2025 Bayview Mackinac Race Chair Communication #1

100th Bayview Mackinac Race presented by National Fleet Services © Martin Chumiecki

The Mackinac Race Authority (MRA) has been hard at work since the conclusion of the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race, and are excited to be starting our Second Century of Bayview Mackinac racing! We are looking forward to all of you joining us.

The MRA has submitted the Notice of Race (NOR) to the Bayview Yacht Club Board of Governors, as required by the Bayview Yacht Club Bylaws, and it has been approved. The 2025 NOR will be available for review in January 2025, on the official race website. We hope to have the NOR posted on the updated website before registration opens on January 15th.

Notable changes to the 2025 Notice of Race (NOR) are as follows:

• The Entry Deadline is June 1 at 1700 hours, the Late Entry Deadline is June 7 at 1700 hours.
• Two courses will be run: The Cove Island Course and the traditional Shore Course (going north of Bois Blanc and finishing east to west).
• We will offer a separate Cruising Division. Within the Cruising Division, there will be "Cruiser-Racer", and "Cruising" classes. The intent is to create a class for true cruisers to race with like boats without displacing our "traditional" cruiser-racer class boats.
• The minimum number of crew required for the Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions is four (4).
• We will be enforcing the ORC Minimum crew weights, as well as the Maximum crew weights, for the Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions. Please keep this in mind when applying for or renewing your ORC certificate for 2025.
• Scoring:
  • ORC has revised the 2025 VPP to include wind speeds of 4 knots. (The prior lowest wind speed was 6 knots.)
  • The custom wind mixes for the Cove Island and Shore Courses have been revised to include 4 knots. The revised wind mix will be available on the ORC website when the 2025 ORC Scoring Options are complete.

The 2025 Bayview Mackinac Race Safety Equipment Requirements will be posted on the official race website in January.

The 2025 Bayview Mackinac Race Cruising Class Rules for both the "traditional" Cruiser-Racer Class and the Cruising Class will be posted on or before February 1, 2025.

An email notification will be sent when the Notice of Race, Safety Equipment Requirements, and the Cruising Class Rules are posted on the race website.

Mackinac Harbor

We are working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on our new contract for dockage in the Mackinac Island State Harbor. Our use of the harbor will likely be like what it was in 2024, so the number of boats docking in the Mackinac Island State Harbor will again be limited. We will have additional limited dockage on the Arnold Dock. Water levels will also come into play as we get closer to the event.

Please remember that if any crew or shore crew of any boat that participates in the race violates any rules that cause the Bayview Mackinac Race or Bayview Yacht Club to violate any contractual requirements, the boat will be immediately disqualified from the current year's race. Any awards or records will be forfeited. In addition, the boat and owner will be barred from entry in the next year's race, per our contractual requirement with the DNR.

The boat owner or Person-In-Charge (PIC) is singularly responsible for the actions of the crew and shore crew from when the boat enters the Black River in Port Huron until 11 am on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. There is NO action a boat owner or PIC can take to absolve themselves of their responsibility.

For fairness to all competitors, docking preference will be granted to boats in order of paid registration in the race. We may not be able to accommodate docking for all competitors at Mackinac Island. An entry in the race does NOT guarantee a dock on Mackinac Island.

Official website (www.bycmack.com)

The annual update to the website is in process. We will communicate when the race website is open for access verification. You will NOT be able to register your boat until registration opens, anticipated to be January 2025. Before registration opens, you can test and make sure your ID and password work and review the 2025 NOR and 2025 SERs. I encourage everyone to test it. If you experience any problems, please email our Race Administrator, Melissa at .

If you are entering a new boat, you must create a new record for the race by completing the form under Race Invitation Request under the Competitors tab on the website. You will be sent a login and password to create a new record.

Mid-January 2025, (anticipated to be January 15) @ 12:00 pm (Noon) EST - The race website opens for registration.

No access problems will be accommodated after Thursday, January 13, 2025 at 12:00 pm (Noon) EST. It is incumbent on the Boat Owner or PIC to test and make sure you have access before registration opens.

The race is NOT responsible for registration access problems after registration opens.

If you choose to pay your entry fee by check, your boat will not show on the registered list until Bayview Yacht Club receives and clears your payment. Assuming the payment clears the registration, the paid registration order will be established based on the time you authorized payment. This ensures your spot in line is held while payment clears.

You will be immediately shown on the registered list with payment made by PayPal or BYC Club Charge.

You will not be shown as registered until payment is made.

2025 ORC Ratings

US Sailing's Offshore Office has spent the off-season developing an improved and more comprehensive application system and an internal processing system designed to make issuing certificates more accurate and efficient. The office will reach out to the competitors in early January to announce the opening of the 2025 Certificate Application. This communication will include instructions on applying for your 2025 certificate and the timing of certificate issuance. If you have any questions about the upcoming season, please email or call them at 401-342-7953.

The deadline for the 2025 BYC Mackinac to apply for your ORC/GLMRA certificate is May 1, 2025; you are encouraged to apply sooner to ensure timely issuance of your certificate. The deadline for rating requirements submission to ORC/GLMRA and ORC Amended Certificates (Test Certs) is June 1, 2025, at 1700 hours EDT.

Please be sure to have the correct boat data when applying for your ORC rating, including accurate crew weight, all required sail certificates, etc. The ORC application/renewal process contains a section that defines all changes that must be reported. The configuration shown on your certificate is the configuration your boat MUST race in. Remember, we will be enforcing the ORC Minimum crew weights, as well as the Maximum crew weights, for the Racing Monohull and Cruising Divisions.

ORC continues to refine its Weather Routing Scoring (WRS) option, The MRA spent a considerable amount of time evaluating WRS and worked closely with the ORC office, and independent weather professionals, as well as reviewing results from events that either used WRS in 2024, or shadow scored their events with WRS. The MRA is committed to continuing to evaluate WRS as a scoring option for the Bayview Mackinac race in the future.

Halfway to Mackinac Celebration Weekend at BYC

On Friday, January 10th, Mission Point Resort's Executive Chef is joining with Bayview's Executive Chef to offer a 4-course wine dinner. All are welcome to attend. Call BYC to make your dinner reservations at 313-822-1853.

On Saturday, January 11th, from 7 - 11:30 p.m. the Pink Pony returns featuring

featuring music from School's Out - Live Band Karaoke! Deep Eddy, Detroit City Distillery, Lansing Brewing, and Casamigos will be at the club for sampling and drink specials. There will also be dinner specials featuring Mackinac Island favorites. Come down and join the fun! Call BYC to make your dinner reservations at 313-822-1853.

What do I want you to remember?

• Make sure your user ID and password work once the site is updated.
• Competitors must pay their entry fee to register for the race. (Entry does not guarantee dockage on Mackinac Island.)
• Post race docking assignments will be made in order of paid registration. Register late, and you will end up paying for your well at Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.
• Visit our website often; this is where we will post all competitor notifications and updates and the calendar of important events.
• More volunteers than you can imagine are working hard to keep your cost down and fun up. Please appreciate the work they do.
• Get your ORC application/renewals into USSailing as soon as you can.

This 101st Race is also the first leg of the "Ultra Mac", a rare East-to-West race that continues to Chicago, for a course distance of approximately 550 nautical miles. This race is sponsored by Chicago Yacht Club, as part of their 150th birthday celebration.

For many Bayview Mackinac Race sailors, attaining "Old Goat" status (competing in 25 Bayview Mackinac Races) is a significant milestone. This year, we will be celebrating with everybody's favorite Island Party band, the Endless Summer Band, who will be performing for us, for their 25th consecutive year.

We are planning on offering another "How to Win a Bayview Mackinac Race" panel discussion. Details to follow.

I want to thank our sponsors and supporters for the 2025 race: Deep Eddy Vodka, Detroit Liquid Ventures, Casamigos, Detroit City Distillery, Mission Point Resort, National Fleet Services, Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry, Aitken & Ormond Insurance, Frankenmuth Insurance, MicroCODE, and the Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation. Without our sponsors, we cannot run the quality event we are known for.

We at Bayview Yacht Club are thrilled to be starting our second century of the Bayview Mackinac Race and are honored that you have chosen to join us.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Tim Prophit
Bayview Yacht Club
Mackinac Race Chair 2025