Two drown near Charlevoix in Mac race

WKAR Public Media

Published July 18, 2011 at 5:15 PM EDT

By Peter Payette, Michigan Public Radio Network

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-978102.mp3

CHARLEVOIX, MI –
The Chicago Yacht Club's race to Mackinac Island turned tragic this year.

Two sailors drown this morning after their 35-foot boat capsized in the middle of the night.

The fastest boats finished last night before storms swept across northern Lake Michigan. Winds registered at higher than 50 miles per hour and waves were as high as 6 feet.

Sometime after midnight the U.S. Coast Guard received word that WingNuts was capsized about 10 miles east of South Fox Island. Another boat in the area, Sociable, rescued 6 crew members.

But Mark Morley and Suzanne Bickel were not found until after 8:00 this morning.

Both were experienced sailors from Saginaw. Morley had sailed the Chicago to Mackinac race 6 times and Bickel twice.

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