The Grand Marais waterfront came alive last Saturday at noon as 10 sailboats lined up just outside the harbor wall and with the blast of an air horn, started racing for Thunder Bay. The 2017 International Yacht Race featured nine Canadian and one Michigan sailboat. Fleet Captain of the Thunder Bay Yacht Club Bob Vander Ploeg said the annual race began in the late 1960s. The sailboats were from 30 feet to 40 feet long, and most were equipped with colorful spinnakers (sails) that filled with wind and ballooned out in front of the boats much to the delight of those watching from the shore or Artist Point right before the air horn sounded to start the race.
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