Happy Summer!
We are only 17 days away from the start of the 101st Bayview Mackinac Race! With that in mind, there are a few items I want to share with you.
Docking
All boats will be docked on Mackinac Island this year.
Crew List
Boat owners, there are over 125 boats with incomplete crew information. Please update the number of your crew and ensure that your crew is added so they can complete their required waivers. You cannot register until all of your crew have signed their waivers. Each crew member must have a unique email address. NOTE: There was an issue with the email server that has been corrected. Please advise your crew to check their junk/spam folders. Also, you might re-send the reminder through the owner’s ‘crew’ section on the website.
Crew, please update your emergency contact information and “sign” the required waivers. Please do not use someone who is also racing as your emergency contact. Also, a correct date of birth is required for each crew member.
ORC Rating Certificates/US Sailing Membership
Boat owners, to receive an ORC rating certificate, must be a member of US Sailing. Please check your US Sailing membership and ensure everything is up to date for the next month (minimum). To check your membership status, go to the following link: https://www1.ussailing.org/user/Login.aspx?cmsReturn=https://www.ussailing.org
The quickest way to renew your membership is to use this link: https://www.ussailing.org/membership/member-options/
If they you any problems, they can contact Deb Rainey, Mon-Fri 8:30 am- 5:00 PM, at 401-342-7901 for assistance with your membership.
ORC Rating Certificates
Please submit any missing data as requested by US Sailing and review your certificate as soon as possible if it is not finalized.
When you receive your certificate from US Sailing, please confirm its accuracy. Then log on to the Bayview Mackinac Race website owner portal and update your boat information with the 2025 ORC reference number at the bottom left side of each certificate page. It consists of 10 alphanumeric characters. Example: 045600023TT
Port Huron Dockage
The City of Port Huron is providing dockage for competitors in the Black River. Per Section 15 of the NOR, we ask boats not to arrive before July 9 or after 1800 hours on July 11. When entering the Black River, you are asked to contact the Port Huron Harbormaster on Channel 9 for instructions.
Be prepared for rafting; it’s on a first-come, first-served basis for power.
Official Race Documents
The Sailing Instructions will be posted on the race website’s Official Notice Board before July 1st. When they are posted, competitors will be notified.
I encourage you to review the SERs (Safety Equipment Requirements) and the Safety Tips and Requirements video, which can be found on the Official Notice Board under Safety & Other Docs. The Crew Overboard Recovery Drill Certificate can also be found there. If you have any questions regarding race safety, please email us at safety@byc.com.
Weather Briefings
Mark Thornton, Lake Erie WX, will again be providing daily written forecasts starting on Monday, July 7th. He will also be posting the primary weather video briefing early Friday evening with a short video update by 8 a.m. on Saturday. All of the forecasts will be available at https://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/BYC/BYCForecast.html
Scoring Model
The OA will be meeting on Friday, July 11th at 9 p.m. to determine the scoring model. It will be announced in several formats including an email blast to skippers, the Bayview Mackinac Race social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram), and the weather briefing video update that will be available by 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Corinthian Designation
Returning this year will be a trophy awarded to the top Corinthian boat in the 2025 Bayview Mackinac Race in Divisions I, II, and III. The trophy will go to the boat with the best corrected time in seconds per mile with a crew of amateur sailors.
To qualify, each crew member on a boat must have an ISAF ID and be a Category 1 (Amateur) sailor. All boats meeting this requirement will be automatically eligible for this trophy.
Each crew member must register with World Sailing (formerly ISAF) at
https://www.sailing.org/sailors/sailor-categorisations. This is a free service offered by World Sailing. Once they register, they need to apply for a Sailor Classification. This all takes about 5 minutes.
Once they receive their World Sailing/ISAF ID number, each crew member must include it in their crew profile on the BYCMACK website for the boat to qualify for the Corinthian Trophy.
Our website interfaces with World Sailing’s database to verify that all crew members are amateur.
Please note that a boat’s Corinthian status isn’t held over yearly as crew members change. World Sailing sailor classification lasts for two years. Sailors will be contacted by World Sailing via e-mail 30 days before the expiration of their classification to renew.
Virtual Skipper’s Packet
We regularly update the Virtual Skipper’s Packet, which can be found under the Competitors tab and Official Notice Board on the race website. Many of you have requested the Dry Ice contact information, which you will find there. The USCG Cardinal Points have also been added. Other important items will also be added here, so please check this area often.
Island Awards Party
As we have historically done, each boat owner will receive wristbands for double the number of their crew to enter the Island Awards Party at Skipper Check-in after the race. These wristbands are required for those 21 and over to enter. If additional wristbands are needed, they can be purchased through Mission Point Resort using the link below. Guests under 21 are not required to purchase a wristband to enter the Island Awards Party.
I want to thank our sponsors and supporters for the 2025 race: National Fleet Services, Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation, Deep Eddy Vodka, Detroit Liquid Ventures, Casamigos, Detroit City Distillery, Mission Point Resort, Aperol, Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry, Aitken & Ormond Insurance, Frankenmuth Insurance, and MicroCODE. Without our sponsors, we cannot run the quality event we are known for.
We at Bayview Yacht Club are thrilled to be starting our second century of the Bayview Mackinac Race and are honored that you have chosen to join us.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
And don’t forget, read the NOR and the SIs!
Prep your boat and crew!
Race!
See you on the starting line.
Tim Prophit
Chair, 2025 Bayview Mackinac Race
Mackchair2025@byc.com