This year I'm trying something different and sailing the Mac on a friend's boat, Talisman, a Tartan T-10 (pictured). You can track me here. Look for the T-10 group (section) and the boat Talisman.
Sailing the race on Talisman will be a lot different than Donnybrook. Donnybrook was built for comfort. Talisman for competitive buoy racing.
Buoy racing by nature doesn't have an overnight component so accommodations are sparse to say the least. The Mac will be 50-60 hours.
Living on a boat like Talisman during the race has been compared to primitive camping--there's barely a camping stove compared to Donnybrook's stove and oven. Where Donnybrook's race menu emphasizes enjoyment, Talisman's is about subsistence and limiting bathroom usage.
The real difference, however, is in the racing. The T-10 fleet is a one design fleet meaning all boats have the same specifications. Some off the best sailors on Lake Michigan are in the fleet. There's no handicapping. 20+ other boats will start with us and we expect to sail neck and neck with some of them for 333 miles. The boat that finished first wins.
The return trip will be different, too. Karen and the boys are still meeting me on the island, however I'm driving back with them. My goal is to show them some of the fantastic places I visit via Donnybrook and get them excited about an extended cruise next year.
I'm really looking forward to the change. Look for more articles describing differences here, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter.