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MC Scow National Championship Regatta Brings Business To Downtown Frankfort

More than 100 of the best sailors from across the country were here sailing in Northern Michigan.

The final day of the 2016 MC Scow National Championship Regatta was Saturday.

Crystal Lake Yacht Club in Benzie County was excited to host the event this year.

They weren’t the only ones, downtown businesses were thrilled to see the crowds.

“It really is a rewarding thing when we bring a national event into the area.”     

The 2016 MC Scow National Championship attracts the best sailors in the country and the Crystal Lake Yacht Club in Frankfort is honored to be chosen for the venue.

Regatta chair, Kelly Winter says, “We’re a small seasonal yacht club that’s only open 2.5 months a year with 300 members so to get a regatta of this magnitude is huge for us.”              

The regatta championship brought more than just national status. Even on a rainy day crowds flocked to the area.

Winter says, “We have a 101 boats on the line and they have their families with them and their children and their crew and they’re staying at local accommodations and they’re visiting Frankfort and the surrounding area.”

But when sailors came into town as early as Wednesday they not only made a splash at the yacht club but at local businesses.

Co-owner of Stormcloud Brewing Company in downtown Frankfort, Rick Schmitt, says, “Having the regatta start really in the middle of the week has helped that part of our business. Of course it’s the summer season and Frankfort is a busy tourist destination, but we have seen and talked to lots of folks who have never been here before and they’re boosting our business at a time when we can use a little extra.”

Stormcloud Brewing Company says this is only the beginning for Frankfort.

“Having folks travel from a distance to come to Frankfort for the first time is great because word of mouth travels and they’ll go back to New York, California and they’ll tell their friends they visited this awesome place on Lake Michigan.”

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