A new boat race is coming to southwest Michigan next summer. The Hobie Class Association of North America is planning WAVE 100 for August of 2024. The group’s John Nekus told St. Joseph City Commissioners this week the three-day race will go from South Haven to St. Joseph to New Buffalo to Michigan City. The racers will be piloting 13 foot Hobie Wave sailboats, which are smaller and much more affordable than the yachts usually seen racing through the area each summer.
“We’re not talking about boats that are expensive or can measure how thick your wallet is,” Nekus said. “What we try to do is focus on amateur sports and promoting sailing on an entry level and making it affordable. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Nekus said the plan is for the race to start in South Haven the morning of August 13, 2024. It would head to St. Joseph, where boats would be kept overnight on Tiscornia Beach. The group is planning an event with the St. Joseph River Yacht Club to raise money for youth sailing. They’d head to New Buffalo the next morning, spend the night, and finish the race to Michigan City the next morning. It’s expected around 50 racers will take part. City commissioners approved a special event application for the WAVE 100, with Commissioner Michael Sarola saying this event fits the community.
