Red Fox History
The Red Fox Regatta traces its origins to 1970. Initially designed as a social event, Boyne City Yacht Club members sailed their boats to a rendezvous point in Horton Bay on Lake Charlevoix. Rafting there on the hook, their purpose was dinner and libations at the then famous Red Fox Inn known for its delectable chicken dinners. Camaraderie being a central theme of sailors everywhere, Boyne City sailors invited members of the fledgling Charlevoix Yacht Club to join them at the Inn. Sailors being naturally competitive on the water, this soon turned the sail to Horton Bay into a race. During the '70s, more boats joined and the event became more formal: a race committee was formed, start and finish lines set, results were scored and awards were given. With the closing of the Red Fox Inn, the tradition continued with the race beginning around the Charlevoix buoys, followed by a series in Horton Bay, and finishing with a series of buoys near Boyne City... then reversing the following day. CYC's Red Fox Regatta is now a Labor Day tradition for sailors from all over the Great Lakes with support from their fellow sailors at Boyne City Yacht Club, Grand Traverse Yacht Club of Traverse City, and Little Traverse Yacht Club of Harbor Springs.
