The annual Tri-State regatta fell victim to the coronavirus in 2020. Instead of the traditional Friday night 60+ mile race to St Joseph, Michigan, followed by a 30+ mile race to Michigan City, Indiana on Sunday, and finishing on Labor Day back in Chicago, the race was run in a single night. The renamed "Tri-State Fly-By" was a 78.0 nm triangle around southern Lake Michigan. Starting in Chicago, the race took the fleet eastward across the lake to an Orange Tetrahedron set off New Buffalo, Michigan, then to a Red Flashing Gong off of Burns Harbor, Indiana, and then back to the south side of Chicago. At the 7:00 PM start, the weather was perfect—high 70s on the lake, lake water in the 70s with a west wind at 12 MPH. With a course of 100 degrees, it was a spinnaker run to the first mark. PHRF 3 Class was won by Judith & Ross McLean's J/105 ESPRIT d'ECOSSE. The PHRF Doublehanded Class saw four J/105s in the top five: second was Mike Sheppard's FLYING PIG, third Mark Gannon's GANGBUSTERS, fourth Ralph Krauss' YUKON, and fifth Mike Hettel’s GLOBAL. The singlehanded J/105 sailors swept the top of the podium in the PHRF Singlehanded Class too. Winning was Brian Crabb's SEA-U and second was David Pierce's CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC. For more Tri-State Fly-By Race information, visit https://www.columbiayachtclub.org/default.aspx?p=.NETEventView&ID=202606&qfilter=&type=0&ssid=311921&chgs=.
