Mark took delivery of his wood sheer 12' Point Defiance sailing dinghy in February — and from that moment, he had one eye on the boat and the other on Lake Michigan, watching and waiting for the ice to finally give way. When it did, he didn't waste a moment.
Sailing In Lake Michigan’s Big Open Water
Some boats are built for calm lakes and lazy summer afternoons. Mark Mazur had other ideas.
On May 10th, Mark launched out of Waukegan (North of Chicago) and headed straight into open water — not a sheltered bay, not a calm inlet, but Lake Michigan’s big, open water. He sailed approximately 2 nautical miles offshore, well into open lake conditions, where the water doesn’t forgive a poorly built boat.
The conditions were epic. Buoy data recorded at 2:40 PM CDT confirmed:
- Wind Direction: ESE (110° true)
- Wind Speed: 9.7 knots
- Wind Gusts: 13.6 knots
- Wave Height: 1 foot with a dominant wave period of 2 seconds — the kind of short, choppy chop that tests a hull’s stability more than larger, rolling swells
The Point Defiance responded beautifully. Mark was surfing waves, fully powered up, and hitting peak speeds of 9.4 knots — remarkable performance for a 12-foot sailing dinghy. With consistent hull speeds of 5.8 knots, heading nearly due west at 269°, he was driving hard toward the Illinois shoreline with complete confidence in the boat beneath him.
Mark is, by his own admission, a little fearless on the water. But fearless sailors need boats they can trust — and the Point Defiance never gave him a reason to doubt it. From February delivery to a May open-water debut on Lake Michigan, his 12′ Point Defiance proved that a well-built fiberglass boat with wood sheer doesn’t just look beautiful — it performs when it matters.
We’d say the wait was worth it. Mark agrees.
Ready for your own open-water adventure? Learn more about the 12′ Point Defiance →