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“That was an issue,” said John Burke, the race chairman, on Monday. “I’ve talked to a lot of crews who had to deal with it. We got some waves (closer to the finish line on Mackinac) and once they hit them there was some seasickness. And that can be tough.”

Seasickness is caused when the inner ear organs that enable a person to maintain balance are disturbed by a boat’s swaying.

This triggers nausea, dizziness, and sometimes vomiting.

Jack Gurney’s boat Interim saw it all. Four of his 10 crew members were hit hard with seasickness.

“We tried ginger, tried the patches, tried everything,” said Gurney, of Grosse Pointe Woods.

And four crew members being pretty much ineffective for a long period of time can dash a boat’s hopes.

Interim finished 10th in the Cruising B Class.

“My wife packed food for 10 people and I don’t think we ate a tenth of it,” Gurney said. “We just went through a couple small bags of trail mix (Sunday). That’s it.”

Majic Star, an annual contender in the NA40 Class, finished fifth as its crew was struck hard by the seasickness.

“When that happens, it really limits what you can do,” skipper Tim Summers said.

That competitors in the Mackinac race sail regularly doesn’t make them immune from seasickness.

“I’ve been with guys who’ve sailed so often, and you would never think they would be affected, and they would get sick, which really surprised me,” Burke said. “There’s not much you can do about it. And the thing is, it causes a chain reaction.

“It’s tough because you lose some of your crew and when you don’t have everyone working to their fullest capacity, it hurts.”

Ted Kulfan

High school basketball

Ray McCallum , the son of Detroit Mercy’s new men’s basketball coach, Ray McCallum , will attend Detroit Country Day in the fall. McCallum, a 6-foot-1 point guard, attended Bloomington (Ind.) North last year and will be a junior this season.

Women’s golf

Connie Ross , a former LPGA player from St. Joseph, shot a 1-under-par 71 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Michigan Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain Resort at Thompsonville.

Three former LPGA players are tied for third at even-par 72, including two-time champion Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor, Mt. Pleasant native Cindy Figg-Currier and former Michigan State All-America Sue Ertl .

Two-time champion Elaine Crosby of Jackson and Dana Palms of Thousand Palm, Calif., are tied for fifth at 74.

Sixty-seven players are entered in the 54-hole, $40,000 event that continues today and concludes Wednesday on the 6,164-yard course.

Tom Markowski

High schools

The administrative staff at U-D Jesuit High announced the hiring of Mickey Barrett as their new athletic director. Barrett is the former head women’s basketball coach and assistant men’s basketball coach at Detroit Mercy.

Powerboat racing

Detroit River Regatta Association President Tom Bertolini said that the DRRA wants to “find some appropriate recognition for loyal boat race fans and will explore all options once the budget of this year’s race is settled and the financial picture is clarified” in a statement.

Bertolini and the DRRA are considering options for fans who were disappointed that high winds and bad weather prevented the completion of Sunday’s 100th Cold Cup Race on the Detroit River.

The DRRA board plans to announce its evaluation and actions in 60 days.