Dear Bayview Mackinac Race Skippers, Crew, Sponsors, and Spectators:

Happy Spring! All in all, it has been a quiet month. We are mainly working on housekeeping.

Race Website (www.bycmack.com)

No reported issues, and registration is going well. If anyone has any problems or finds any problems we need to address, please reach out to Melissa at Melissa@byc.com.

Shore Course vs. Cove Island Course

A few people are concerned about the speed limit for the Shore Course vs. the Cove Island Course. Rest assured, we are working on that. Good data is showing that ORC ratings are slightly faster than ORR. We are making this correction. I strongly encourage everyone to review your certificates by ensuring your information is correct, especially your sail measurements. More to come soon as we nail down a number.

Virtual Cove Island Buoy

Just a reminder for those racing on the Cove Island Course, there will be no physical Cove Island Buoy. The location will be described as a Latitude / Longitude pair. This is the new normal for yacht races worldwide. YB Tracking is well equipped and experienced at enforcing proper rounding of virtual marks.

Skipper Check-In on Mackinac Island

Skipper Check-In will be at the Chippewa Hotel (Pink Pony). Thank you to Brian Bailey, General Manager Chippewa Hotel Properties, for hosting us!

BYC General Manager Winter Visit to Mackinac Island

Matt Prost, BYC General Manager, spent a few days on Mackinac Island last month. While Matt was there, he had casual discussions with political, public safety, and business representatives. Matt also spent time with the Mission Point Resort team preparing a meal for the Mackinac Island Volunteer Fire Department. I want to thank Matt for taking his time to travel to the island this winter to do this important relationship-building.

Items from the last communication that are still relevant

NOR Amendment #1

Last Month an update to the NOR was posted. Please go to the race website and read the amendment. The harbor agreement came with some Contractually Mandated punishment for violation of harbor rules. The bulk of these rules falls under the Michigan Clean Harbors Initiative. We are working on getting more definitive information, but some of the listed items in the DNR contract are:

·      No fueling of boats in the harbor

·      No swimming in the harbor

·      No littering on the docks or in the water

·      No running power to any boat not directly tied to a dock. An extension cord may not run power over one boat to another.

·      No hanging or attaching sails to the fences along the road

·      We all already know that the City of Mackinac Island is highly sensitive to:

·      Excessive noise

·      Anything that may scare horses

·      Banners

·      Litter

It is up to all of us to be Ambassadors for the sport of sailing and make sure our hosts know much we appreciate the privilege of racing to Mackinac Island every year.

Mackinac Island State Harbor

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has permitted us to tie up to 170 boats. Historic registration for the race is just over 200 boats. This means everyone will NOT get to tie up in the harbor. There are approximately 155 boats registered today, which means only about 15 more boats can tie up in the harbor. I can’t make it any clearer. Docking will be assigned in order of paid registration. No exceptions. More information on docking assignments to come later.

Safety at Sea

Due to popular demand, the US Sailing Safety at Sea in-the-water class offered by US Sailing, Bayview Yacht Club, and Detroit Yacht Club in April is full. Please go to the US Sailing website to find other venues offering the course. https://www.ussailing.org/education/adult/safety-at-sea-courses/find-a-course-near-you/

US Coast Guard

Both Jim Motschall, our US Coast Guard liaison and 2020 Race Committee Member of the Year, and Commodore Brian Geraghty, our Safety Committee Chair, have let us know that there are new requirements for fire extinguishers. More information can be found at  Regulations.gov. If the link does not work, search for “USCG-2018-0099-0018.”

Special Request

Rick Titsworth, the 2022 Safety at Sea class organizer hosted by BYC and DYC in April, has a special request. As a result of the USCG’s new requirements for fire extinguishers, please go through your fire extinguishers, and donate the out-of-date extinguishers to the Safety at Sea program for demonstration purposes. Let’s not just throw the expired ones away. Let’s have them provide some hands-on training to save a life. Rick is arranging for a collection box at BYC.

Issuing a rating is not just a single person or entity’s work. Ratings are issued by a coordinated effort between a Member National Authority (MNA) and the ORC. For most Bayview Mackinac participants, the MNA is either US Sailing or Sail Canada. US Sailing is working on a more streamlined system for collecting information and issuing ORC ratings. They are accepting 2022 ORC Certificate applications now, so don’t delay in making your application. However, please be patient as US Sailing completes the behind-the-scenes work they need to do to provide you with your 2022 certificate. The race is not until July, so please don’t bother them for a bit.

Bayview Yacht Club and Chicago Yacht Club have agreed on future dates to celebrate the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race in 2024. Please note that the Bayview Mackinac Race will be first in 2023 and second in 2024. I want to thank Chicago Yacht Club for working with us to ensure the BYC 100th is as successful as the CYC 100th was in 2008. Future dates can be found on our website, www.bycmack.com.

I want to thank our sponsors and supporters for the race: Atwater Brewery, Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry, Sika Corporation, Marx Layne, and the Pink Pony!

We at Bayview Yacht Club are honored that you choose to participate in the Bayview Mackinac Race and are putting forth our best effort to make it the best it can be for you.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns over the next year.

Chris Clark Chair, 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race Mackchair2022@byc.com