The fastest completion of the course was Solution as they finished in 34:11:01. The average completion time was in the low 40 hour range for the 190-mile course. Three courses make up the challenge one being the Goderich Course which is 190 miles and the biggest race, the Shore Course is 170 miles and the Saginaw Bay Course is 140 miles.

Twenty-two sailboats competed on the Goderich Course while the Shore Course saw nine boats and the Saginaw Bay Course had four. According to Rogers City mayor Beach Hall, having the challenge finish in Rogers City for 25 years was a big accomplishment. Many of the boaters arrived and enjoyed Rogers City on Monday stocking up on their favorite specialty meats and shopping at other local stores. Some of the boaters will be in the area for a few days while others have already moved on.