Great Lakes Assault — Chicago to Detroit Speed Record

Lake Michigan → Straits of Mackinac → Lake Huron → Lake St. Clair

Route

History

The Records

1995

Mark Nemschoff & Fabio Buzzi

Kohler Power Systems — Buzzi-designed offshore

8:10:47

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Date: 1995

Time: 8 hours 10 minutes 47 seconds

Average Speed: 73.96 mph (64.27 knots)

Driver: Mark Nemschoff

Throttleman: Fabio Buzzi

Communications: Charles Plueddeman

Navigation: Paul Nemschoff

Sponsor: Kohler Power Systems

Vessel: Buzzi-designed offshore racing hull

Note: Shattered the previous record by nearly 4 hours. Fabio Buzzi is one of the most decorated offshore racing designers in history. Limited online documentation — details verified through crew connections.

1990

Chuck Norris

Drambuie Challenger — Team Scarab 46 (Wellcraft)

12:08:42

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Date: August 12, 1990

Time: 12 hours 8 minutes 42 seconds

Pilot: Chuck Norris

Throttleman: Eddie Morenz

Navigator: Gus Anastasi

Vessel: Team Scarab 46 by Wellcraft

Engines: Twin Caterpillar 3208 diesel (450 hp each)

Drives: Kiekhaefer

Top Speed: 70 mph

Hull: V-bottom, 46 ft

Conditions: 9-foot waves, persistent rain, buffeting winds throughout

Sponsor: Drambuie

Note: Yes, that Chuck Norris. The action star was a serious offshore racing competitor, not a celebrity passenger. Set the record in brutal conditions that would have turned back most crews. Named the run "Assault of the Great Lakes."

1989

Chuck Norris & Walter Payton DNF — MECHANICAL

Drambuie — First Attempt

~15:30

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Date: July 1989

Result: ~15 hours 30 minutes (completed but not a record due to mechanical problems)

Crew: Chuck Norris, Walter Payton (Chicago Bears legend), Eddie Morenz

Purpose: United Way charity fundraiser

Issues: Mechanical problems combined with brutal weather conditions

Note: The failed first attempt is what drove Norris to come back in 1990 and set the record properly. Walter Payton — "Sweetness" — was aboard for the charity run. Despite not setting a record, the attempt established the route as a legitimate privateer challenge.

Chuck Norris and Walter Payton 1989 attempt

1983

Michael Reagan

Team Scarab 38 — Triple outboards

12:34:41

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Date: 1983

Time: 12 hours 34 minutes 41 seconds

Driver: Michael Reagan (son of President Ronald Reagan)

Vessel: Team Scarab 38

Engines: Triple gasoline outboards

Builder: Larry Smith

Note: The original record that established the route. Reagan's time stood for seven years until Chuck Norris came for it in 1989 (and failed) then returned in 1990 to break it.

605 Statute Miles

Route Breakdown

SEGMENT 1

Chicago → Straits of Mackinac

333 miles · Lake Michigan northbound · Open water, steep waves (3-5 sec period)

SEGMENT 2

Straits of Mackinac

6 miles · Critical transition zone · 3.5 miles wide, heavy freighter traffic, currents, fog risk

SEGMENT 3

Straits → Port Huron

230 miles · Lake Huron southbound · Generally calmer than Michigan, but cold fronts build fast

SEGMENT 4

Port Huron → Detroit

36 miles · St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair (11 ft avg depth), Detroit River · Marked channels, US-Canada border

Strategy

Speculation & Analysis

Breaking the 8-Hour Barrier

The Lake Michigan Problem

333 miles of open water with steep, closely spaced waves (3-5 second period) that can roll boats. Lake Michigan is the crux of any attempt — it's where time is made and lost. Weather windows are everything. June through August, early morning starts before afternoon thermal winds build.

Fuel Strategy

At race pace (60-70 mph), fuel burn is 100-200+ gal/hr. Total trip requires 600-1,500+ gallons. Traverse City and Charlevoix are the only viable mid-route fuel options. A one-stop strategy versus two-stop could save 20-30 minutes but requires enormous tank capacity.

Commercial Shipping

The Straits of Mackinac and the St. Clair/Detroit River system carry heavy Great Lakes freighter traffic. These thousand-foot ore carriers don't maneuver quickly. The 6-mile Straits crossing is the highest-risk segment — narrow, high traffic, currents, and fog.

The Final 36 Miles

Lake St. Clair averages 11 feet deep — you're in marked channels or you're aground. The Detroit River is an international border (US-Canada). Multiple no-wake zones in harbors, rivers, and channels. The last 36 miles are the slowest by mandate, not by choice.

Weather Windows

Optimal: June-August. Monitor NOAA marine forecasts. Cold fronts can produce 3-4 foot waves within hours. The 1990 Norris run hit 9-foot waves and still finished. The question is whether a modern attempt waits for glass or runs through whatever shows up.

Michigan Law

55 mph speed limit unless 1+ mile offshore on the Great Lakes. Multiple no-wake zones in harbors and rivers. USCG notification recommended for high-speed transit. VHF Channel 16 for Coast Guard, Channel 13 for bridge-to-bridge.

OPEN CATEGORIES

No APBA-sanctioned class records exist for this route. First-ever class records are available in every category. The current open-class record of 8:10:47 was set in a purpose-built offshore racing hull — a production boat attempting this route would be establishing an entirely new benchmark.