Request for Invitation

Welcome Aboard! You are cordially invited to submit your online Request for Invitation (RFI) to the upcoming Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. (NOTE: You are not required to submit an RFI if you have competed as the "Invited Competitor" in one of the previous four Mac races on the same boat - you will automatically be considered for invitation via our system). IMPORTANT DOUBLEHANDED DIVISION INFORMATION There is no guarantee there will be a Doublehanded Division in 2016. 2016 NOR and supporting documents do NOT provide for a Doublehanded Division at this time. Nevertheless, our system will allow (and we encourage) anyone interested to request an invitation and register for Doublehanded competition. If sufficient boats have completed the entry process prior to the Division Formation deadline, the CYC Mackinac Committee may amend the race documents and form aDoublehanded Division. If a Doublehanded Division is not created, Doublehanded boats will be given the option of a refund of the entry fee or competing in a fully crewed division. Before you begin, be sure you have read the following documents: Notice and Conditions of Race (NOR) Seamanship & Safety Skills Checklist Chicago-Mackinac Safety Regulations (CMSR) - Monohull or Multihull USSailing ORR Handicap information These documents outline the requirements of the race for you, your crew, and your boat, and the skills and experience required to compete in an offshore race. Take special note of the minimum stability index requirements for your boat as defined in the NOR. If you have any questions of your boat's eligibility based on the required stability index, please contact the CYC Staff Race Coordinator at (312) 861-7777 or via email at: racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org. Before you begin, scroll down and review all of the information you must have at hand regarding yourself (the prospective Invited Competitor) and your boat. After fully completing this page, press the "Proceed" button. This will save your information, generate a thank-you email (check you spam folders), and take you to the Crew Profiles page. The first crew profile you should create is for yourself. The minimum data to create a profile is First Name, Last Name, and Email. Before the system will allow you to submit your RFI, you must create profiles for least 50% of your planned crew, but not less than the minimum Preliminary Crew (5 for Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions; 3 for Multihull Division; 2 for Doublehanded Division). These are minimums. Larger and more complex boats, or boats with larger crews, will be expected to provide information on more crew members before the Selections Committee will consider a request. KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER: - You as prospective Invited Competitor must be an owner or charterer of the boat you wish to enter. - Any additional individuals you choose to list in the "Owners/Charterers" field must also be owners or charterers. (If the boat is titled to a corporation or partnership, only the individual(s) who are beneficial owner(s) may be listed - not the legal entity.) - All fields marked with a red asterisk are required before you submit your RFI. While all other fields must be completed before the Entry Deadline, please complete as many as possible now. - Once you save and move off of this page, you will not be able to change First Name, Last Name, Boat Name, Sail Number, or Boat Make & Model. If you discover a mistake, email the CYC Staff Race Coordinator for assistance in making a correction. - In addition to the boat you wish to enter, the Selections Committee focuses on the experience of you and your crew in considering your RFI. Do not be (or allow your crew to be) cavalier when completing the Experience field of the Crew Profiles. Be detailed and specific. What races (especially distance) have you (your crew) competed in, on what boat, in what position, with what results? What other sailing experiences? What training - especially any Safety At Sea courses? Do not neglect the "Number of Nights Over-night Racing or Passage-making" field. - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING EMAIL AND MOBILE PHONES: Your Email Address and Mobile Phone number entered on this page and your crew profile must be used by you personally on a regular basis to send and receive emails and phone calls. You must be reachable at the mobile phone number during pre-race activities and after Finishing until post race activities on the island have concluded. Listing the email address or mobile number of a boat assistant, office assistant, or some other designee is not acceptable, and is considered a gross violation of the NOR. The same is true for each of your crew members. Each email address and mobile number must be unique. - After your initial save of this page or submission of a complete RFI your portal for further updates, submitting a completed RFI, completing all other requirements (if invited), etc, will be the Entry Menu, accessible via the "Competitor Login" link on the left side of the main website page. - Don't forget, the RFI must be SUBMITTED! If you have any questions, please contact the CYC Staff Race Coordinator at (312) 861-7777 or via email at: racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org. Thank you for your interest in the oldest annual fresh water race in the world. We look forward to seeing you on the starting line!

You will receive a confirming email from racecoordinstor@chicagoyachtclub.org within minutes of submitting your RFI. If you do not receive the email, please contact the Race Coordinator immediately.