July 25th, 2025: 4:00 pm

Tickets for admission, food & drinks, and our custom designed T-shirts
can all be purchased onsite at the event, once it starts.  

The Pentwater Yacht Club's 'Back from the Mac' is the party of the boating season for PYC members and the entire Pentwater community!  The annual bash welcomes boats and crew who are making their return trip after completion of the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac sailboat race.  This is one of the annual events where we welcome the entire community to celebrate with us.  Our liquor license limits how often we can open the club in this way, and we love sharing the event with anyone who wants to celebrate with us. 

The evening includes plenty of food and drink options, along with an outstanding live band that performs as you meander throughout the club grounds!  So, please make your plans to join us for one of the most memorable nights of the summer!

The Evolution of PYC's 'Back from the Mac' Party

Pentwater Yacht Club’s first official ”Back from the Mac” party took place in 2000, founded by PYC members Jack Patterson and Janet Webber.  Jack had a legendary relationship with the Chicago sailing community.  He ran a marina service there, and had sailed at least twenty Mac races himself.  Janet worked for a Chicago ad agency, and had many sailing friends at Columbia Yacht Club, just blocks from her office.  She made sure a PYC burgee always hung in their club’s bar. 

So, the story is that in 1999, on a Friday evening after the Mac race, there were about seven race boats rafted off our dock for an overnight stop.  A few guitars magically appeared from below, with cold beer and rum drinks being served by our club.  When the club finally turned off the dock lights at midnight, flashlights and lanterns appeared.  Sailors are always prepared 😉.  It was a great impromptu mix of visiting crew and PYC members.  A collective thought was mentioned, “Why not make it an official party next year for returning Mac boats?  After all, Pentwater is halfway back from Mackinac Island.”

The next year, well before social media, word was spread to all yacht clubs participating in the Mac race.  Posters were hung, lots of food & rum was ordered and T-shirts were designed.  In 2000 ,“Back from the Mac” became the “party after the party”!  That first year, we had eighteen visiting race boats.  Goose Island offered to sponsor our beer.  Honk!  In our record year, we had over fifty Mac boats visit; thirty-eight boats rafted off the club dock, and later arrivals had to find space at other marinas while a few anchored out.  Skippers and crew loved the Pentwater YC hospitality, and named us ”The Blue Chair Lounge”.  Great food, great music, and super fun!

Jack and Janet continued to chair the “Back from the Mac” for ten years.  Then in 2010, Mike & Marsha LaHaye, and daughter Laura, stepped up and chaired the party for many years following.  And Larry Kwiat, a long time member of Columbia Yacht Club and an “Island Goat”, has volunteered to be our Dock Master for all 20+ years.  Thank you! 

Jordan Aebig, our PYC club manager, is now leading the event with help from an army of member volunteers, our great PYC staff and the Pentwater community.  Please volunteer if you can.  It takes a village.