Mackinac Skippers,

You are cordually invited to attend the Warning Gun Party at Chicago Yacht Club Monroe Station, Thursday July 13th at 1830 hours.

Please follow the link below for more information and instructions on how to RSVP.

Warning Gun Party Invitation

Cheers,

Don Maxwell - Chairman CYC Race to Mackinac

Mackinac Sailors, 

June 8th is the entry deadline for the Super Mac.    

The NOR requries 20 entries and we have not yet met that number.  If you would like to participate in this epic long distance race, there is still time to enter.

For more information, please follow the link to the event web page.

Super Mac

Thanks,

Don Maxwell - CYC Mackinac

Mackinac Skippers:

The entry deadline of June 8th is only one week away!  I'd like to bring your attention to NOR Sections 5.1 through 5.5.  This section lists the items that are requred to be completed prior to June 8th. 

I would ilke to ask you assistance to please take a moment to verify that your entry is complete.  Required items include:

1.  Acceptance of Invitation

2. Entry Fee

3. Preliminary crew list

4. Tracking application

5. ORR Rating Certificate

If you are having trouble and need assistance, or anticipate being late on any requirement, please contact us.

Cheers,

Don Maxwell - Chairman

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM.  

Mackinac Sailors:

Announcements:

1.  NOR Amendment #1 has been posted on the Official Notice Board on the CYCRTM web page:

2.  Safety Regulation - Monohull - A revised version of the safety regulations has been posted.  There were a some changes in verbiage for clarification and a couple of changes to make the new format be as consistent with last years regulations as possible.  Please review the change log tab on the file to see the updates.  

Official Notice Board

3.  Official Technical and Event Branded Apparel is now available - Gill is the Official Technical and Event Branded Apparel Provider for the 2017 and the 2018 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac ®presented by Wintrust. Follow the link below to shop the event branded foul weather gear, technical apparel, caps, cotton tee shirts and polo shirts.

Mackinac Race Gear

Cheers,

Don Maxwell - Chairman

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM.  

Mackinac Sailors:

The Invitations for the 109th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac (presented by our good friends at Wintrust) were sent out Wednesday morning, and online entry is now open. 

Below are a few tips to help you get started on the entry process, and a note about post race docking. 

1.  If you have competed in one of the past four races as the Invited Competitor, you should have received your automatic emailed invitation yesterday.  If not, please check your spam folders.  If you still can’t find the invitation, don’t worry.  Click on the “Competitor Login” link on the homepage of our website.  Your user ID is your last name.  If you do not remember your password, there is a link on the login page to have it sent to your registered email address.

2. If you have NOT competed  in one of the past four races as the Invited Competitor but believe you have a valid profile in our system (perhaps you competed in a race as far back as 2002,  or submitted and RFI and was not invited, etc.) you can re-use your old profile to begin a Request For Invitation.  Use the “Competitor Login” link (user ID is your last name) to start the process, and click on “If you would like to begin a Request For Invitation, click here.”  This should save you some work.

3.  This year, we anticipate being able to dock only 250 boats on the Island.   As usual we also have docking options in St Ignace and Mackinaw City, for those who prefer to be off-island.  Depending on the number of boats requesting docking on-Island, we may have to assign some boats to St Ignace or Mackinaw City. Your docking preference on the Island is based on the date your entry fee is paid.  Thus, I’d like to encourage you to enter early to have the best chance at getting on the Island.

If you have any questions, please give us a call.  We are here to help!

Don Maxwell

Chairman 109th RTM

708-790-5400

Mackinac Sailors:

The NOR for and the Mackinac Safety Requirements (MSR) for the 109th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Wintrust, have been posted.  You can find them on the official web page or by the following link.

http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/the-race/race-documents/

Invitations will be sent out, and online entry will be opened on Feb 1. 

The MSR has undergone some changes in format this year.  In an effort to make complying with the safety requirements easier and in an attempt to be more consistent with other major races, CYC has decided to merge our MSR with the US Sailing Safety Equipment Requirements (SER). 

This year US Sailing revised the SER and in direct comparison to the Mackinac requirements, we determined that they were 95% in agreement.  Upon review, you will notice a change in the numbering system and verbiage compared to last years document, but not in content. 

I wish to assure you that there are no additional requirements to this years document, and hope that you find it easier to read.  We have provided a column that lists the requirement numbers from last years document, if you wish to cross reference your equipment.

The new document also includes additional sheets of recommendations, resource links, and a safety checklist that we hope you will find useful.

To help in preparing skippers and crew, CYC is offering a US Sailing Safety at Sea (SAS) course at our Belmont clubhouse on April 1 & 2.  It is highly recommend that at least 30% of your crew have taken a SAS course within the past 5 years. 

In addition, I wish to announce that for the first time in the Mid-west, CYC will be offering the option to take the Two-Day Offshore SAS with Hands on Training.  I have taken this course a couple times now, and will tell you that this is really the course that will prepare you to go offshore.  If you are planning on doing any larger ocean races in the next few years, this is course you will need.  

Registration is available for both the One Day SAS and the optional Two Day SAS by clicking on the following link.

https://chicagoyachtclubadultprograms.checklick.com/storefronts/chicagoyachtclubadultprograms

If you have any questions about the race, or the SAS, please give us a call or email.  We are here to help.

Thanks,

Don Maxwell 

Race Chairman 109th CYCRTM 

Mobile 708-790-5400

Skype: dleemaxwell

don.maxwell@cycracetomackinac.com

Hello Racers!

Below is the Top 10 list of things you’ll want to know about for this week.

1. Crew Information. For on-the-water safety, please make sure your crew information in our system is complete and accurate, including a valid phone number and emergency contact information.

2. Be Social! 

a.  Copy the following and send it to everyone you know!   Race fans and followers, we have an online guide that tells you everything you need to know to join in the fun, all while staying on land.  We love having you be part of our Race!

b.  Details of the Friday Night Racers party, the Sailor Celebration on the Island, and other social events are posted here.

c.  Follow us before, during and after the Race!

• @RaceToMackinac on Twitter or Instagram
• Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac.
• Tag your own posts #CYCRTM.
• If your boat has a Twitter feed or Facebook page, please email a link to communications@chicagoyachtclub.org so we can follow you.

d.  Remind your friends and family to wave as you leave Chicago and head to the Island on Saturday.  They can join in the fun on Navy Pier at Michigan Avenue Magazine’s Ashore Thing presented by BMO Harris Bank.

e.  Everyone can follow the boats as they head up the lake through YB Tracking …the links go live on July 21.  For the best experience from an iOS or Android device, download the YB App from the appropriate store. The app is free, and CYC is covering the cost of the race that you need to ‘buy’ within the app.

3. Harken Tech Team Live. For the first time, the Harken Factory Technical Support Team will be on location today thru Friday at Chicago Yacht Club’s Monroe Station before the Race to Mackinac.   You’ve invested a lot to get to the starting line. Doesn’t it make sense to let the Harken Tech Team make a comprehensive, professional inspection of your Harken equipment before you leave for the course?  If repairs are indicated, team members are right there to do world-class maintenance of any indicated equipment issues.  Reserve your inspection now!

4. Mac Gear. Get your Line Honors Mac crew gear today, available at both Chicago and the Island.  Look for the Line Honors tent!

5. #FreshWaterFirst.  Do your part to be a good steward of Lake Michigan.

• Bring your own water bottle and refill from gallon jugs, or use a water filtration system. 
• Don’t throw food, such as apple cores, orange peels, etc., overboard. 
• Use recycle and trash bags onboard; the Mackinac Island staff will recycle for us if you drop off the bags at the trash/recycle drop near the public bathrooms.
• If you’re staying downtown before the race, use a Divvy bike…there are stations vey near CYC Monroe and CYC Belmont. 
• More information on green boating can be found here.

6. Getting around Chicago.  We strongly urge you to take public transit, taxis, a car share service such as Uber, or a Divvy bike during race week. There is no parking at the Club during the Race, and there are continual street closures around the City. Allow extra time to get around. See our Chicago Visitor’s Guide for more information.

7. Star Line Ferry.  Take the fast, frequent, fun and friendly Hydro-Jet Ferry service to Mackinac Island!  Star Line is the official Ferry Line for the Chicago Yacht Club.  Purchase discounted tickets online with the promo code “CYCRTM” at MackinacFerry.com

8. The Grand Hotel.  Celebrate the race in a Grand way.  Follow the Race and results at Cawthorne's Village Inn, located downtown, or The Gate House at the bottom of Grand Hill, open for lunch and dinner with outdoor seating.  

9.  Round the Island Race.  Our friends at Mackinac Island Yacht Club are hosting the 9^th annual regatta around the Island, on Wednesday, July 27.  First warning 1pm EDT.  Join in the fun!  More information can be found here.

10. Bus Back.  It is not too late to buy tickets to get back from the Mac on our Bus.

For more information about the Race, refer to our previous emails archived on the CYC website at http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/news/.

Best wishes to all competitors.  Sail fast, sail safe.

Don Maxwell

Chairman

108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Wintrust

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM. 

Dear Fellow Invited Competitor:

As we’re all doing our final prep for the 108th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust, there is one additional list to share with your crew, delivery crew and other guests on the Island-- a list of rules regarding conduct during the Race.

The majority of our sailors behave very well and have a good time, in Chicago and on the Island. Unfortunately, we have had occasional problems with people acting inappropriately.

The NOR, Section 6, makes you responsible for the conduct of the entire crew before, during and after the Race while at race-related locations. You are subject to protest or having your invitation for next year withdrawn if you or your crew engages in inappropriate conduct.

1. Both during and after the Race, you will be interacting with our outstanding volunteers and Club staff. Please treat them with respect and courtesy. If you encounter a situation in which our Race Committee members or Club staff members cannot assist you, do not argue with or berate them. Instead, ask to speak with me, our Principal Race Officer, Helle Getz, or any member of the Mac Committee. We will have a zero tolerance policy regarding disrespectful behavior towards any of our race volunteers or CYC staff.

2. Please follow all directions from CYC Dock masters and CYC Staff while docking in Chicago. They are working to arrange safe dockage for everyone who will be docking at our facilities. They need your cooperation, and the cooperation of your crews, to make this happen. Any disrespectful behavior towards our Chicago docking volunteers or staff will be dealt with harshly.

3. If you are docking on Mackinac Island, we will again be using a zone system for docking. It’s designed to get you docked and to the bars and parties as quickly as possible. However, to make it work, you have to follow our plan as every space on the Island is assigned and accounted for. Please cooperate with our docking officials on the Island. Disregarding instruction from our Island docking officials may result in your boat being uninvited in subsequent years, as well as protest.

4. No swimming is allowed in Mackinac Island Harbor. This is for your safety and that of others. There are too many boats moving about, and the risk of stray electrical current is all too real.

5. Michigan law prohibits open containers of alcohol on the public way. If a police officer approaches you or your crew, and asks you to spill out the Mount Gay and tonic that you just purchased, please do so promptly. (Note that this also applies to the grounds outside of the Grand Hotel during the Sailors’ Celebration.)

6. Adjacent to the area of our Sailors’ Celebration are the school grounds; this area is a drug- and alcohol-free zone. We strongly recommend that you stay away from the school grounds during our sailors' party.

7. Please stay on the sidewalks and do not walk in the streets. While streets look pedestrian safe because there are no cars, you can easily be hit by a bicycle or by a horse and carriage.

8. Keep sails and banners away from horses, as they are easily frightened. When drying sails, stay as far away from the streets as possible. A flapping sail or banner can cause a really bad situation.

9. Departure time from all harbors is 1 PM EDT on Wednesday after the Race. You must depart  (be gone by then, not just starting to get ready to go) at or before this time unless you have made prior arrangement with the Harbor Master. Failure to depart the Island on time will result in your invitation for future races being withdrawn. To facilitate departures from the Island, please be considerate of your neighbors in your raft by being at the harbor and available by 0700, as is required in the Sailing Instructions. Talk with each other in advance to make things easier.

Failure to follow these rules can result in disqualification from this Race and not being invited to future Races. Crew members and guests are expected to follow these rules, but ultimately it is the Skipper who is responsible. Don't be that guy or gal who gets your boat uninvited to race next year!

Please help us make the 108th Race a great experience for everyone. We look forward to seeing you on the start line next week!

Don Maxwell

Chairman

108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Wintrust

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM. 

To All Sailors,

This year, the 108^th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac has again joined the race to restore ocean and Great Lake health with Sailors for the Sea’s Clean Regattas Program. Leading up to, during and following this year’s regatta, organizers will be working with Sailors for the Sea to minimize the impact the event will have on our shores and the seas. This will include everything from keeping the site clear of debris and using designated pump-out stations, to reducing reliance on plastic bottles and cups and recycling.

We are off to a great start, but we need your help! As a sailor in this event, your actions will be important as we work to reduce our environmental impact. Your choices will make a difference. Here are a few ways you can help during the race:

• Sort all recycling and compost to minimize the amount of waste headed to the landfill. A compostable bag will be provided at registration.
• Clean your boat using water only, or environmentally-safe cleaning products. Common deck soaps contain phosphates and nitrates that can dramatically affect water quality, especially in a closed harbor.
• Reduce your carbon footprint by walking, bicycling or carpooling to the sailing site everyday.

We invite you to learn more about Sailors for the Sea by visiting http://www.sailorsforthesea.org.

Thank you for helping protect our local waters!

Don Maxwell

Chairman

108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Wintrust

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM. 

Dear Fellow Mac Skippers,

Here are a few last-minute items as you all make your way to Chicago and to the Start Line.

If you don’t currently follow us on social media, please do so now, as we will post the most current news there. 

• @RaceToMackinac on Twitter and Instagram
• Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac
• Tag your own posts #CYCRTM.

1)  Official Notice Board.  See the Official Notice Board for Sailing Instructions, Start Order, and amendments to the NOR.

2) Boarding Pass.  When your online information is 100%, print your ‘boarding pass’ -- your pre-race sign in certificate and waiver.  If you need to change anything after printing, email our race coordinator.

3) Crew changes. After you print your boarding pass, you can still make changes to your crew. Please read the NOR, Section 5.12. In addition to changing your crew in the system, you must also email the race coordinator to notify her. 100% of your crew must be accounted for and accurate; this is a safety issue.

4) Registration.  Please note the hours for registration as published in the NOR, section 5.11.  If you can’t register during the appointed hours, Section 5.11 of the NOR allows you to designate in writing someone else to register for you.

5) Skippers Meetings.  The two skippers meetings held on Friday, July 22, at Monroe Station, at 0900 for the Cruising Fleet and 1700 for the Racing Fleet. At both meetings you will hear important race information and race meteorologist Chris Bedford’s pre-race weather briefing.

6) Weather. Race Meteorologist Chris Bedford will be posting video forecasts on the Mac Facebook page leading up to the race. Chris is also providing more detailed weather information including grib files via his Mac portal.

7) Tracking.Tracking this year will again by through YB Tracking. The graphical tracking site will be launched when registration opens Thursday, and at that time you will be able to ‘buy’ the race in the iOS and Android Apps (at no cost). For those of you who are using racing software such as Expedition, or want the low-bandwidth text data, it will be available at http://cf.yb.tl/links/chicagomack2016 once registration opens. Also, the Scratch Book is now available for download. 

 Please upload a picture of your boat by logging into your competitor account, and take a few minutes to update your boat story.

8) Docking.

Pre-Race:  If docking at any of CYC’s facilities, please read the NOR and SIs carefully. Boats may need to be moved, so at least one crew member who can move the boat must remain on the boat between 0800 and 2000.  And you will need to provide contact information on a CYC hang-tag displayed on the back of your boat.

Post race:  

• For those docking at St. Ignace Marina or Straits State Harbor, you’ll be using the Touch and Go dock to turn in your finish report and transponder, but remember you have about 10 minutes to stay there.  Star Line ferry information can be found on the CYCRTM website. 

• For those docking on the Island, the Zone Map can be viewed in the Scratch Book, second to last page.  At registration you’ll be given your preliminary zone assignment, but these assignments are subject to change. You must follow the directions of the docking crew when arriving, and you may be docked in a completely different location than shown. Please download and read this docking letter to improve your docking experience.

9) Parking and deliveries. There will be no parking at CYC Monroe’s Station during the Race. Paid parking is located in the lots just west of the club in Millennium Park. At Belmont Station, the boaters’ lot is restricted to people with passes. There is a pay lot adjoining the boaters lot.  Please do not ship items for delivery to our front desk; we are not equipped to receive and store items. Look here for a list of local UPS Stores which can accept deliveries.

As always, thanks to our friends at Wintrust and our other great sponsors, Line Honors, Mt. Gay, Grand Hotel, Michigan Avenue Magazine, Sunology, Harken, Star Line and Sam Adams. Without all of their support, it would be hard to put on this race. Please patronize all of them and thank them for their support of the Mac!

See you at registration!

Don Maxwell

Chairman

108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Wintrust

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM. 

Coast Guard "Cardinal Points" for 2016 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

The Ninth Coast Guard District wishes you a warm welcome to the 2016 Chicago Yacht Club Race Mackinac. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable voyage. The Mac Committee has provided you with excellent materials on how to be best prepared and we'd like to supplement that with some Coast Guard basics.

IN AN EMERGENCY: If an emergency occurs during the race, such as a person overboard, medical problem, taking on water, or disabling damage from storm, and assistance from the Coast Guard is required, we recommend you contact us via VHF-FM channel 16. You do not need to know what the closest Coast Guard station is -- we will determine that -- simply call "Mayday, mayday, mayday, Coast Guard, this is [vessel name] on channel 16, over." During your initial contact, we ask that you provide the following information:

Location (GPS coordinates and/or geographic reference)

Nature of distress

Number of persons on board

Description of your vessel

If you have an EPIRB or PLB (preferred over SPOT devices) on board, activate that as well because the SARSAT satellite system has global coverage beyond VHF-FM or cellular antenna range. Launching of flares or displaying of other visual signaling devices should also be considered. Use of cellular telephones should be considered a tertiary means of distress alerting.

WHAT TO EXPECT Once the Coast receives your distress call, we can decide what the closest response units are, what capabilities to bring and approximately how long it will take to get to your location. The Coast Guard communications watch stander on the other end of the radio may have additional questions for you to further ascertain your situation. For those accustomed to police or fire units responding within a few minutes in your city, be aware that Coast Guard boats and helicopters may take longer to reach your location because we may have to transit dozens or even hundreds of miles. Do your best to stabilize your situation in the meantime. The Coast Guard can also provide basic first responder medical care from our boats or helicopters, but paramedic-level (and greater) medical support must be provided from land-based resources. Please be aware that we do not have divers with subsurface or SCUBA capability. Our helicopters carry a rescue swimmer who can conduct rescues on or near the surface only. If subsurface rescue may be required, let us know that as soon as possible because SCUBA capability must come from other agencies and can take hours to coordinate and transport.

RESCUE 21 The Coast Guard recently installed the Rescue 21 communications system around the Great Lakes, greatly increasing our reception and transmission capability. For race participants, your procedure for contacting us remains unchanged - see the "Mayday" call guidance in the "In an emergency" paragraph above. For our part, Rescue 21 allows us to rapidly obtain a line of bearing from our radio towers to the location of the VHF-FM caller. This helps us home in on your position more quickly and easily, and also helps us catch hoax callers. Again, you do not need to know where our towers or stations are - call us on VHF-FM channel 16 and we will work with you on a case-by-case basis. In addition, all participating members are required to monitor their VHF-FM radios.

IN CASE OF STORMS If severe storms do occur, it is up to race participants to decide whether to continue their courses or to divert toward cover or safe harbors. The Coast Guard cannot make that decision for you, and we are prohibited from providing specific sailing directions (courses to steer, etc.) to you. The Coast Guard communications watch stander can, however, transmit to you published/charted navigational aids, hazards and information that may be helpful in making your decision.

A WORD ABOUT HYPOTHERMIA Even if air temperatures during the race days are warm and seasonable, be advised that lake temperatures will likely be cold enough in many locations to cause moderate to severe hypothermia within hours. Participants should dress themselves with those water temperatures in mind - and of course, wear their personal flotation device. Hypothermia is an insidious killer that catches unprepared people in the water off guard, so you stack the deck in your favor by wearing a survival suit, dry suit, wet suit or anti-exposure coveralls.

COAST GUARD PATROL COMMANDER The Coast Guard Cutter MOBILE BAY (WLB 214) will be serving as patrol commander during the Chicago Mackinac. In an emergency, however, we recommend you hail us per the "Mayday" procedures above because MOBILE BAY (WLB 214) may not be within radio range of your position.

NINTH COAST GUARD DISTRICT "SAR ETHOS.” The men and women of the Ninth Coast Guard District take our search and rescue (SAR) responsibilities very, very seriously. In fact, our philosophy, or "SAR Ethos" is to treat every potential victim as we would our own family. So know that if you get in trouble out there, we will do our very best. Good luck!


GREAT LAKES SEARCH AND RESCUE LINE - 1-800-321-4400

Joint Rescue Coordination Center Cleveland
Ninth Coast Guard District
1240 E. 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44199

1-216-902-6117/6118/6109
ninthdistrictcommandcenter@uscg.mil

Mackinac Skippers:

We have a developing situation on Mackinac Island that requires your assistance and cooperation.  As everyone who has been docking on the Island over the past few years has observed, the Arnold and coal docks are deteriorating.  This past winter was especially hard on them.  Portions of the piers that are needed to safely dock our boats, including several large sections of dock and supports beneath them, are under water or altogether missing. 

There will be less docking available on the island this year, despite CYC having purchased sections of Versadock last year to remedy sections of the docks that were under water.  This year, CYC sent up people up multiple times to inspect the condition of all docks and determine what can be done to accommodate as much of our fleet as possible. CYC is working to augment the Versadocks significantly this year; however, this will still not fix the problem, since some sections of the Island piers are completely missing.

Thus, we are looking for volunteers to dock off-Island.  Please read on below for the details. 

The Mackinac race is a unique experience with desirable docking locations on both ends.  Unfortunately, as the organizing authority, we are limited in our ability to control these parts of the race and are constrained by geography and Mother Nature (who would have thought higher water was going to be a bad thing?).

We understand that for many skippers, docking on the Island is a significant part of the regatta experience and we are doing our best to accommodate as many boats as possible.  This year we estimate that even after our best attempts at repairs, we will be losing about 20-25 docking locations.  

We are looking for volunteers to dock at either Straits Harbor in Mackinaw City, or St. Ignace.  For those who have never done this, we do everything we can to make this work well:

• There is a touch-and-go dock on the Island to discharge crew.
• CYC covers the cost of docking at the other harbors.
• Star Line’s regularly scheduled ferry service from the Island to Mackinaw City leaves the Island at 10:30pm EDT on Monday and Tuesday nights, and we have a reduced rate for race participants. 
• Star Line is running late-night ferries from the Island to St. Ignace, at a reduced rate for race participants: 
  • Monday night, 7/25 11pm EDT, and
  • Tuesday night 7/26 at midnight EDT

If you have the flexibility to dock off-Island we would greatly appreciate your assistance.  If we have an insufficient number of volunteers, we will assign off-Island docking based on the date and time of skippers’ payments of entry fees.

If you are willing to dock off-Island, please send an email to our Race Coordinator.

We’re doing everything we can to accommodate as many boats as possible on the Island.  Thank you for your understanding and assistance in this situation.

Don Maxwell

Chairman

108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

For the latest information on the race - like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM.

As we gear up for the 108th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust, media interest in the Mac is also building. Many media outlets would like to speak with Mac sailors with interesting stories about the past and about preparations for this year.

If you would be interested in sharing your stories of the Mac with members of the press, please take a few minutes to answer the questions in the attached survey. The answers may be shared with appropriate media. If you are not interested in talking with the media, simply do not answer this survey. The survey should take you five minutes or less.

The survey is located here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016MacSkipperSurvey

Please respond by May 1, 2016. We value our sailors' privacy, so we never share your contact information without your consent. If you respond, you may be contacted by a representative of the Club staff or our PR firm for media inquiries.

Thank you for taking the time to help us tell the story of this amazing race!

Don Maxwell
Chairman
108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Wintrust

Please join us for the 2015 Mac Awards Celebration on November 7

The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Committee invites you to the 2015 Race to Mackinac Awards Celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at CYC’s Monroe Station. Please join us to toast the teams, trophies and traditions of the 107th Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust.

Open House: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Awards Presentation: 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Après Party: 8:30 p.m. onward

Heavy appetizers and cocktails

Dance and mingle

On behalf of Chicago Yacht Club and the Race to Mackinac Organizing Committee, we look forward to celebrating your successes in the 2015 Race to Mackinac. If you are a part of our annual sailing race in any way, come share your stories as this is an event you won’t want to miss.

To make a reservation, click here http://tinyurl.com/2015RTMAwards or call 312-861-7777. A list of frequently asked questions is below.

Please note: Tickets are limited. Please do not miss the opportunity to attend this event; make your reservation today. 72-hour notice required for cancellations.




2015 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Awards Celebration Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the event?

Saturday, November 7, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Monroe Station. The club is located at 400 E. Monroe Chicago, IL 60603 (Monroe Street and Lake Shore Drive).

Where do I park?

The Club will offer discounted parking vouchers (available at the front desk) for guests in the Lakeside Garage across the street from Monroe Station. Enter on Columbus Drive between Monroe and Randolph streets.

Can I invite my crew and other guests?

Absolutely. But please, no children under 12. We encourage you to make reservations as soon as possible as space will be limited.

Will there be a sit-down dinner?

While there will be tables, the evening is more of an open house. Food will be served in a station buffet with ample beverages of your choice. This format allows guests to walk around and take photos with trophies and friends. The presentation will be held from the stage with professional photographers, and winners will have their own area for photos with their plaques and burgees. The event will culminate in an after party with music.

How do I make reservations?

The best way is online, via http://tinyurl.com/2015RTMAwards. Alternatively you may call the Chicago Yacht Club front desk at 312-861-7777. CYC members may use their member charge. All other guests must pay with a Visa or MasterCard via PayPal.

What is the reservation deadline?

The early rate of $65 is good through October 16. From October 17 through November 4, tickets will be $85. If available, tickets at the door will be $100 per person. Remember that tickets are sold first-come, first-served. Tickets are limited and the event will sell out, so please act quickly to buy your tickets.

Can I pay for my crew?

Yes, we recommend streamlining your RSVPs through one person to make sure you don't miss anyone.

What is the dress code?

This is a semi-formal event. Most men wear a jacket and tie, and most women prefer a dress or other appropriate outfit.

I have special dietary needs. Can I be accommodated?

There will be ample selections, including a variety of options for vegetarians.

Is there an open bar?

You will have some drink tickets included in the overall ticket. Additional drink tickets will be available for purchase.

I placed in this year's race. Will I receive a trophy at this event?

If you are an invited competitor who placed in the race, trophies are available for your team. Your skipper should place the order by October 10 by emailing Don Glasell at dongla1520@sbcglobal.net.

I didn't place in this year's race. Can I still attend?

Yes, we would love to have you join us!

What about the trophy hug?

If you are a trophy winner, you will receive a separate email with details about "The Hug" in a week or so.

I'm traveling from out of town. Where should I stay?

If you are a current member of US Sailing, please access their website and sign in to access member discounts with Hilton Hotels. There are a number of discounted options within walking distance of CYC - Monroe Station.

Please join us for the 2015 Mac Awards Celebration on November 7

The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Committee invites you to the 2015 Race to Mackinac Awards Celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at CYC’s Monroe Station. Please join us to toast the teams, trophies and traditions of the 107th Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust.

Open House: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Awards Presentation: 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Après Party: 8:30 p.m. onward

Heavy appetizers and cocktails

Dance and mingle

On behalf of Chicago Yacht Club and the Race to Mackinac Organizing Committee, we look forward to celebrating your successes in the 2015 Race to Mackinac. If you are a part of our annual sailing race in any way, come share your stories as this is an event you won’t want to miss.

To make a reservation, click here http://tinyurl.com/2015RTMAwards or call 312-861-7777. A list of frequently asked questions is below.

Please note: Tickets are limited. Please do not miss the opportunity to attend this event; make your reservation today. 72-hour notice required for cancellations.




2015 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Awards Celebration Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the event?

Saturday, November 7, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Monroe Station. The club is located at 400 E. Monroe Chicago, IL 60603 (Monroe Street and Lake Shore Drive).

Where do I park?

The Club will offer discounted parking vouchers (available at the front desk) for guests in the Lakeside Garage across the street from Monroe Station. Enter on Columbus Drive between Monroe and Randolph streets.

Can I invite my crew and other guests?

Absolutely. But please, no children under 12. We encourage you to make reservations as soon as possible as space will be limited.

Will there be a sit-down dinner?

While there will be tables, the evening is more of an open house. Food will be served in a station buffet with ample beverages of your choice. This format allows guests to walk around and take photos with trophies and friends. The presentation will be held from the stage with professional photographers, and winners will have their own area for photos with their plaques and burgees. The event will culminate in an after party with music.

How do I make reservations?

The best way is online, via http://tinyurl.com/2015RTMAwards. Alternatively you may call the Chicago Yacht Club front desk at 312-861-7777. CYC members may use their member charge. All other guests must pay with a Visa or MasterCard via PayPal.

What is the reservation deadline?

The early rate of $65 is good through October 16. From October 17 through November 4, tickets will be $85. If available, tickets at the door will be $100 per person. Remember that tickets are sold first-come, first-served. Tickets are limited and the event will sell out, so please act quickly to buy your tickets.

Can I pay for my crew?

Yes, we recommend streamlining your RSVPs through one person to make sure you don't miss anyone.

What is the dress code?

This is a semi-formal event. Most men wear a jacket and tie, and most women prefer a dress or other appropriate outfit.

I have special dietary needs. Can I be accommodated?

There will be ample selections, including a variety of options for vegetarians.

Is there an open bar?

You will have some drink tickets included in the overall ticket. Additional drink tickets will be available for purchase.

I placed in this year's race. Will I receive a trophy at this event?

If you are an invited competitor who placed in the race, trophies are available for your team. Your skipper should place the order by October 10 by emailing Don Glasell at dongla1520@sbcglobal.net.

I didn't place in this year's race. Can I still attend?

Yes, we would love to have you join us!

What about the trophy hug?

If you are a trophy winner, you will receive a separate email with details about "The Hug" in a week or so.

I'm traveling from out of town. Where should I stay?

If you are a current member of US Sailing, please access their website and sign in to access member discounts with Hilton Hotels. There are a number of discounted options within walking distance of CYC - Monroe Station.

Safety Thursday – Weather Resources, Part 2

By Mark Thornton - LakeErieWX

Introduction
This Safety Thursday article, the second in a two part series, focuses on the challenges of monitoring weather conditions on the racecourse. A companion webpage containing hyperlinks to the resources presented in this and the previous article can be found here: http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/RaceToMackinac/CYCWeatherResources.html.

Monitoring the evolution of weather patterns and reviewing updated forecast data after the race has started can help you adjust your strategy based upon whether an off-shore or in-shore route holds the best chance for a steady breeze. In addition to aiding your strategic goals, checking the weather regularly and remaining apprised of National Weather Service watches and warnings will spare you from being surprised by thunderstorms, a relatively common occurrence across the Great Lakes during July.

ACCESS TO DATA

Introduction
There is no shortage of weather data on the Internet. The sheer volume of data, combined with the ease of access, may contribute to a case of ‘data overload’ in the days preceding the Mac. However, once you are on the racecourse and your trusty Wi-Fi connection is no longer available, you will likely find yourself quickly transitioning from ‘data overload’ to ‘data deprivation’. There are technological solutions to address your data deprivation, but each possesses its own set of problems.

VHF Radios
VHF radios are a reliable and relatively inexpensive method of obtaining basic weather information. Modern marine VHF radios contain a “WX” button used to select the seven channels (WX1 to WX7) dedicated to receiving weather observations and forecasts.

Through its NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) program, the National Weather Service (NWS) continuously transmits NWS general and marine forecasts, regional weather observations, and severe weather watches and warnings in the VHF range. The NWR transmissions are automatically rendered from typed text to audio and, unless interrupted by warnings of severe weather, cycle repeatedly through information of interest to mariners and non-mariners, these include:

• Synoptic Overview – a description of the large-scale weather pattern affecting the region where the NWR transmitter is located.
• General Forecast – a non-marine forecast for the next four days divided into 12-hour periods.
• General Observations – local and regional meteorological observations such as barometric pressure, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, etc.
• Near Shore Marine Forecast – a forecast for waters within five nautical miles from shore.
• Extended Forecast – a general forecast for the next five to seven days.
• Marine Observations – wind and wave observations from nearby buoys and waterfront stations.
• Climate Summary – a review of the local and regional climate data, such as high and low temperatures, total precipitation, etc.

Because this information is presented in a continuous loop, you may have to listen to the broadcast for several minutes or more until it returns to the marine-related portion of the program. I find that it is helpful to take notes as you listen to the forecast.

Several NWR transmitters, each operating on an assigned frequency so as not to interfere with nearby stations, serve the waters of Lake Michigan. The range of each transmitter is approximately 25 miles, however, this range may be diminished by the height or placement of the antennae, operational integrity of the station’s equipment, or weather conditions. The distance at which you are able to receive a NWR broadcast is also dependent upon the equipment onboard your vessel. The height and quality of your antenna and condition of the coaxial cable and ancillary fittings connecting it to your fixed VHF radio all influence the quality of your reception. Handheld VHF radios have a much shorter effective range than fixed units.

There are six NWS offices with County Warning Areas (CWA) covering a portion of Lake Michigan -- -- Chicago, IL; Syracuse, IN; Milwaukee, WI; Green Bay, WI; Grand Rapids, MI; and Gaylord, MI. Each NWS office is responsible for preparing the weather information that is broadcast by the NWRs located in their CWA. The marine observations and forecasts you hear on your VHF radio are specifically prepared for the portion of Lake Michigan falling within the NWS’s warning area.

Since the NWR system broadcasts weather information for a specific portion of the Lake, and the operational limit of the transmission is approximately 25 miles, you will need to select the WX channel associated with the NWR transmitter closest to your location. This is particularly important if a severe thunderstorm prompts the issuance of a watch or warning for a portion of the Lake. A map showing the location and associated WX channel of the NWR transmitters serving Lake Michigan can be found here: http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/RaceToMackinac/NWR%20Locations.jpg, while a map showing the marine zones for each NWS office is located here: http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/RaceToMackinac/NWSMarineZones.html.

Cellular Internet
Although your VHF radio is a reliable source of weather information, it does not provide the ability to access Doppler radar or the wide array of weather forecast graphics discussed in my previous Safety Thursday article. Accessing the Internet or creating a Wi-Fi hotspot using a cellular connection, provides access to the weather resources and Doppler radar, but cellular access more than 10 miles offshore is typically unreliable. It is possible to improve cellular reception by installing an external antennae and signal booster; however this technology only improves an existing signal and therefore provides limited value in areas where shore-based cellular access is spotty – such as northern Michigan.

Cellular Internet should not be your primary source of weather information. However, when it is available, Internet access provides the ability to view Doppler radar imagery – a particularly useful resource if severe thunderstorms are expected to impact the racecourse.

Satellite Weather Data
Accessing weather information via XM satellite offers many advantages over VHF and cellular, but at a relatively high cost. A typical XM setup requires a satellite antennae, receiver, a display device (such as laptop or chartplotter), and a monthly subscription from a provider of meteorological data. The cost of the antennae, receiver and software typically exceeds $1,000, and data subscriptions can reach $50 per month.

If cost isn’t a barrier, satellite technology avoids the broadcast range limitations of both VHF and cellular Internet and assures reliable, consistent access to weather data – including Doppler radar -- regardless of your location on Lake Michigan. You’ll be limited to the products and resources offered by your data provider, but this limitation is more than outweighed by reliable access.

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS

Barometers
An accurate barometer, particularly a digital version, is a relatively-inexpensive, low-tech method of monitoring large-scale weather patterns and the potential for severe weather. Typically, falling barometric pressure, particularly rapidly-falling barometric pressure, announces the approach of a squall line or cluster of thunderstorms. Your on-board barometer may provide your first clue that the atmosphere is brewing some excitement.

National Weather Service Terminology
The National Weather Service uses a variety of terms to simplify the forecast process and warn the public about the potential for hazardous weather. Misunderstanding this terminology may lead to poor decision-making that places you and your crew at increased risk during inclement weather. Several terms of interest to the marine community are presented below:

• Near Shore Marine Forecast: Issued for the Great Lakes from the shoreline out to five nautical miles.
• Offshore Marine Forecast: A marine forecast for waters beyond five nautical miles from shore.
• Small Craft Advisory: There is no precise definition of a small craft. Thresholds governing the issuance of small craft advisories are specific to geographic areas. Any vessel that may be adversely affected by Small Craft Advisory criteria should be considered a small craft. Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet may prompt the issuance of a Small Craft Advisory
• Watch: A watch is used when the risk of a hazardous weather event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so that those who need to set their plans in motion can do so.
• Warning: A warning is issued when a hazardous weather or other event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring. A warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life or property.
• Marine Weather Statement: A National Weather Service product that provides mariners with details on significant or potentially hazardous conditions not otherwise covered in existing marine warnings and forecasts. Marine weather statements are also used to supplement special marine warnings.
• Special Marine Warning: A warning product issued for potentially hazardous weather conditions usually of short duration (up to 2 hours) producing sustained marine thunderstorm winds or associated gusts of 34 knots or greater; and/or hail 3/4 inch or more in diameter; and/or waterspouts. Also used for short duration small-scale events such as a strong cold front, gravity wave, squall line, etc., lasting less than 2 hours and producing winds or gusts of 34 knots or greater.
• Severe Thunderstorm: A thunderstorm that produces a tornado, winds of at least 58 mph (50 knots), and/or hail at least 1" in diameter. A thunderstorm wind equal to or greater than 40 mph (35 knots) and/or hail of at least 1" is defined as approaching severe status.
• High Wind Warning: Issued when high winds may pose a hazard or are life threatening. The criteria vary from state to state. In Michigan, the criteria is sustained non-convective (not related to thunderstorms) winds greater than or equal to 40 mph lasting for one hour or longer, or winds greater than or equal to 58 mph for any duration.
• Gale Warning: A warning of sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 34 knots (39 mph) to 47 knots (54 mph) inclusive, either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone.
• Storm Warning: A warning of sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 48 knots (55 mph) to 63 knots (73 mph) inclusive, either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone.

Doppler Weather Radar
There is no better tool for tracking the development and movement of thunderstorms than Doppler radar from the NWS. The NWS maintains the only nationwide network of radar stations and freely shares its raw data and imagery with the public. The stations are strategically located to ensure that all areas are served and to allow overlap in the event that a station fails. There are six NWS stations collecting data over Lake Michigan: Chicago, IL; Syracuse, IN; Grand Rapids, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Green Bay, WI; and Gaylord, MI (a map of these stations may be found here).

A few important facts about radar imagery:

• You will need a reliable cellular or satellite connection to view NWS radar data.
• Radar imagery can be viewed on each NWS office’s webpage, or through a third-party application purchased for your smartphone.
• Radar imagery is NOT live. The process of scanning the atmosphere and organizing the data typically takes four to six minutes. A fast-moving thunderstorm or squall line can easily cover ten miles or more between image updates. A rapidly developing thunderstorm may strengthen dramatically between image updates. Most radar applications will display the time of the image to allow you to determine how ‘stale’ the data is. If you are using radar to monitor the approach of threatening weather, keep in mind it may be much closer and much different than it appears on the outdated image.
• The quality of a radar signal degrades as distance from the site increases. When you are monitoring approaching storms, select the radar site closest to the storms in question rather the site closest to your location (click here for a map of the NWS radar sites).

CONCLUSION
With the 107th Mac just around the corner, I would like to wish you a safe and speedy trip to the Island.
I would also like to thank the CYC Mac Committee for the opportunity to contribute to the Safety Thursday series.

About the Author
Mark Thornton began sailing on Lake Erie in 1994 and he currently owns Osprey, a 1985 C&C 35. His interest in weather forecasting grew from his experiences racing and cruising on the lake. In addition to sailing and weather forecasting, Mark maintains a website devoted to Great Lakes meteorology (www.LakeErieWX.com) and enjoys publishing summaries of interesting Great Lake weather events and teaching basic weather forecasting skills to sailors.

Questions regarding this article are encouraged and should be directed to LakeErieWX@gmail.com.

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

Safety Thursday - Weather Resources, Part 1

By Mark Thornton - LakeErieWX

Introduction

Sailing and weather are intrinsically linked. Experienced Mac sailors understand that developing a pre-race weather forecast and monitoring its evolution on the racecourse is an important strategic and safety aspect of participating in the Chicago Yacht Club’s Race to Mackinac. Misjudging the wind forecast can quickly send you to the back of your fleet, while failing to properly assess the risk for severe weather can unnecessarily jeopardize the safety of the crew.

This Safety Thursday article is the first of a two-part series and focuses on helpful resources for developing your pre-race forecast. The second article will discuss the more challenging task of monitoring weather developments after the starting gun. A companion webpage containing hyperlinks to the resources presented in these articles can be found here: http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/RaceToMackinac/CYCWeatherResources.html

The Big Picture

Large-Scale Dynamics

Your Mac forecast should begin with an understanding of the large-scale weather features. Is a low pressure system expected to transit Lake Michigan during the race? If so, when is the warm and/or cold front and accompanying wind shift expected to arrive? Is the system expected to produce strong winds, large waves, or thunderstorms? Or, will the Mac be dominated by the fluky, thermally-driven lake and land breezes associated with a high pressure system?

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) (http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov) produces a variety of products that focus on predicting the development and evolution of large-scale weather features. The WPC’s surface forecasts are divided into short-term and long-term periods with the short-term period covering the first 2 ½ days of the forecast period (in 12-hour intervals) and the long-term period covering days three through seven in 24-hour intervals. By carefully reviewing the forecasts in chronological order, you can determine how large-scale weather features will affect the racecourse, and then use the data to chart the fastest course to Mackinac.

Graphics published by the WPC contain a variety of unique symbols and meteorological shorthand to show the anticipated position of high pressure systems, low pressure systems and their accompanying frontal boundaries, and additional features such as ridges, troughs and squall lines. Sailors who are unfamiliar with this meteorological shorthand are encouraged to review the legend published by the WPC (http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/fntcodes2.shtml).

WPC products, along with the majority of weather forecasting materials available on the Internet, are based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) sometimes called Zulu Time (Z). Converting from GMT (or Z) to Central Time during the summer is straightforward – simply subtract five hours from GMT/Z. Below is the legend for a 24-hour surface forecast which provides an opportunity to review the GMT/Z conversion process and other nomenclature used to describe the graphics.

The first line contains the acronyms for the various NOAA entities that contributed to the preparation of the forecast. The second and third lines describe the parameters that are included in the forecast product. The term Issued in the fourth line provides the time and date the graphic was published.

Precipitation

The WPC also issues Quantitative Precipitation Forecast Graphics (QPF) (http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/qpf2.shtml) which show the amount of liquid precipitation anticipated across the country. This product covers the first three days of the forecast period in 24-hour increments, and combines days four through five and six through seven into two separate 48-hour forecasts.

Thunderstorms

Storm Prediction Center

Thunderstorms, and the associated hazards of downburst winds, lightning, and locally higher wave heights, are a relatively common occurrence across the Great Lakes during the summer. Forecasting the location, timing and type of severe weather that is expected to develop across the United States is one of meteorology’s most challenging tasks – a task assigned to the staff of NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma.

Note: It is important to understand that the NWS defines a severe thunderstorm as one that produces 1” diameter hail, a wind gust of at least 58 mph, or a tornado. Although frequent lightning is an obvious hazard to sailors, it is not a factor in meeting the threshold of a severe thunderstorm.

SPC Convective Outlooks

Each day, the SPC issues Convective Outlooks for days 1, 2, and 3, and a combined Outlook for days 4 through 8 (http://www.spc.ncep.noaa.gov). The Outlooks contain a graphic that identifies the areas of the country where organized storm development is expected, along with a narrative describing the details of the risk.

The Convective Outlooks present the risk by category – Slight, Moderate and High – based upon the statistical probability of severe weather occurring within 25 miles of any given point in the highlighted area. A description of the risk categories used by the SPC can be found on its FAQ page. Because the risk of severe weather affecting a specific location on any given day is very small, even a Slight risk deserves a sailor’s respect, as it represents a significant increase in the potential for severe weather. It should be noted that even thunderstorms that fail to meet the NWS’s severe threshold often present a significant risk to mariners in the form of strong winds and frequent lightning.

Although SPC Convective Outlooks are an excellent resource for identifying the areas at risk for severe weather and displaying the geographic progression of the risk over time, they are written for meteorologists and therefore tend to be rather technical in nature.

In addition to the traditional Convective Outlooks, the SPC also publishes Thunderstorm Outlooks (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/enhtstm/) which identify the regions at risk for any strength of thunderstorms and the probability of development. In contrast to the one-day period covered by Convective Outlooks, each Thunderstorm Outlook only cover a 4-hour period.

Hazardous Weather Outlook

In contrast to the Convective and Thunderstorm Outlooks from the SPC, Hazardous Weather Outlooks (HWO) are issued in text form by each local office of the National Weather Service (NWS) and describe the risk of severe weather for the general public. HWOs are issued each day and address the overall probability, geographic coverage, storm type (single cell storms, squall line, etc.), and timing of severe weather for the current day along with a combined summary of days 2 through 7.

While SPC Convective and Thunderstorm Outlooks cover the entire United States, Hazardous Weather Outlooks focus exclusively on the County Warning Area (CWA) assigned to each NWS office. There are six NWS offices with CWAs that cover a portion of Lake Michigan -- Chicago, IL; Syracuse, IN; Milwaukee, WI; Green Bay, WI; Grand Rapids, MI; and Gaylord, MI. In order to assess the risk of severe weather where you intend to sail, you must consult the HWO of the NWS office which has responsibility for that area of the lake.

MARINE FORECASTS

Text Forecasts
The Chicago NWS office is responsible for issuing off-shore (beyond 5 nautical miles) marine forecasts for all of Lake Michigan. Several times each day, NWS Chicago publishes a text version of the marine forecast which begins with a synopsis of the current weather pattern and a forecast covering the next several days. This synopsis is followed by a forecast of wind and wave conditions covering a five-day period. Because conditions often vary dramatically across the expanse of Lake Michigan, the text wind and wave forecast focuses on pre-determined regions that allow mariners to quickly obtain the forecast for their area.


Graphic Forecast Products from the NWS

The NWS offices surrounding the Great Lakes cooperatively maintain an excellent website devoted to marine weather forecasting (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/greatlakes/). While the home page provides forecasts for the entire Great Lakes basin, the data for an individual lake can be accessed by clicking the appropriate hyperlink along the left-hand column of the home page. The graphics, which are designed for the recreational community, are easy to interpret and don’t require a conversion from GMT to local time.

The forecasts extend for 4 ½ days in three-hour increments for the following meteorological parameters:

• Wave Height: in feet and shown using color-shading and values at selected stations.
• Wave Period: the time interval between each wave presented in seconds using color-shading and numerical values at selected stations.
• Wind Speed & Direction: in knots, using standard wind barbs, color-shading and numerical values at selected stations.
• Wind Gust: in knots, using color-shading and values at selected stations.
• Weather: color-shading is used to indicate if precipitation is expected during the three-hour period covered by the graphic. In addition, a short text code is provided at selected stations to describe the type of weather that is expected. For example, the appearance of a “T” in the code indicates that thunderstorms are forecast for the 3-hour period.
• Surface Water Temperature: in degrees Fahrenheit, presented using color-shading and values at selected stations.

Other Graphic Marine Forecast Products

Gridded Binary files (GRIBs) pack a lot of information into a small file size and are a convenient method of obtaining marine forecasts. Chris Bedford, of Sailing Weather Services, provides low resolution GRIB files free to Chicago-Mac participants (see link above) or higher resolution files on a subscription basis. Routing software, such as Expedition, while relatively expensive, integrate navigation, yacht performance and weather data into a single race-management interface.

There are many sources of computer model wind and wave forecasting resources on the Internet. While offering the advantages of higher resolution and shorter time intervals, these products require conversion from GMT to local time and are published without modification by a meteorologist. Several of these products are available on the Chicago-Mac Resource page.


CONCLUSION

A Plan For The Mac

Now is the perfect time to investigate and get comfortable with the resources presented in this article and on the Mac resource webpage (http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/RaceToMackinac/CYCWeatherResources.html). There is no better way to learn a new skill than practicing. I encourage you to prepare a trial forecast for the upcoming weekend. In addition to analyzing the graphics and making the necessary GMT conversions, these practice forecasts will allow you to witness how high and low pressure systems evolve and how the speed and direction of the wind changes in response.

The accuracy of weather forecasts diminishes as the forecast period increases. For example, a forecast valid in 48 hours is typically more accurate than one valid in 7 days. For this reason, beginning the preparation of your official Mac forecast more than a week before the start isn’t recommended.

I typically start a daily review of the WPC surface forecasts and SPC Convective Outlooks a week before an event and will often save the graphics in a folder to compare to later forecasts. This allows me to track the movement of the large scale weather systems across the country and gauge the changes in the forecast from day to day. I typically begin a daily analysis of the wind and wave forecasts on Monday or Tuesday for a weekend event.

The final forecast should be based upon the most current forecast data available and is usually prepared the morning of the event. If you have been analyzing the forecast for the preceding week and using the data to steadily hone in on your strategy, the creation of your final forecast shouldn’t be too time-consuming. And hopefully it won’t reveal any surprises.

Looking Ahead
Managing the forecast and keeping tabs on rapidly deteriorating conditions becomes far more difficult once you are offshore. In part two of this series, we’ll investigate the resources available after the starting gun has sounded.

About the Author
Mark Thornton began sailing on Lake Erie in 1994 and he currently owns Osprey, a 1985 C&C 35. His interest in weather forecasting grew from his experiences racing and cruising on the lake. In addition to sailing and weather forecasting, Mark maintains a website devoted to Great Lakes meteorology (www.LakeErieWX.com) and enjoys publishing summaries of interesting Great Lake weather events and teaching basic weather forecasting skills to sailors.

Questions regarding this article are encouraged and should be directed to LakeErieWX@gmail.com.


Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

That’s it for now. Previous emails to crew are archived on the Website at http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/news/. We encourage you to read through those which may answer other questions you have. Otherwise, we encourage you to direct questions to your skipper.

See you in Chicago in a couple of days!


Matt Gallagher
Chairman
107th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Wintrust

About the Author
Mark Thornton began sailing on Lake Erie in 1994 and he currently owns Osprey, a 1985 C&C 35. His interest in weather forecasting grew from his experiences racing and cruising on the lake. In addition to sailing and weather forecasting, Mark maintains a website devoted to Great Lakes meteorology (www.LakeErieWX.com) and enjoys publishing summaries of interesting Great Lake weather events and teaching basic weather forecasting skills to sailors.

Questions regarding this article are encouraged and should be directed to LakeErieWX@gmail.com.

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

Media Contact
Dwight Jenson
jenson@chicagoyachtclub.org

3. This year we will again be using a zone system for docking on Mackinac Island. This system places similar boats together. It’s designed to get you docked and to the bars and parties as quickly as possible. However, to make it work, you have to follow our plan and not everyone can get a slip, even if it’s empty at the moment. Every space on the Island is assigned and accounted for. Please cooperate with our docking officials on the Island. I have asked our docking officials to report any failure to cooperate or any inappropriate behavior directly to me; disregarding instruction may result in your boat being uninvited in subsequent years as well as protest.

4. No swimming is allowed in Mackinac Island Harbor. This is for your safety and that of others. There are too many boats moving about, and the risk of stray electrical current was highlighted in the June 12 Safety Thursday.

5. Michigan law prohibits open containers of alcohol on the public way. If a police officer approaches you or your crew, and asks you to spill out the Mount Gay and tonic that you just purchased, please do so promptly. (Note that this also applies to the grounds outside of the Grand Hotel during our sailors' party.)

6. The school, which is adjacent to the Grand Hotel, is a drug and alcohol free zone. We strongly recommend that you stay away from this area during our sailors' party.

7. Please do not walk in the streets. While they may look pedestrian safe because there are no cars, you can easily be hit by a bicycle or by a horse and carriage. Stay on the sidewalks.

8. Keep sails and other banners away from horses, as they are easily frightened. When drying sails, stay as far away from the streets as possible. A flapping sail or banner can cause a really bad situation.

9. Departure time from all harbors is 1 PM EDT on Wednesday, July 23. Please make sure that you depart at or before this time unless you have made prior arrangement with the Harbor Master. We will be present to enforce this deadline. Failure to depart on time will result in your invitation for future races being withdrawn. Remember that rafts start breaking up much earlier in the day. Please be considerate of your neighbors in your raft by being at the harbor and available by 0700, as is required in the Sailing Instructions. Talk with each other in advance to make things easier.

Failure to follow these rules can result in disqualification from this Race and not being invited to future Races. Crew members and guests are expected to follow these rules, but ultimately it is the Skipper who is responsible. Don't be that guy or gal who gets your boat uninvited to race next year!

Please help us make the 106th Race a great experience for everyone. We look forward to seeing you on the start line next week!

Matt Gallagher
Chairman
106th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackianc

Hyperthermia that results from drug exposure requires prompt cessation of that drug, and occasionally the use of other drugs as counter measures. Fever-reducing drugs such as acetaminophen and aspirin have value in treating hyperthermia. Always consult with a physician before cessation or administration of drugs.

When the body temperature reaches about 104 °F, or if the affected person is unconscious or showing signs of confusion, hyperthermia is considered a medical emergency that requires treatment in a proper medical facility.

Prevention - Stay adequately hydrated with cool water combined with an electrolyte balancing drink. Avoid drinks containing caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar and energy drinks because they will actually cause you to lose more fluid. Avoid hot, heavy meals. Avoid direct exposure to the sun. Wear a vented wide brimmed hat, a sweat band and cooling cloth over the neck. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Wear sunscreen to protect skin from the sun's harmful rays. Sunburn affects your body's ability to cool itself and causes a loss of body fluids. Use mosquito netting or a light sheet when sleeping with biting flies.

References:
http://www.sailingcourse.com/cruising/emergencies.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-stroke/basics/prevention/con-20032814
http://www.great-lakes-sailing.com/heat_stroke.html
http://www.healthcentral.com/encyclopedia/408/271.html
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/149546-overview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthermia
http://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/hyperthermia/heatprecautions.php
http://navymedicine.navylive.dodlive.mil/archives/5465
http://www.public.navy.mil/comnavsafecen/Pages/acquisition/heat_stress.aspx
http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=54429
http://warmweatherworkwear.com/

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

1) Deadlines. Please complete your entry before the late entry deadline if you intend to Race this year. See the NOR for details. We strongly recommend that you double-check the requirements of the NOR and your entry now to make sure you are all set.

2) Customizable Race Gear . This year, we’re proud to be working with Gill NA and our friends at Crowley’s to offer a wide-range of high quality apparel and other crew year. It’s available now from Crowley’s Online - http://store.crowleys.com/servlet/-strse-Race-to-Mackinac-Gear/Categories. Check it out and order soon for pre-race delivery. Crowley’s can customize gear with your boat name or logo.

3) Hats. This year, we are proud to introduce our own race hat, in place of the hodge-podge of hats we’ve been distributing in the past from our various sponsors. The hat – only available to competitors in the Mac – will be a symbol of your participation in the greatest race on the Great Lakes. Each skipper bag will have 3-4 complimentary hats. If you would like to order more hats so each of your crew members can have one, we have set up a site where you can order them online. This offer is ONLY for skippers in the Mac. Please do not share this link, as hats may not be ordered by non-competitors. Our hat vendor can also add your boat name or logo to the hat if you’d like. Visit http://macracehats.myshopify.com/ for more details. Order soon for pre-race delivery. Again, this is limited to skippers of Mac entrants.

4) Crew List and Crew Waivers. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to make sure that your crew list is complete and accurate. A complete and accurate crew list is required by the NOR, and you will be unable to check in at registration if it is not done. To enter your crew list, after logging in as a competitor, visit “Enter or Update your crew list” Make sure all of your crew has been invited. Remember, you must invite yourself as well! You are both an invited competitor and a crew member. For each crew member who is not marked as ‘complete,’ click on “email crew for update” button to as them via email to complete the process.

Having Issues? First watch the video tutorial on completing your crew waivers that we put together last year. The procedure is the same this year. Visit http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/reminder-new-crew-waiver-procedures/

5) Weather Data. A critical part of any well-prepared team is a thorough awareness and understanding of the weather conditions along the course. Not only will good weather preparation give your team a potential tactical advantage, but it will also help keep you safe on a lake where the weather can be quite volatile.??Once again, Sailing Weather Service (SWS) Chief Meteorologist Chris Bedford will be at the skippers' meetings on Friday, July 18th, to provide a race weather briefing. As in previous years, SWS has put together a complimentary online weather portal providing information specific to Lake Michigan (www.sailwx.com/chimac). In addition to access to NOAA satellite, radar, forecast imagery and text products, GRIB weather forecast data which can be used in your onboard routing and navigation software is also provided. With just over a month to the start, it is a good time to start familiarizing yourself with the available weather data and practicing weather preparation for the race.??

Chris Bedford will be in Chicago from Thursday, July 18th, through Saturday, July 20th. If you would like to meet personally with Chris and discuss the race weather forecast as it pertains to your boat, please contact him well ahead of time to set up an appointment: cbedford@sailwx.com??Head over to www.sailwx.com/chimac now to check out the 2014 CYC Race to Mackinac Weather Portal.

6) Pre-Race Docking. Please see section 13 of the NOR if you wish to dock at the Chicago Yacht Club’s facilities in Chicago before the Race. Section 13.2 describes how to request docking in Chicago. Docking is complimentary for those boats not already moored in the Chicago Harbor system, subject to the limitations set out in the NOR. All boats will be subject to rafting. If you want a guaranteed slip, we suggest you promptly contact the Chicago Harbor System so you can make a transient reservation at one of their harbors, at your expense. See http://www.chicagoharbors.info.

7) Post-race docking. Now that the entry deadline has passed, our docking team is putting together a docking plan for the Island. We will do everything we can to accommodate everyone’s expressed preference (Mac Island, St. Ignace or Straits). However, as indicated in earlier emails, demand for docking on the Island is running higher than average this year and we almost certainly will be denying some boats their chosen harbor. As we indicated in earlier emails (March 5; April 1; April 17; and May 4), we will be using the date you paid for your entry in determining which boats will be denied their choice of harbor. We will contact you next week if it appears that you cannot be accommodated at your chosen harbor. We regret the necessity to do this, but we are constrained by the physical limits of the harbor at the Island.


That’s it for now. I’ll touch base with you again around July 1. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out via racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org.

Matt Gallagher
Chairman
106th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

The Mac safety regulations require yachts competing in the Mac to carry First Aid Kits and First Aid Manuals (Monohull MSR 45 & 46, Multihull MSR 49 & 50). Skippers are responsible for ensuring that a kit suitable for the race and the number of people on board is carried and maintained. Remember that many medical supplies have expiration dates, so that 10 year old kit may no longer be ‘suitable’ for the conditions of the race. Take the time to examine and inventory your kit. You should consult with a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate contents of a kit for your boat, but many commercially-prepared kits are available, including by way of example:

http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/assets/1/7/MedAire_First_Responder_Kit_-_Mackinac.pdf - Speci?cally prepared for the Mac race

http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/products.php?catname=Marine&cat=8 - Adventure Medical Marine Line

http://www.oceanmedix.com/?_siteid=oceanmedix&_sessid=ce6410db468648cc2d17cc74f9866faa&action=cat&catid =medkits - A wide variety of kits

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/medicalequip.html - Another wide assortment of kits.

In addition to bandages, splints and the like, most kits carry much routine items which may be of use - bandages, allergy pills, anti-itch cream, seasickness pills, sunburn pain relief lotions and the like. Each crew member should be familiar with the location of and contents of the kit, since virtually anyone could be called to use it. Your kit should also contain a good ?rst aid manual, as is required by the MSRs. Many are available, either as part of the kit or from Amazon or similar bookstores. You should familiarize yourself with the manual now, before you really need it. The last thing you want to do is be thumbing through a table of contents in a real emergency! If assembling your own kit, we strongly encourage you to discuss it with a health care professional. Good resources for learning include:
http://www.boatingmag.com/boatingsafety/tips/safety-tip/marine-?rst-aid-kits

http://www.equipped.com/medical.htm

http://www.thesailingfoundation.org/SAS2012Docs/SAS%20Medical.pdf

Kits do not carry prescription drugs or other advanced equipment, such as AEDs. If your particular crew requires such equipment, you should consult with a physician now, before you go. You should be familiar with the health history of your whole crew, and any speci?c health needs of an individual crew member should be addressed with the skipper (or if you have a physician, nurse, paramedic or EMT or the like on your crew, with that person). If crew members have con?dentiality concerns, or if they have serious health issues, a good practice is to keep their health history in a sealed envelope, in the possession of the skipper, to be opened only in the event of emergency. In addition to an appropriate medical kit, you should encourage your crew to have proper ?rst aid training. Although our race is not governed by the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations, they are instructive. They require that 3 members of the crew have medical training equivalent to or greater than the Red Cross First Aid course. This is probably a good standard for most Mac boats as well. Find out in advance who on your crew has this training. If no one does, we encourage you to get trained.

Ditch Bags

The Multihull MSRs require multihulls to carry a ditch bag (“calamity pack”) (MSR 14). While not a requirement for Monohulls, having one on such yachts is also a good idea. Multihulls are required to carry pyrotechnic signals per MSR, a handheld VHF, a GPS, a ?ashlight, cutting tools and an EPIRB/PLB. This equipment would be invaluable in the case of a capsize, and it would be also of tremendous value if your crew was forced to abandon ship into a life raft. The MSRs list minimum equipment requirements, but good sailors would supplement this list. Other items to consider carrying in the ditch bag include a ?rst aid kit, ‘space’ blankets, a knife, spare batteries for the ?ashlight and handheld VHF, a signal mirror, a whistle, and sunscreen. A good article (with link to related articles) on ditch bags is at
http://www.equipped.com/abndonship.htm

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, and you should always consult with a physician prior to commencing any physical exertion including sailing to ensure that you are safe to do so.

It is every sailor’s nightmare - being lost overboard, particularly at night or in adverse conditions. Preventing a crew overboard (COB) (or man overboard - MOB) situation is the focus of many of the Mac Safety Regulations (MSR) - for example, MSR 13 (lifelines); MSR 40 (Jackstays); MSR 70 (Harnesses and Tethers); and others. The Cruising Club of America has a good briefing on preventing COB situations at http://www.cruisingclub.org/pdfs/ sas_dy_man_overboard_prevention.pdf.

We also encourage you to read the CCA’s “Tips for the Victim” at http://www.cruisingclub.org/pdfs/sas_dy_victim_tips_crew_overboard.pdf. The most important point is: always have a PFD on. This dramatically enhances your chance of survival and recovery.

This safety Thursday focuses on what happens when those prevention methods aren’t sufficient and a crew member goes overboard. (All references are to monohull MSRs, but there are equivalent multihull ones). This article will discuss the MSRs applicable to helping in MOB situations, as well as a discussion of techniques that each crew should practice before they need it.
Equipment MSR 61 requires a man overboard pole and flag, with a lifebuoy, self-igniting light, a whistle and drogue attached and be ready for instant use. An inflatable MOB system such as the MOM-8A fulfills this requirement if properly serviced and equipped. Whether you choose inflatable or rigid, this device should be instantly deployed when a person goes overboard. It serves two main functions: (a) it provides flotation for the person in the water; and (b) it aids in locating the crew member, via light, sound and visual methods. Particularly in heavy seas or at night, picking out a small human head amongst the waves is very challenging. A MOB pole or MOM-8A provides an easy-to-see target.

MSR 60 requires a Lifesling (http://www.thesailingfoundation.org/new_lifesling.htm). A Lifesling consists of a flotation horseshoe attached to a floating line. A hoist and tackle system is an option. The Lifesling is used once the COB is located, to provide floatation and a method of returning them to the boat. See: http://www.cruisingclub.org/pdfs/safety_lifesline_prep_guide.pdf An excellent video on the use of a Lifesling is available online and should be watched by all sailors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnhjOhWD4j0
MSR 63 requires a heaving line, readily accessible in the cockpit. This is another device that can be used to help bring a crew member back to the boat once they’re located in the water.
Do not underestimate the difficulty of recovery of a crew member even when the boat is close nearby. A COB will not be able to easily swim in an inflated PFD, or if injured - a heaving line will provide those on the boat with a mechanism for bringing the COB back to the boat.

Finally, MSR 76 requires a personal safety knife. This is useful to the person in the water when they are attached to the boat but don’t want to be! For example, if tangled in rigging or being dragged along by their tether. We recommend you re-read last year’s Safety Thursday on personal safety knives. (http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/assets/1/7/ Issue_8_-_Personal_Safety_Knives.pdf)
Technique The proper technique for MOB situations is beyond the scope of this article. However, here are some considerations. There are several methods for recovery. For a good overview, see this article: http://www.sailingmagazine.net/how-to/technique/1371-crew-overboardrecovery.html. ISAF Offshore Regulation D provides a good summary of the quick stop method (http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/OSR2012AppD09122011-%5b11754%5d.pdf); the quick stop technique is strongly recommended in the MSRs. No matter which technique you use for recovery, there are some common steps that should be taken upon recognition of a COB situation.

1. Shout Man Overboard and hit the MOB function on your chart plotter if at the helm.

2. Deploy the MOB pole or MOM-8A immediately, and get any other floatation possible in the water (to aid the victim and to provide a visual reference to where the COB occurred).

3. Assign one or more crew members to maintain eye contact with the victim and point at them constantly.

4. Call a Mayday on the VHF and/or depress the “distress” button if DSC equipped - a COB is a mayday situation in all but the calmest conditions, and even then it should be called as Pan Pan.

All competitors should render appropriate aid as required by the Racing Rules of Sail and by law. From there, boat handling depends on the method for COB recovery you choose. All techniques involve getting the boat slowed down, back to the victim, and stopped near the victim in order to allow for recovery. Your crew should have a discussion of which technique is appropriate. The “quick stop” method recommended in MSR74 is detailed
ISAF Offshore Special Regulation. We urge your crew, and particularly all your helmsmen, to have a discussion of what technique is appropriate for your boat and crew. Once you get the crew member to the boat, getting them aboard can be a new challenge. Any victim will likely be in some level of shock, and an injured victim may not be able to help themselves. Additionally, getting a crew member on board a boat with high transom and sides may be challenging even if they are uninjured. Your crew should talk through how this would be done, and you should consider carrying a block and tackle to assist in Lifesling-aided recovery. A final point: Do not go into the water to assist the person unless absolutely necessary. If the victim is unable to board or needs further assistance and someone must go into the water, make sure that person is wearing a PFD and is attached to the boat with a line.

Required Drill

Do not forget the requirements of MSR 72 - each crew must perform an annual MOB practice with at least two-thirds of the racing crew participating. A form certifying compliance must be downloaded, signed by the crew, and kept onboard in event of inspection on the Island. The MOB form can be downloaded from http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/assets/1/7/2013_crew_overboard_cert.pdf

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

P.S. Follow us on Facebook for the latest information https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac,or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, hashtag #CYCRTM.

Order your 106th Mac gear now - http://store.crowleys.com/servlet/-strse-Race-to-Mackinac-Gear/Categories

Q. I have received two ORR certificates from US Sailing. Why?

A. There was a glitch in the US Sailing Computer system that issued ORR certs. It was discovered in early April. Out of an abundance of caution, US Sailing sent out replacement certificates. Therefore, ORR Certificates issued before April 12, 2014, are not valid. Valid ORR certificates are dated April 12, 2014, or thereafter. If you have already uploaded your certificate and it is dated before April 12, please upload the replacement one you have received in the mail. If you did not receive one, please contact the Offshore Office of US Sailing – offshore@ussailing.org.

Q. I want to mail/fax/hand in my certificate to someone instead of uploading it. How do I do this?

A. The Notice of Race (NOR) requires that you upload your certificate to the Race’s website via your competitor login. No other form of submission is valid. See NOR Section 5.5.

If you have technical difficulties in how to do this, we encourage you to discuss this with your crew. Converting to PDF and uploading is a fairly straightforward process from a technical point of view.

We appreciate that this may cause difficulty for a few of you, and we are sorry for this, but please understand that there is a single person acting as Race Coordinator for all races held at the Chicago Yacht Club, and to require that one person to track down each scrap of paper, fax, email, etc. would undoubtedly cause delay and inaccuracy. While we will make best efforts to upload any certificates he receives via fax or email or US mail, it is your responsibility to fully comply with the NOR.

If you mail or deliver the ORR certificate to us any way other than via upload to the website, you run the risk of being hit with the late entry fee if it does not get uploaded properly. Therefore, we strongly urge you to comply with the NOR by uploading it yourself.

Q. OK I uploaded my certificate, how can I tell if it was properly uploaded?

A. Log into your invited competitor portal. Look about ½ way down on the left under ‘Rating Certificate’

• If it says in green ‘Received – Pending Approval’ then you have uploaded a file and it is subject to review. To look at the file to verify it uploaded correctly, click on ‘Click here to view your current certificate on file.’ You can see the document exactly as we do. If it is viewable to you, and it’s an ORR cert dated April 12, 2014, or thereafter, you’re all set. We’ll review it in coming weeks and let you know if there are any issues. If the file cannot be read, or if it is dated earlier than April 12, 2014, you can upload a new file via the ‘Click here to upload a new digital copy’

• If it says ‘Approved’ then your certificate has been reviewed by our team and is considered valid. If for some reason you need to upload a new certificate after this point, you must contact the race coordinator for further instruction.

• If it says ‘not received’ in red, then you have not yet uploaded an ORR certificate. Please click on the ‘Upload a Rating Certificate’ link to upload yours as soon as possible.


Q. I still don’t have my ORR certificate from US Sailing. Help!

Questions about the status of your application, starting a new application, or other questions about a ratings certificate should be directed to the appropriate rating agency, as indicated in Section 7 of the Notice of Race. Our Club and our Committee do not issue certificates.

If you have a monohull, we strongly urge you to be sure that all necessary information (renewal or application, sail measurements, other measurements, etc.) are in the hands of the Offshore office no later than May 29, 2014. The Offshore Office informs us that they should be able to return your certificate to you by June 13 if you have submitted a complete, accurate application with all necessary supporting information by May 29. If you submit it after that date, there is no guarantee that they will be able to issue your ORR certificate in time, and you run the risk of being charged the late entry fee.


Please note that this communication is intended as a courtesy only, highlighting several aspects of the official race documents. In all cases, for official guidance you should refer to the official race documents as published on the Mac website, www.cycracetomackinac.com.

We will be sending out more information in the future via email to entrants in the 106th, but we also encourage all competitors and their crew to follow the race on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac or https://twitter.com/racetomackinac (@RaceToMackinac).

As always, if you have any questions or if anyone on our Committee can help you in any way, please reach out via email through the Race Coordinator – racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org.

Good luck launching your boats, and I hope to see you in the harbor soon!

Matt Gallagher
Chairman
106th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

The information in this email is intended only as a courtesy, and all competitors should refer to the Notice of Race and other official race documents as set out on the race’s website, www.cycracetomackinac.com. Any conflict will be resolved in favor of the official race documents.

Introduction Sailing and weather are intrinsically linked. Experienced Mac sailors understand that developing a pre-race weather forecast and monitoring its evolution on the racecourse is an important strategic and safety aspect of participating in the Chicago Yacht Club’s Race to Mackinac. Misjudging the wind forecast can quickly send you to the back of your fleet, while failing to properly assess the risk for severe weather can unnecessarily jeopardize the safety of the crew.

This Safety Thursday article is the first of a two-part series and focuses on helpful resources for developing your pre-race forecast. The second article will discuss the more challenging task of monitoring weather developments after the starting gun. A companion webpage containing hyperlinks to the resources presented in these articles can be found at http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing.

The Big Picture

Large-Scale Dynamics Your Mac forecast should begin with an understanding of the large-scale weather features. Is a low pressure system expected to transit Lake Michigan during the race? If so, when is the warm and/or cold front and accompanying wind shift expected to arrive? Is the system expected to produce strong winds, large waves, or thunderstorms? Or, will the Mac be dominated by the fluky, thermally-driven lake and land breezes associated with a high pressure system?

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) (http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov) produces a variety of products that focus on predicting the development and evolution of large-scale weather features. The WPC’s surface forecasts are divided into short-term and long-term periods with the short-term period covering the first 2 ½ days of the forecast period (in 12-hour intervals) and the long-term period covering days three through seven in 24-hour intervals. By carefully reviewing the forecasts in chronological order, you can determine how large-scale weather features will affect the racecourse, and then use the data to chart the fastest course to Mackinac.

Graphics published by the WPC contain a variety of unique symbols and meteorological shorthand to show the anticipated position of high pressure systems, low pressure systems and their accompanying frontal boundaries, and additional features such as ridges, troughs and squall lines. Sailors who are unfamiliar with this meteorological shorthand are encouraged to review the legend published by the WPC (http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/fntcodes2.shtml).

WPC products, along with the majority of weather forecasting materials available on the Internet, are based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) sometimes called Zulu Time (Z). Converting from GMT (or Z) to Central Time during the summer is straightforward – simply subtract five hours from GMT/Z. Below is the legend for a 24-hour surface forecast which provides an opportunity to review the GMT/Z conversion process and other nomenclature used to describe the graphics.

The first line contains the acronyms for the various NOAA entities that contributed to the preparation of the forecast. The second and third lines describe the parameters that are included in the forecast product. The term Issued in the fourth line provides the time and date the graphic was published. In this example, the graphic was published at 1605Z or 11:05 am Central (1605Z minus 5 hours) on May 13, 2013. The fifth line indicates when the forecast is Valid, which is the date and time for which the forecast was prepared. The surface forecast shown above displays the surface weather features as they were expected to be at 1200Z / 7:00 am Central time on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

Precipitation The WPC also issues Quantitative Precipitation Forecast Graphics (QPF) (http://www.hpc.ncep.gov/qpf/qpf2.shtml) which show the amount of liquid precipitation anticipated across the country. This product covers the first three days of the forecast period in 24-hour increments, and combines days four through five and six through seven into two separate 48-hour forecasts.

Thunderstorms

Storm Prediction Center Thunderstorms, and the associated hazards of downburst winds, lightning, and locally higher wave heights, are a relatively common occurrence across the Great Lakes during the summer. Forecasting the location, timing and type of severe weather that is expected to develop across the United States is one of meteorology’s most challenging tasks – a task assigned to the staff of NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma.

Note: It is important to understand that the NWS defines a severe thunderstorm as one that produces 1” diameter hail, a wind gust of at least 58 mph, or a tornado. Although frequent lightning is an obvious hazard to sailors, it is not a factor in meeting the threshold of a severe thunderstorm.

SPC Convective Outlooks Each day, the SPC issues Convective Outlooks for days 1, 2, and 3, and a combined Outlook for days 4 through 8 (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/). The Outlooks contain a graphic that identifies the areas of the country where organized storm development is expected, along with a narrative describing the details of the risk.

The Convective Outlooks present the risk by category – Slight, Moderate and High – based upon the statistical probability of severe weather occurring within 25 miles of any given point in the highlighted area. A description of the risk categories used by the SPC can be found on its FAQ page (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/#3.3) Because the risk of severe weather affecting a specific location on any given day is very small, even a Slight risk deserves a sailor’s respect, as it represents a significant increase in the potential for severe weather. It should be noted that even thunderstorms that fail to meet the NWS’s severe threshold often present a significant risk to mariners in the form of strong winds and frequent lightning.

Although SPC Convective Outlooks are an excellent resource for identifying the areas at risk for severe weather and displaying the geographic progression of the risk over time, they are written for meteorologists and therefore tend to be rather technical in nature.

In addition to the traditional Convective Outlooks, the SPC also publishes Thunderstorm Outlooks (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/enhtstm) which identify the regions at risk for any strength of thunderstorms and the probability of development. In contrast to the one-day period covered by Convective Outlooks, each Thunderstorm Outlook only cover a 4-hour period.

Hazardous Weather Outlooks In contrast to the Convective and Thunderstorm Outlooks from the SPC, Hazardous Weather Outlooks (HWO) are issued in text form by each local office of the National Weather Service (NWS) and describe the risk of severe weather for the general public. HWOs are issued each day and address the overall probability, geographic coverage, storm type (single cell storms, squall line, etc.), and timing of severe weather for the current day along with a combined summary of days 2 through 7.

While SPC Convective and Thunderstorm Outlooks cover the entire United States, Hazardous Weather Outlooks focus exclusively on the County Warning Area (CWA) assigned to each NWS office. There are six NWS offices with CWAs that cover a portion of Lake Michigan -- Chicago, IL; Syracuse, IN; Milwaukee, WI; Green Bay, WI; Grand Rapids, MI; and Gaylord, MI. In order to assess the risk of severe weather where you intend to sail, you must consult the HWO of the NWS office which has responsibility for that area of the lake. Click http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/NWSMarineZones.html for a map showing NWS responsibilities for Lake Michigan.

MARINE FORECASTS

Text Forecasts The Chicago NWS office is responsible for issuing off-shore (beyond 5 nautical miles) marine forecasts for all of Lake Michigan. Several times each day, NWS Chicago publishes a text version of the marine forecast which begins with a synopsis of the current weather pattern and a forecast covering the next several days. This synopsis is followed by a forecast of wind and wave conditions covering a five-day period. Because conditions often vary dramatically across the expanse of Lake Michigan, the text wind and wave forecast focuses on pre-determined regions that allow mariners to quickly obtain the forecast for their area. A chart showing these regions may be found at http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/NWSMarineZones. .

Graphic Forecast Products from the NWS The NWS offices surrounding the Great Lakes cooperatively maintain an excellent website devoted to marine weather forecasting (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/greatlakes). While the home page provides forecasts for the entire Great Lakes basin, the data for an individual lake can be accessed by clicking the appropriate hyperlink along the left-hand column of the home page. The graphics, which are designed for the recreational community, are easy to interpret and don’t require a conversion from GMT to local time.

The forecasts extend for 4 ½ days in three-hour increments for the following meteorological parameters:

• Wave Height: in feet and shown using color-shading and values at selected stations. • Wave Period: the time interval between each wave presented in seconds using color-shading and numerical values at selected stations. • Wind Speed & Direction: in knots, using standard wind barbs, color-shading and numerical values at selected stations. • Wind Gust: in knots, using color-shading and values at selected stations. • Weather: color-shading is used to indicate if precipitation is expected during the three-hour period covered by the graphic. In addition, a short text code is provided at selected stations to describe the type of weather that is expected. For example, the appearance of a “T” in the code indicates that thunderstorms are forecast for the 3-hour period. • Surface Water Temperature: in degrees Fahrenheit, presented using color-shading and values at selected stations.

Other Graphic Marine Forecast Products Gridded Binary files (GRIBs) pack a lot of information into a small file size and are a convenient method of obtaining marine forecasts. Chris Bedford, of Sailing Weather Services, provides low resolution GRIB files free to Chicago-Mac participants (http://031b7c.netsolhost.com/digitalprods/PAG/C2M) or higher resolution files on a subscription basis. Routing software, such as Expedition, while relatively expensive, integrate navigation, yacht performance and weather data into a single race-management interface.

There are many sources of computer model wind and wave forecasting resources on the Internet. While offering the advantages of higher resolution and shorter time intervals, these products require conversion from GMT to local time and are published without modification by a meteorologist. Several of these products are available on the Chicago-Mac Resource page (http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/MacResources.html).

CONCLUSION

A Plan For The Mac The next several weeks are a perfect time to investigate and get comfortable with the resources presented in this article and on the Mac resource webpage (http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/MacResources.html). There is no better way to learn a new skill than practicing. Over the next few Wednesdays, I encourage you to prepare a trial forecast for the upcoming weekend. In addition to analyzing the graphics and making the necessary GMT conversions, these practice forecasts will allow you to witness how high and low pressure systems evolve and how the speed and direction of the wind changes in response.

The accuracy of weather forecasts diminishes as the forecast period increases. For example, a forecast valid in 48 hours is typically more accurate than one valid in 7 days. For this reason, beginning the preparation of your official Mac forecast more than a week before the start isn’t recommended.

I typically start a daily review of the WPC surface forecasts and SPC Convective Outlooks a week before an event and will often save the graphics in a folder to compare to later forecasts. This allows me to track the movement of the large scale weather systems across the country and gauge the changes in the forecast from day to day. I typically begin a daily analysis of the wind and wave forecasts on Monday or Tuesday for a weekend event.

The final forecast should be based upon the most current forecast data available and is usually prepared the morning of the event. If you have been analyzing the forecast for the preceding week and using the data to steadily hone in on your strategy, the creation of your final forecast shouldn’t be too time-consuming. And hopefully it won’t reveal any surprises.

Looking Ahead Managing the forecast and keeping tabs on rapidly deteriorating conditions becomes far more difficult once you are offshore. In part two of this series, we’ll investigate the resources available after the starting gun has sounded.

About the Author Mark Thornton began sailing on Lake Erie in 1994 and he currently owns Osprey, a 1985 C&C 35. His interest in weather forecasting grew from his experiences racing and cruising on the lake. In addition to sailing and weather forecasting, Mark maintains a website devoted to Great Lakes meteorology (www.LakeErieWX.com) and enjoys publishing summaries of interesting Great Lake weather events and teaching basic weather forecasting skills to sailors.

Questions regarding this article are encouraged and should be directed to LakeErieWX@gmail.com.

Stay warm!

Matt Gallagher
Chairman
106th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac


P.S. As always, we encourage you to join us on Facebook for the latest information - https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac,or follow us on Twitter @RacetoMackinac, or search our hashtag #CYCRTM.

As we’re all settling into our regular routines post Mac race, just a friendly reminder about the upcoming regatta registration deadline:

Verve Cup Regatta registration deadline is July 26. (A $75 late fee applies after July 26.) Registration can be done here: http://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=868

I hope to see you on the water for the Verve!

Lou Sandoval Chairman 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Veuve Clicquot

Other Graphic Marine Forecast Products
Gridded Binary files (GRIBs) pack a lot of information into a small file size and are a convenient method of obtaining marine forecasts. Chris Bedford, of Sailing Weather Services, provides low resolution GRIB files free to Chicago-Mac participants (http://www.sailwx.com/CHIMAC/index.html) or higher resolution files on a subscription basis.

Routing software, such as Expedition, while relatively expensive, integrate navigation, yacht performance and weather data into a single race-management interface.

There are many sources of computer model wind and wave forecasting resources on the Internet. While offering the advantages of higher resolution and shorter time intervals, these products require conversion from GMT to local time and are published without modification by a meteorologist. Several of these products are available on the Chicago-Mac Resource page (http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/MacResources.html).

CONCLUSION
A Plan For The Mac

The next several weeks are a perfect time to investigate and get comfortable with the resources presented in this article and on the Mac resource webpage (http://www.lakeeriewx.com/Racing/MacResources.html). There is no better way to learn a new skill than practicing. Over the next few Wednesdays, I encourage you to prepare a trial forecast for the upcoming weekend. In addition to analyzing the graphics and making the necessary GMT conversions, these practice forecasts will allow you to witness how high and low pressure systems evolve and how the speed and direction of the wind changes in response.

The accuracy of weather forecasts diminishes as the forecast period increases. For example, a forecast valid in 48 hours is typically more accurate than one valid in 7 days. For this reason, beginning the preparation of your official Mac forecast more than a week before the start isn’t recommended.

I typically start a daily review of the WPC surface forecasts and SPC Convective Outlooks a week before an event and will often save the graphics in a folder to compare to later forecasts. This allows me to track the movement of the large scale weather systems across the country and gauge the changes in the forecast from day to day. I typically begin a daily analysis of the wind and wave forecasts on Monday or Tuesday for a weekend event.

The final forecast should be based upon the most current forecast data available and is usually prepared the morning of the event. If you have been analyzing the forecast for the preceding week and using the data to steadily hone in on your strategy, the creation of your final forecast shouldn’t be too time-consuming. And hopefully it won’t reveal any surprises.

Looking Ahead

Managing the forecast and keeping tabs on rapidly deteriorating conditions becomes far more difficult once you are offshore. In part two of this series, we’ll investigate the resources available after the starting gun has sounded.

About the Author: Mark Thornton began sailing on Lake Erie in 1994 and he currently owns Osprey, a 1985 C&C 35. His interest in weather forecasting grew from his experiences racing and cruising on the lake. In addition to sailing and weather forecasting, Mark maintains a website devoted to Great Lakes meteorology (www.LakeErieWX.com) and enjoys publishing summaries of interesting Great Lake weather events and teaching basic weather forecasting skills to sailors. Questions regarding this article are encouraged and should be directed to LakeErieWX@gmail.com.

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

Chicago Yacht Club is hosting a one-day Advanced Wind Forecasting Seminar on April 6, 2013, which would be of great benefit to Mac skippers and navigators in racing more safely and quickly. For details, see http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/events/event/?eventid=171.

We hope you will join us online at our facebook page to continue the conversation on safety and safety training. Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac. What other safety training do you recommend?

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.

Dear Friends: We apologize if you are getting this twice. We are making some changes to our back office system, and as a result many of our competitors and crew did not receive this email. We would greatly appreciate it if you could forward this email to all of your fellow crew. We hope to have the kinks worked out of our new system soon.


Dear fellow sailors and friends:

Happy New Year!

In about 170 days, we will be starting the 105th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Veuve Clicquot. Although Mother Nature continually reminds us of the season we live in, it is never too early to think warm thoughts about sailing. With that in mind, I would like to personally invite all our friends and fellow sailors to partake in the official kick-off for the Race to Mackinac Season.

The Pink Pony is visiting from the Island again - don't miss it!

On Saturday, January 26, join us at Chicago Yacht Club's Belmont Station to kick off the 105th Mac in style at the Pink Pony Party presented by Veuve Clicquot. There will be music, food and drinks, and plenty of great conversation with our sailing friends. The party starts at 6 pm and goes on well into the night. For details, see the Mac Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac .

Strictly Sail Chicago

Strictly Sail Chicago starts up Thursday! We are sure we will see many of our competitors and friends at the show at Navy Pier, a highlight of the mid-winter for sailors in the Midwest. Stop by the Chicago Yacht Club booth any time during the show to learn a little more about our club. Additionally, the Chicago Yacht Club's Mac Committee will be presenting two seminars on Saturday, January 26:

a. At 2:15 pm, the Mac Committee will present a panel discussion on the 105th Running of the Mac. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

b. At 4:45 pm, the Mac Committee will be presenting a seminar on doing your first Mac for skippers thinking of entering for the first time. While aimed at potential entrants in the cruising division, the seminar is open to all.
For more information, visit http://www.strictlysailchicago.com


Notice of Race, MSRs and Requests for Invitation


We anticipate the release of the Notice of Race and the Mac Safety Regulations before Strictly Sail. Invitations for previous year participants will go out around the beginning of February. At this point, we do not foresee any major changes to the NOR other than a simplified method of getting crew waivers via an online system. The MSRs (a joint venture with the Bayview Mac) include only one substantive change - belt pack PFDs will not be permitted to count as the PFDs required in the MSRs. Additionally, the MSRs strongly recommend use of crotch straps for all PFDs.

As always, contact racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org if you have any questions.

On behalf of all of us at Chicago Yacht Club and its Race to Mackinac Committee, we are looking forward to yet another running of the greatest fresh water distance race in the world!

Lou Sandoval

Chairman, 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Veuve Clicquot
 

Dear Skippers: We apologize if you are getting this twice. We are making some changes to our back office system, and as a result many of our crew did not receive this email. We would greatly appreciate it if you could forward this email to all of your crew. We hope to have the kinks worked out of our new system soon.


Dear fellow sailors and friends:

Happy New Year!

In about 170 days, we will be starting the 105th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Veuve Clicquot. Although Mother Nature continually reminds us of the season we live in, it is never too early to think warm thoughts about sailing. With that in mind, I would like to personally invite all our friends and fellow sailors to partake in the official kick-off for the Race to Mackinac Season.

The Pink Pony is visiting from the Island again - don't miss it!

On Saturday, January 26, join us at Chicago Yacht Club's Belmont Station to kick off the 105th Mac in style at the Pink Pony Party presented by Veuve Clicquot. There will be music, food and drinks, and plenty of great conversation with our sailing friends. The party starts at 6 pm and goes on well into the night. For details, see the Mac Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac . The party is 21-and-over and limited to CYC members and guests, Mac skippers and their crew.

Strictly Sail Chicago

Strictly Sail Chicago starts up Thursday! We are sure we will see many of our competitors and friends at the show at Navy Pier, a highlight of the mid-winter for sailors in the Midwest. Stop by the Chicago Yacht Club booth any time during the show to learn a little more about our club. Additionally, the Chicago Yacht Club's Mac Committee will be presenting two seminars on Saturday, January 26:

a. At 2:15 pm, the Mac Committee will present a panel discussion on the 105th Running of the Mac. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

b. At 4:45 pm, the Mac Committee will be presenting a seminar on doing your first Mac for skippers thinking of entering for the first time. While aimed at potential entrants in the cruising division, the seminar is open to all.
For more information, visit http://www.strictlysailchicago.com


Notice of Race, MSRs and Requests for Invitation


We anticipate the release of the Notice of Race and the Mac Safety Regulations before Strictly Sail. Invitations for previous year participants will go out around the beginning of February. At this point, we do not foresee any major changes to the NOR other than a simplified method of getting crew waivers via an online system. The MSRs (a joint venture with the Bayview Mac) include only one substantive change - belt pack PFDs will not be permitted to count as the PFDs required in the MSRs. Additionally, the MSRs strongly recommend use of crotch straps for all PFDs.

As always, contact racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org if you have any questions.

On behalf of all of us at Chicago Yacht Club and its Race to Mackinac Committee, we are looking forward to yet another running of the greatest fresh water distance race in the world!

Lou Sandoval

Chairman, 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Veuve Clicquot
 

Social Media

We all saw the importance of social media to our race last year. Again this year, we will have Winn Soldani heading up the conversation on Facebook. We urge you and your friends, family and other fans of the race to ‘like’ the Mac at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoYCRaceToMackinac

We encourage our racers to use Twitter to share their experiences from the water. Twitter is very low-bandwidth and thus can be easier to use from a boat on the Lake in areas with poor 3G/4G coverage.

For those of you who don’t know, Twitter is a ‘microblogging’ service. It allows you to send short, 140-character messages known as ‘tweets’. You’d be amazed by what you can fit in 140 characters if you get creative!

Signing up for an account is free, at www.twitter.com. The Twitter help center is very helpful in learning more about the service, https://support.twitter.com/.

Once signed up, you can ‘follow’ people of interest. Please follow the Mac at @RaceToMackinac. When you post messages about the race, please include somewhere in the message the following: #CYCRTM. This is called a hashtag, and it allows people to search for your posts easily.

We encourage all racers to sign up for Twitter and to tweet about the race! The best tweets each day with the hashtag #CYCRTM will be awarded some sweet Mac swag after the Race is over!

These are three easy and free ways you can share your experience in the Mac with those who are not lucky enough to get to Race.

See you on the water!

Lou Sandoval
Chairman
104th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Veuve Clicquot

• Queen’s Cup
• Bayview Mackinac Race
• Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac
• Little Traverse Yacht Club Annual Regatta
• Verve Cup Regatta
• Bayview Long Distance Race

• It’s easy and FREE to register! http://orroa.org/registration.php
• Chance to win great prizes! (Custom brag flags, engraved silver plates and more!)
• By participating in the series, you are supporting not only racing in the Great Lakes, but the use of the ORR rule and encouraging others throughout the nation to do the same!
• You only need to race in one more event in order to qualify for the series and year-end awards.
• Race in the Chicago Mac and the Verve Cup and you’ll qualify for the series as long as you are registered with ORROA!

VHF Radios with Digital Selective Calling - An important safety tool

The Mac Safety Regulations (MSRs) require all boats to carry a permanently installed VHF Radio, as well as a handheld. These radios are critical safety devices, allowing boats to call for help when needed.

All fixed-mount VHF radios sold after 1998 are required to have Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability. As part of the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 system, properly installed and registered DSC-VHF radios allow a boat in distress to instantly transmit via a single button a “mayday” digital distress call to all VHF radios in range. This distress message can contain the identity of the ship in distress as well as its location, as long as the radio is properly installed and registered. All commercial shipping monitors these calls, in addition to the USCG. This is the best, fastest way to summon help in most circumstances.

Take the time to ensure that your boat’s DSC radio is set up correctly.

Installation

In order to be most effective, a VHF radio with DSC must be connected to a GPS receiver. Some newer radios have an integral GPS, but most require wiring to the boat’s GPS or electronic system (chart plotter). This allows the unit to transmit via the emergency key the current location of the boat as well as a distress signal. A DSC radio that is not connected to the GPS unit will still transmit a distress signal, but without location, key time is lost while rescuers search for you. Connecting the GPS to the radio is usually fairly straight-forward - consult your VHF manual or a marine electronics technician for help.

Registration

In addition to being properly installed, VHF-DSC radios need to be properly registered. To do this, you need to obtain an MMSI (Maritme Mobile Service Identity) identity number. This MMSI number is permanently associated with the boat and can be obtained for free for US-registered boats from BoatUS:

http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/


If you have already obtained your MMSI number, take 5 minutes now to verify that the information listed is correct for your boat, such as contact information, boat name and description, and emergency contact person.

The MMSI number acts like a phone number for your boat. It identifies your boat when a distress signal is activated. Additionally, it allows you to have an individual radio conversations with specific boats via dialing their MMSI number.

Once you obtain your MMSI number for free, you need to program it into the radio. Follow the instructions in your manual.

The Mac Committee is requesting that all boats with DSC-capable radios obtain an MMSI number and then provide it to the Committee. Skippers - please update your record to add your MMSI number via the “competitor login” on the Mac web site. This would enable us to contact an individual boat if required via VHF-DSC and also serves as a database for the USCG in the event of a distress.

Please take the time this boating season to make sure your VHF-DSC radio is properly connected to a functioning GPS. Make sure you have obtained an MMSI number and programmed it into your radio.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact our Race Coordinator at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org

Note: The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the Mac Safety Regulations and how your crew can race the Mac as safely as possible. As always, ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the decision whether to race or to stop racing is that of the skipper (RRS4, MSR2). This email is meant as a courtesy only and you should always refer to the Race Documents section of the website for the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Mac Safety Regulations, which govern the race.