Happy New Year!
The 2025 Notice of Race, Safety Equipment Requirements, and Cruising Division Rules have been posted on the official race website at www.bycmack.com. Please read the documents.
Notable changes to the 2025 Notice of Race (NOR) are as follows:
- The Entry Deadline is June 1 at 1700 hours, the Late Entry Deadline is June 7 at 1700 hours.
- Two courses will be run: The Cove Island Course and the traditional Shore Course (going north of Bois Blanc and finishing east to west).
- We are offering a separate Cruising Division. Within the Cruising Division, there are “Cruiser-Racer” and “Cruising” classes. You must select which cruising class within the Cruising Division you will be competing in when registering. The Cruising Division Rules provide the criteria for these classes.
- The minimum number of crew required for the Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions is four (4).
- We will be enforcing the ORC Minimum crew weights, as well as the Maximum crew weights, for the Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions. Please keep this in mind when applying for or renewing your ORC certificate for 2025.
- Scoring:
- ORC has revised the 2025 VPP to include wind speeds of 4 knots. (The prior lowest wind speed was 6 knots.)
- The custom wind mixes for the Cove Island and Shore Courses have been revised to include 4 knots. The revised wind mix will be available on the ORC page of the US Sailing website when 2025 ORC USA certificates are ready to issue.
- The option to use ORC’s Weather Routing Scoring has been added. WRS may be used if the average forecast wind speed for at least 60% of the race forecast period exceeds 12 knots.
Registration
In fairness to all competitors, the opening of registration is delayed until Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. (Noon) EST.
Boat Owners who have entered a boat and competed in at least one prior Bayview Mackinac Race or have previously submitted a Race Information Request (‘RIR’) and provided all additional information required on the website should have already received an invitation to register from the Race Committee via e-mail if approved (Invited Competitors).
If you are a first-time or returning Boat Owner entering a new boat, you must create a new race application by submitting an RIR on the Competitors tab of the race website. Once you submit an RIR, you will be provided a login and password to the race website to provide additional information. The Race Committee will review the information provided; you will receive an invitation to register from the Race Committee via e-mail if approved (Invited Competitors).
If you experience any problems with registration, please email our Race Administrator, Melissa, at Melissa@byc.com.
Post-race Docking
We remain limited to the number of boats that can be docked on Mackinac Island. We expect to dock around 220 boats on Mackinac Island after the Race, depending on the water levels. As a result, BYCMACK will provide post-race docking at one of the following:
1) Mackinac Island State Harbor (slips or rafted)
2) Arnold Freight Coal Dock (broadside or rafted)
Post-race docking assignments will be made in order of paid registration. Entry does not guarantee dockage on Mackinac Island. Register late, and you will end up paying for your well at Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.
2025 ORC Ratings
US Sailing’s Offshore Office has spent the off-season developing an improved and more comprehensive application system and an internal processing system designed to make issuing certificates more accurate and efficient. The office will reach out to the competitors in early January to announce the opening of the 2025 Certificate Application. This communication will include instructions on applying for your 2025 certificate and the timing of certificate issuance. If you have any questions about the upcoming season, please email offshore@ussailing.org or call them at 401-342-7953.
The deadline for the 2025 BYC Mackinac to APPLY for your ORC/GLMRA certificate is May 1, 2025; you are encouraged to APPLY sooner to ensure timely issuance of your certificate. The deadline for rating requirements submission to ORC/GLMRA and ORC Amended Certificates (Test Certs) is June 1, 2025, at 1700 hours EDT.
Please be sure to have the correct boat data when applying for your ORC rating, including accurate crew weight, all required sail certificates, etc. The ORC application/renewal process contains a section that defines all changes that must be reported. The configuration shown on your certificate is the configuration your boat MUST race in. Remember, we will be enforcing the ORC Minimum crew weights, as well as the Maximum crew weights, for the Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions.
Please note:
· It is incumbent on the Boat Owner to test and ensure they have access before registration opens.
· The Race is NOT responsible for registration access problems after registration opens. If you experience any issues, please email the Race Administrator, Melissa Wenzler, at melissa@byc.com.
· If an Invited Competitor pays the Entry Fee by Credit Card or BYC Club Charge, they will be immediately shown as registered.
· If an Invited Competitor pays the Entry Fee by check, their registration will show as registered once payment has been received and cleared.
· You will not be shown as registered until the Entry Fee is paid.
· All race entry requirements are due by June 1, 2025, at 1700 hours. The requirements are listed in the NOR Section 7.5.
· Visit our website (www.bycmack.com) often; this is where we will post all competitor notifications and updates and the calendar of important events.
I want to thank our sponsors and supporters for the 2025 race: Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation, Deep Eddy Vodka, Detroit Liquid Ventures, Casamigos, Detroit City Distillery, National Fleet Services, 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.
Tim Prophit
Chair, 2025 Bayview Mackinac Race