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DeVos family member donates racing yacht to sailing academy

For the years it competed in Great Lakes races, the 86-foot sailing yacht Windquest cut an unmistakable figure -- navy-blue hull, enormous bellied sails, crew members deployed along the windward rail to counterbalance its heel. It was sleek, lightning-fast and a vivid manifestation of the wealth of its owner, Doug DeVos, scion of the West Michigan family and its considerable fortune.

Doug's sister-in-law, Betsy, is secretary of education in the Trump administration, of course. 

This week, Windquest was featured in The Detroit News. It had been for sale for $700,000, but without an offer at that price, DeVos had dropped the price to $550,000. 

Now, the yacht is off the market, but not to a buyer. Doug DeVos donated the vessel to the "Oakcliff Sailing Center, a nonprofit sailing academy that hosts the U.S. Sailing Team Training Center," the paper reports :

"Doug is a lifelong sailor and interested in encouraging the next generation to get involved with the sport," (his spokesman) said in an email. "Doug’s interest also has prompted his support (along with Hap Fauth and Roger Penske) of the New York Yacht Club’s entry in the 36th America’s Cup, the world’s premier sailing competition, in 2021." Dawn Riley, executive director of Oakcliff and a pioneer in the sport of sailboat racing, said DeVos pledged the boat in the fall of last year after visiting the center and learning about its training programs. Starting next year, the Windquest, which will now be called the OC 86, will be used as a development training boat for those who are interested in marine-related careers.

Windquest finished first several times in the two main races to Mackinac Island held each summer, from Port Huron and Chicago. 

Read more:  Detroit News

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GL52 Racing

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Botin Partners

Longitud Cero, 2014

Tom Giesler

Holland, MI

Macatawa Bay YC, New York YC

“Sailing has always been a culture in and of itself, and it’s this culture that makes us feel most alive.” ~ Doug DeVos

Owned and co-helmed by Doug and Dalton DeVos, the WINDQUEST team has been racing TP-52s throughout Europe and the United States since in 2008. Since 2019, they have instrumental in establishing and building the GL52 fleet.

Dalton DeVos and his father Doug DeVos have been sailing together all their lives beginning on Lake Michigan and now across the world including American Magic , now competing for America’s Cup!

The WINDQUEST team loves inshore racing, especially on the GL52 which is purpose-built for intense, close and fast racing, but also favorites the Chicago-Mac Race. According to Dalton, “There’s nothing like the stars and the storms you can see from the middle of Lake Michigan, a wondrous piece of adventure.”

This team plays to win but also for fun; they appreciate the relationships built both within their own team and with competitors.

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Windquest first to finish racing fleet in Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

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Posted Jul 15, 2013

Local boats finish Chicago to Mackinac Island race

The 112th annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Island got started last week, and there were a few travelers hailing from West Michigan who made the journey. 

The course, which is 289 nautical miles up Lake Michigan, takes at least one day to complete. There were seven boats varying in size and class from the area who took to the water to combat this challenge head on. They all ended up finishing the race by Tuesday afternoon. 

The Windquest, owned by Doug DeVos, finished in seventh place of the first section of the Mackinac Cup standings, crossing the finish line Monday afternoon just after 4 p.m. They were the quickest of any boat from the area to complete the race. 

The Sufficient Reason, owned by Mitchell Padnos, finished in fourth place in section four of the Mackinac Cup Division, crossing the finish line shortly after 7 p.m. Monday. The race took them a total of 54 hours 18 minutes and 26 seconds to finish.

The Jug Band, owned by William Bardelmeier, came in 10th place in the cruising division. They finished Tuesday afternoon at around 2 a.m. after an 86 hour journey. The Utah, owned by Bradley and Ian Faber finished in eighth place in the J11 Mackinac Cup Division with a time of over 56 hours, finishing late Monday night. In the same division was the Shorthanded, owned by Robert C Hughes, which finished about 20 minutes after the Utah. 

The Abracadabra, owned by a father, son team of Don M Thinschmidt and Don M Thinschmidt Jr., finished in just over 51 hours, good enough for second place in the second section of the Mackinac Cup standings. 

More: Beyer family to participate in Chicago to Mackinac sailing race

The Whitecap, owned by the Beyer family from Hamilton, finished just after 4 a.m. Tuesday. Its time of 85 hours and five minutes put them in 10th place in the second section of the cruising division of the race. 

—Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.

Did Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Register Her Yacht in the Cayman Islands?

Several viral memes made unfounded assumptions based on the complicated inner workings of the devos family's business interests., dan macguill, published aug. 17, 2018.

About this rating

The yacht Seaquest is registered in the Cayman Islands, and it is owned by DeVos' father-in-law via an entity linked to RDV Corporation, a DeVos family management company in which DeVos and her family members are intimately intertwined.

According to a spokesperson for RDV Corporation, Betsy DeVos does not personally own Seaquest, has never held any ownership in it, and has never made any management or registration decisions related to it.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been the subject of intense scrutiny since even before her appointment, both about her qualifications and positions on education policy and also about her (and her family's) financial connections , investments, and donations .

That scrutiny continued in August 2018, when the investigative web site Capital & Main published a report detailing the registration and management of a yacht associated with the DeVos family:

When someone untied a yacht owned by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s family, Fox News portrayed the episode as an illustration of uncouth anti-Trump sentiment. The yacht’s foreign flag, though, was an illustration of how an allegedly “America First” administration is chock-full of moguls who have eagerly stashed their wealth offshore -- as long as doing so means avoiding taxes, regulations, transparency requirements and domestic employment laws. ... When her family’s 164-foot yacht was untied from a Huron, Ohio dock, it was flying a flag of the Cayman Islands, where VesselTracker says the yacht is registered. According to federal records, the yacht is owned by RDV International Marine, which is an affiliate of the company that controls the DeVos family’s fortune. ... When buying a vessel or cruising in U.S. waters, American yacht owners like the DeVoses could face state sales or use taxes. However, registering a yacht in a locale like the Caymans — under what has come to be known as a “flag of convenience” — allows those American yacht owners to effectively characterize themselves as foreigners for tax purposes, thereby avoiding the obligation of paying the standard sales and use levies, while enjoying police and Coast Guard services during times their vessels are untied.

The report, which was also published by Newsweek , prompted several memes from left-wing and progressive social media accounts, such as the following Occupy Democrats post:

"The Other 98%" posted a similar meme of their own:

On Facebook, the progressive "Americans for Tax Fairness" coalition posted a meme which claimed that the Cayman Islands registration applied to all the yachts owned by the DeVos family:

The yacht in question, Seaquest , is registered in the Cayman Islands, an arrangement that has potentially allowed its owner(s) to avoid paying taxes that they would otherwise face when travelling in the United States. However, it cannot be affirmed with certainty that this was the motivation behind the overseas registration.

Furthermore, Betsy DeVos is not the owner of the vessel (although members of her family are), and a spokesperson for the DeVos family's main management company told us that neither she nor her husband Dick was responsible for the decision to register the yacht in the Cayman Islands.

Seaquest is a 164-foot long (50-meter) yacht built by Westport and registered in George Town, the capital of the Cayman Islands. It is owned and managed by R.D.V. International Marine, according to the web site VesselTracker.com . The country's Shipping Registry confirmed to us that Seaquest's official Cayman Island's vessel number is 740641.

R.D.V. International Marine is an entity of R.D.V. Corporation, the Michigan- registered management company which oversees the substantial financial investments and business interests of the DeVos family, headed by 92-year-old Richard DeVos, a multi-billionaire businessman and one of the co-founders of the "multi-level marketing" giant Amway.

Dick DeVos (Richard DeVos Jr.), the husband of Betsy DeVos, is a director of R.D.V. Corporation, as is the couple's daughter Elisabeth ("Elissa") Lowery, Dick's sister Suzanne ("Cheri") DeVos, and his brothers Doug and Dan and their wives Maria and Pamella. Betsy DeVos was herself a company director until November 2016, according to her financial disclosure .

However, Chief Operating Officer of the Windquest Group, Greg McNeilly, told us that Dick and Betsy DeVos are not the owners of Seaquest . (The Windquest Group is a private investment firm founded by Dick DeVos, who is its president. Betsy DeVos was a director at Windquest until November 2016.)

This was corroborated by Nick Wasmiller, a spokesperson for R.D.V. Corporation, who told us by email that Seaquest is owned (through R.D.V. International Marine) by Richard DeVos, who previously owned it in conjunction with his wife Helen prior to her death in October 2017: "Dick and Betsy DeVos do not own Seaquest and have never held ownership in the watercraft ... Dick and Betsy DeVos had no role in the registration of Seaquest nor the management of any subsequent efforts to maintain that registration."

So the three memes referenced above (from Occupy Democrats, the Other 98% and Americans for Tax Fairness) are factually inaccurate in alleging that Betsy DeVos both owns Seaquest and registered it in the Cayman Islands, or that she registered "her family's fleet of 10 yachts" in the Cayman Islands.

The yacht Seaquest is, and has always been, owned by Betsy DeVos' father-in-law, according to spokespersons for two DeVos family companies, and Betsy herself has never made any management or registration decisions about it, according to a spokesperson for R.D.V. Corporation.

A 2017 investigation by the Wall Street Journal outlined how the extended DeVos family structures and manages their investments, business interests, and assets, which include nine vessels other than Seaquest: Blue Sky, Quantum Racing, Delta Victor, Reflection, Attitude, Sterling, Windquest, Zorro , and De Lus .

In response to our question, Wasmiller confirmed that these other nine vessels are "owned by various DeVos family entities" but said they are "registered in the United States."

We checked the U.S. Coast Guard's Vessel Documentation Center database , and found that the nine DeVos family-related vessels listed by the Wall Street Journal are indeed all registered to ports in the United States, specifically in Michigan, Delaware, and Florida.

So the Americans for Tax Fairness meme is also false on the grounds that it claims Betsy DeVos registered "her family's fleet of 10 yachts in the Cayman Islands," but in reality nine of those vessels are registered in the United States, and the one that is registered in the Cayman Islands is not managed or owned by Betsy DeVos.

While Betsy DeVos does not personally own or manage Seaquest , it is possible that its registration in the Cayman Islands, as opposed to the United States, might have allowed its owner, Richard DeVos (via RDV International Marine) to avoid incurring certain taxes (though this is not certain), as Capital & Main reported :

If the vessel were registered in, say, Grand Rapids, Michigan — the state where RDV is located and that has in the past made an effort to compel yacht owners to pay use taxes — the SeaQuest would likely be subject to Michigan’s six percent use tax. That would require the DeVos empire to cough up about $2.4 million ...

The figure of $2.4 million represents six percent of $40 million, which is the estimated value given to Seaquest in several news reports, including Capital & Main's investigation. The source of that evaluation is not clear, with many articles describing the yacht as being "reportedly valued at $40 million," without providing any attribution for that number.

We found one online broker selling a brand-new 164-foot Westport yacht (like Seaquest ) for $42.5 million, and another 2013 listing for a similar vessel which presented a sale price of $34 million. Seaquest was built in 2008, so it's possible its purchase price was lower than $40 million.

Furthermore, it's unclear whether Seaquest would actually incur a tax liability even if it were registered in Michigan. What's in question here is a type of taxation called "use tax," which applies to tangible products and entities that are brought into and used or consumed in a particular jurisdiction (in this case the state of Michigan), in circumstances where sales tax does not apply.

Section 205.93 of Michigan's Compiled Laws states that:

There is levied upon and there shall be collected from every person in this state a specific tax, including both the local community stabilization share and the state share, for the privilege of using, storing, or consuming tangible personal property in this state at a total combined rate equal to 6% of the price of the property or services ...

So, in principle at least, if you own a yacht that is habitually docked or sailed in Michigan, that is likely to be regarded as storage or usage, and you would owe the state of Michigan use tax of six percent of the price of the yacht.

However, certain exemptions from this use tax exist when the property is purchased outside Michigan, is "used solely for personal, nonbusiness purposes," and "the property is purchased by a person who is not a resident of this state at the time of purchase and is brought into this state more than 90 days after the date of purchase" or "the property is purchased by a person who is a resident of this state at the time of purchase and is brought into this state more than 360 days after the date of purchase."

We don't know whether Richard DeVos was a resident of Michigan at the time he bought Seaquest in 2008, and we don't know how much time elapsed between his purchase of the yacht and its arrival in the state. Therefore, even if Seaquest were registered in Michigan and not the Cayman Islands, it's not certain that vessel would be subject to use tax, although this is certainly a possibility.

Wasmiller, on behalf of R.D.V. Corporation, provided an alternative explanation for the decision to register Seaquest in the Cayman Islands:

Non-commercial watercraft exceeding 100 feet, such as Seaquest, are commonly registered in the Cayman Islands. The country’s strict safety, manning and operation standards for non-commercial watercraft are widely recognized in international waters and closely align with requirements commonly encountered during global travel. As a result, registration in the Cayman Islands provides for the most efficient entrance and exit of various jurisdictions. In boating terms, it’s a widely recognized flag -- a significant benefit when traveling internationally, thus the registration of Seaquest there. Also of note, it is the policy of RDV International Marine that all employees aboard Seaquest are eligible to work in the United States, as the boat does periodically enter U.S. waterways.

The claims contained in the viral memes we listed are based on several assumptions, made without sufficient evidence, and contradicted by spokespersons for Dick and Betsy DeVos and Richard DeVos.

First, RDV International Marine owns Seaquest , and RDV International Marine is an entity of RDV Corporation, the DeVos "family office" which oversees the family's substantial business interests, assets and investments.

However, even though Betsy DeVos is a former director of RDV Corporation, and her family members are closely intertwined with the company, this does not mean that every asset owned by every entity of RDV Corporation is also owned (even in part) by every member of the DeVos family. It is a family company, but it is not a co-op.

This logical and evidentiary leap is also directly contradicted by spokespersons for two DeVos-related companies, who stated on the record that Richard DeVos owns Seaquest , and that neither Betsy nor Dick DeVos have ever owned even part of it nor have ever made decisions about its management and registration.

Second, there is a significant evidentiary leap from the fact that one DeVos-related yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands to the claim that 10 DeVos-related vessels are registered there. This is factually inaccurate. Nine of the vessels listed as DeVos assets in a Wall Street Journal article are registered in the United States.

And finally, there is an assumption (albeit a more reasonable one) involved in the claim that registering Seaquest in the Cayman Islands allows its owner(s) to avoid paying taxes in the United States. Michigan state law allows for certain exemptions from the obligation to pay "use tax," and it cannot be said with certainty that Richard DeVos, the owner of Seaquest, did not meet the criteria for those exemptions.

The claim that the tax obligation allegedly being avoided amounts to $2.4 million is also based on an assumption about the price of the yacht itself, which is not known for certain.

Emery, David.  "Meet Betsy DeVos, Trump's Secretary of Education Nominee."     Snopes.com .   26 November 2016.

Kasprak, Alex.   "Dubious Conspiracy Theory Links Putin's Daughter to Russia-Trump Collusion."     Snopes.com .   24 July 2018.

MacGuill, Dan.   "Christian Non-Profit Faces Scrutiny Over Government Foster Care Contract for Separated Children."     Snopes.com .   11 July 2018.

Sirota, David.   "Forget Old Glory -- Why Betsy DeVos's Family Yacht and Others Fly Foreign Flags."     Capital & Main .   7 August 2018.

DeVos, Elisabeth P.   "Executive Branch Personnel, Public Financial Disclosure Report."     U.S. Office of Government Ethics .   19 January 2017.

Das, Anupreeta, and Jean Eaglesham.   "Look Inside the DeVos Family Office."     The Wall Street Journal .   8 November 2017.

Michigan Compiled Laws.   "Section 205.93 -- Use Tax Act."     Michigan Legislature .   Accessed 17 August 2018.

By Dan MacGuill

Dan Mac Guill is a former writer for Snopes.

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Oakcliff Sailing's OC86 posts record time in Bayview Mackinac Race

Detroit — It was predicted to be a fast race, given the existing weather conditions, and the Bayview Mackinac Race certainly didn’t disappoint.

Oakcliff Sailing’s OC86, formerly known as Windquest, was the first to reach Mackinac Island on Sunday in a record time of 17 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds. That easily beat the record held by II Mostro in 2013 of 19-hours. 

"They smoked the record," said Greg Thomas, race chairman. "The Shore Course has been our main course for over 80 years, and they didn't just beat the record, they beat the heck out of it. That bat boat is very fast."

Taking into account make and speed and design of boat, OC86 — an 86-foot Max-Z boat — had a corrected time of 27:40:48, good for third overall.

Businessman and sailing champion Doug DeVos owned the vessel and donated it last year to Oakcliff Sailing Center, a non-profit sailing academy that hosts the U.S. Sailing Team Training Center.

OC86 is used in Oakcliff’s Maxi Acorn program, where young sailors learn crew work, navigation and provisioning. The program lasts 54 days and takes in the Chicago and Bayview Mackinac races, along with a trip through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

A total of 180 boats participated in the 97th consecutive sailing of the Port Huron to Mackinac race, which will be remembered for perfect sailing conditions and a return for normalcy for local sailing enthusiasts, who had the pandemic to deal with in last year's race.

"We don't care about the rain, or storms, we care about the wind," Thomas said. "And the wind was perfect. There was enough wind that boats went fast, but not enough wind where waves piled up and made you stumble over yourself.

"Nothing was normal last year (because of the pandemic). Once we got on our boat it felt pretty normal, but once you left Port Huron and got to Mackinac, it wasn't normal. This year, it felt normal. The (awards) party went off, the crowds were great." 

Heartbreaker (19:14:27, corrected 26:14:54) and Mockingbird (19:14:48, corrected 26:22:25) followed OC86 as the next boats into Mackinac.

For complete results, visit www.bycmack.com.

[email protected]

Twitter: @tkulfan

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An Interview With Doug DeVos, New York Yacht Club American Magic Team Principal

Doug DeVos © Amory Ross/American Magic

For Doug DeVos, sailing has always been a family affair. It has also been a never-ending quest to expand the sport through various “big boat” one-design concepts. A founder, stakeholder and leading light of the 52 Super Series, Doug has led Quantum Racing to four championships.

Now, he has joined Roger Penske and Hap Fauth as Principals of New York Yacht Club American Magic in a quest to bring back the ultimate, unifying “tool” to American sailing. As this issue went to press, American Magic was contesting the PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series, the winner of which will take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the 36th America’s Cup Match presented by PRADA in March.

WindCheck : Thank very much for doing this, Doug. Where did you grow up, and how old were you when you started sailing? Doug DeVos : It’s my pleasure! I honestly can’t remember when I started sailing. It would have been cruising on the Great Lakes with my parents. Dad had a 40-foot wooden cruising boat and then a Columbia 50, circa 1967. I’m the youngest of three brothers, and Dad stopped cruising when they got into high school and convinced him to move into racing. I would have been around 10 years old when I was introduced to racing with my older brothers Dick and Dan with our Dad in mid-‘70s and the rest is history, from IOR 50s on through the IMS 70 in the early ‘90s.

WC : Please tell us about your significant sailing mentors, and the most important things you learned from them. DD : Well, Dad would be number one. Then in 1982, Lowell North sailed with us on the Mac. That was an amazing eye opener. He was so active, all around the boat, tweaking and looking at every angle. He was quiet, but intense and non-stop. That really opened my eyes and made me see the sport differently.

We had so many great sailors sail with Dad and my brothers and the sportsmanship that we valued always seemed reflected in who was on our team: John Bertrand, John Kolius, and Buddy Melges. Wow, Buddy is just an unbelievable person beyond being a sailing legend. I also need to say that I learned so much from our local competitors and friends. Growing up in Michigan there was just a great collection of families who did things the right way. They competed very hard and well but were great friends, too.

New York Yacht Club American Magic’s AC75 Patriot is pictured in the PRADA Christmas Race, a preliminary event for the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA, which will be held March 6-15 in Auckland, New Zealand. © Jesus Renedo/Sailing Energy/American Magic

WC : Please describe the keys to Quantum Racing’s success, and the ways in which you’ve brought that culture of winning to American Magic. DD : The key is Terry Hutchinson. He joined us after the 2007 Cup and he brought his intensity, his professionalism and his commitment to winning. And he came with his longtime mentor Ed Reynolds. And then there’s Mark Koetje, who came to us initially as just a friend of my brother Dan. But he became the campaign manager and he really laid the groundwork for 2008 and beyond.

WC: How many Quantum Racing team members are on the American Magic roster? DD : There’s Terry, of course, who also works with Hap, and Rob Ouellette who manages Hap’s programs. That was the genesis of this team when we had a call to discuss whether we really share the same values and we were immediately very comfortable. There is so much cross-pollination of talent like Matt Cassidy, Sean Clarkson and James Lyne.

WC : What inspired you to challenge for the America’s Cup? DD : In 1983, probably the most important thing in my life was football. But I’ll never forget being late for practice watching the America’s Cup on fledgling ESPN. The significance of that legacy of the oldest trophy in sport showed me that it can really benefit sailing – that it can be a positive influence on the sport. And that’s what I love…brings me back to the Midwest approach to sportsmanship and the passion people have for the sport. I just love the team working together on the shared passion, people busting out of work to go put things together to go sailing. I have been involved with so many of these classes where we try to recreate that equal playing field and competition.

WC : Please tell us about teaming up with Phil Lotz and Roger Penske. DD : I had gotten to know Phil a little bit though Melges 32s, which is another great, fun class, so when I got the email from Phil, then Commodore of the NYYC, it was quite impactful. Phil has a way of building relationships, very thoughtful and genuine.

Then there’s Roger Penske. Going into that first meeting, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Roger was very contrite. He said, “I don’t know a lot about sailing.” I said, “But you know a lot about racing – a lot about how to win!”

We are so lucky to have Roger. When it comes to building a team, his philosophy of teamwork, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by his approach and his insights. The questions he asks are so revealing. He knows A LOT about so many aspects. We feel very privileged to be a part of this and to have had a chance to meet some really wonderful people. I would not have had the opportunity to build and develop this team, so hopefully that opportunity will continue.

WC : With a very strong Kiwi team defending in their home waters and an as yet untested Class Rule, this might be toughest regatta in America’s Cup history. What’ll it take to win? DD : First, we have to deal with two other teams. The Italians and the Brits have tremendous talent. It is going to take us to be our best, and like any sport, we are going to need a break here or there. We will need to mitigate risk, jump on opportunity, and be totally prepared to do that. We have to have a plan for every move, on and off the water. You can never have enough time, and preparation, just like in football, is critical. To succeed, you have to have a good week of practice…not just during game day.

As always, the fastest boat is going to win. But it has to be ready to be the fastest in all conditions, and to stay out on the water to finish the job. It’s a very complicated sport, as we all know.

WC : What’s your advice for young sailors aspiring to race for the America’s Cup? DD : Get on the water everywhere you can. Find those people who are willing to invest in you and be willing to do whatever it takes. It may not be a clear path to an AC campaign, but focus on building your resumé. You have to understand that it is such a team effort; it is not a solo sport! Especially at this level, even if you are solo, the teamwork skills are totally key. Your ability to learn from the other people at the table will be essential in anything you do in life.

WC : Thank you very much Doug. We’re already looking forward to the 37th America’s Cup…in Newport! Special thanks to New York Yacht Club American Magic Communications Director Will Ricketson for facilitating this interview. ■

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Wind"ed"quest crossing the finish.

Windquest, the Max Z86 yacht owned and sailed by Dick and Doug DeVos has finished the 101st running of the Chicago-to-Mackinac race. The first turbo to finish the 333-mile race, Windquest posted an elapsed time of 47 hours, 57 minutes, 40 seconds and has a corrected time of 72:42:32. Sailing out of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, Windquest was the sixth boat to reach the finish line at Mackinac Island, although the first finisher, DogDayz, had an elapsed time of 64:40:04.The crew aboard Windquest included Mark Koetje, Jim Stone, Gene Dejong, Dalton DeVos, Tom Giesler, Bill Sleeman, Brent Ruhne, Caleb Borchers, Scott Gregory, Nate Smith, Andre Cape, Ryan DeVos, Bruan Janney, Scott, Reininger, Farley Fontenot, Bob Schermer, Mark Pinney, Robbie Young, Ted Etheridge, Brian McInnes and Drew Wierda.

article by The Grand Rapids Press

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Reichel/Pugh 86’ Windquest Takes Line Honors Win in the 105th Chicago to Mackinac

Congratulations to Dick & Doug DeVos family and crew of the Reichel/Pugh designed/engineered and McConaghy Boats built 86’ Maxi WINDQUEST for taking Line Honors in the 2013 105th Chicago to Mackinac Race, presented by Veuve Clicquot. Windquest was first to finish in the racing divisions and the winner of the Royono Trophy.

2013 105th Chicago to Mackinac Race, presented by Veuve Clicquot (333nm) 17 July 2013, Chicago Yacht Club (CYG)

Congratulations to Dick & Doug DeVos family and crew of the Reichel/Pugh designed/engineered and McConaghy Boats built 86’ Maxi WINDQUEST for taking Line Honors in the 2013 105th Chicago to Mackinac Race , presented by Veuve Clicquot. Windquest was first to finish in the racing divisions and the winner of the Royono Trophy.

  Photo Courtesy of event media.

Visit the builder’s website for the yachts at:

www.mcconaghyboats.com for McConaghy Boats (builders of Windquest)

Update about that big yacht in Milwaukee — it's part of the Richard DeVos fleet

We have an update to Sunday's item about SeaQuest, the giant motor yacht docked in Milwaukee.

The boat doesn't belong to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her husband, Dick, but to his father, Richard DeVos, and his wife, Helen, according to a spokesman for Dick and Betsy's DeVos' Grand Rapids, Mich.-based private investment management firm.

Greg McNeilly, chief operating officer of Windquest Group, said many people confuse Richard, the co-founder of Amway, and his son Dick. He provided the original 2008 bill of sale for the boat, from the manufacturer to RDV International Marine Limited, and a document transferring the only other share in RDV to Richard M. DeVos years earlier.

Various sites that track the manufacture, sale and movements of so-called superyachts, list Dick and Betsy DeVos as its owner. When asked Sunday if Betsy DeVos was aboard the boat and planning any Wisconsin appearances, a Department of Education spokesperson said she was not and did not, that at some other family must be using the boat.

McNeilly said Monday that Betsy DeVos keeps an "iron curtain" between her duties as a member of President Donald Trump's cabinet and her private life, and that government officials in her department likely had no idea who actually owned the SeaQuest.

He said Dick and Betsy DeVos never bothered to try to correct other internet sites but reached out to the Journal Sentinel because many other news and opinion outlets were citing her supposed ownership of the yacht after Sunday's item.

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Websites that track yachts show the SeaQuest arrived in Milwaukee on Saturday and had spent last week at Harbor Springs, in the far northwestern corner of Michigan's lower peninsula.

According to several sites, the SeaQuest sleeps 12 guests in six cabins, and a crew of 12 in six more cabins. It was built by Westport in Port Angeles, Wash., and delivered to the DeVoses in 2008. It is registered in the Cayman Islands .

It was only the latest in a fleet of Westport yachts purchased over the years by Richard DeVos, 91, who has also owned a large racing sailboat. 

• Grand Rapids/Muskegon
• Saginaw/Bay City
• All Michigan

DeVos' Windquest boat among more than 50 out of 'Mac' race after high winds on Lake Michigan

• Updated: Jul. 16, 2017, 5:13 p.m.
• | Published: Jul. 16, 2017, 4:13 p.m.
• Tanda Gmiter | [email protected]

UPDATE: Flat Lake Michigan means a very slow finish to Mac race

HOLLAND, MI - Doug DeVos' Windquest boat is among more than 50 boats that have been knocked out of the annual Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac sailboat race after high winds kicked up overnight on Lake Michigan.

About 300 boats set off on the course this weekend from Chicago's Navy Pier area to Mackinac Island. The course is 333 miles long. It's one of the world's longest-running freshwater distance races for sailors.

High winds kicked up overnight, leading one boat to  capsize and require the U.S. Coast Guard's help to rescue four crew members.

Other boats began leaving the course and heading for the nearest port as high wind gusts and heavy wave action were reported. As of 3:30 p.m. Sunday, 52 boats had pulled out of the race, according to the online result tracker.

A social media post on the race page offers a description from a Windquest crew member about what happened aboard that boat, belonging to the Amway president.

At the time of the incident, the windspeed was 42 knots, or roughly 48 mph.

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"From Windquest: Mac update. We had quite the night. We had the A2 spinnaker up at 10:30. Our group was off watch. All of a sudden the boats was pretty violent we could hear the on watch hollering to try and get the chute down, they called for all hands, just as we heard the call, she went over. We were down for at least 45 seconds before she came up. Tank then went to out on the prod and spiked the tack and in the take down process we shredded the A2. Windspeed 42 knots. At 3:00, wind shifted and we needed to reef. Reefing boat is not easy, but we mapped it out. We tried for 30 minutes to no avail. The main would not go on lock. We send David Tank to the top of the rig, where he told us the headboard car was demolished. To took the main down, worked for hours but no luck. We retired from the race. We having a great boat for boat race for 1st to finish. Now sailing back downwind to Holland, hitting 17 knots with jib only. Windquest out."

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