The athletes on these boats are jockeying for position at the start of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Island (pronounced ‘Mack-i-naw’). The ‘Mac,’ at 333 miles long, is the world’s oldest and longest annual freshwater boat race. It’s an amateur event, but make no mistake, these sailors know their stuff. Many go on to race in the America’s Cup. This year’s race is held this weekend. The boats set sail—smallest to largest—just off Chicago’s Navy Pier, passing by the city skyline as we see in our image. When crews pass under the span of the mighty Mackinac Bridge—connecting the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula—Lake Michigan becomes Lake Huron, and the island appears.
Batten down the hatches
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland
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Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
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World Rhinoceros Day
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Today is World Refugee Day
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With leaves this tasty, who cares about a view?
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Panda Day
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White dunes, blue lagoons
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‘The mountains are calling’
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National Roller Coaster Day
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Seville, Spain
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A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
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Milky Way over Zabriskie Point, California
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Rock of ages
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Punakaiki on South Island, New Zealand
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World Migratory Bird Day
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An enduring vision
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Crescent Lake near Dunhuang, China
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It s a good day to be green
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International Day of Human Space Flight
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April Fools Day
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Cannes, France, in the spotlight
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On a Healing Field for Veterans Day
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And the skies filled with bats…
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Red lechwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana
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An inland ocean
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Who doesn’t love a ‘Puppy’?
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Let’s go mothing
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A bohemian feline
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World Population Day
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Zelenci Nature Reserve, Slovenia