Al Declercq, author of
Bernida: A Michigan Sailing Legend, will speak this Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 pm, in the Park Library Auditorium. Declercq will tell the story of
Bernida, the winner of the very first Port Huron to Mackinac Island Race, held in 1925.
Bernida was found years later abandoned in a barn. She was lovingly restored by a Mackinac Island boat building and Al Declercq had a vision that the old boat could win again. With the help of two friends and their sons, Al sailed
Bernida to victory in the 2012 Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race.
Al Declercq has a BBA from Eastern Michigan University and a MBA from the University of Detroit. He started his first sail making business in September of 1979. His present business, Doyle Sails Detroit, founded in 2006, is located in Clinton Township, Michigan. In addition to making sails, Al is a very avid and highly successful competitive sailor, logging more than 50,000 miles of offshore racing experience. In 2013, he won his 25th Mackinac race.
This talk is free and open to the public. A reception will be held afterward in the Clarke.
