News: From the Mac Chairman

At noon (12:00 p.m. CST) on Thursday, February 1, automatic invitations for the 115th CYC Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust will be sent out and invited competitors will be able to register their entry. Remember that your docking preference for Mackinac Island, St. Ignace, or Straits State Harbor are honored as best as possible according to entry and payment order, so enter soon!

As we look forward to warmer temperatures and this year’s race, we plan to begin sharing a series of updates regarding changes to the competition we think you’d like to hear about. If you are new to the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, and interested in learning more about how to enter the race, please visit our new FAQ page. 

Read on for recent updates to the 2024 race and remember that official race changes will be made when the new NOR and CMSR documents are available on February 1, 2024, when registration opens at noon (12:00 pm CT). 

It’s great to see the early excitement and interest for the 113th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. In just the first month of registration opening, we have already surpassed the 230-boat entry mark and are on track for one of the largest races in recent years. 

Please note that new amendments to the Notice of Race have been posted on the Official Notice Board, please make sure to review. I also have a number of logistics updates across lodging, race gear and ORC certificates, so please read on to learn more.

Chicago Yacht Club has appointed Sam Veilleux to be the chairman of the 113th and 114th Races to Mackinac taking place in 2022 and 2023. The announcement was made at the Race to Mackinac Awards Banquet held on November 6th at Monroe Station. More than 300 competitors, members of the sailing community and honored guests were in attendance. 

2021 holds much promise for us as we plan for the 112th running of the greatest freshwater distance race in the world, the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac™ presented by Wintrust. As we take a pragmatic approach to our committee’s planning efforts, I look forward to racing with you in July! 

On February 1st, we opened registration. Returning skippers who have competed in one of the last four “Mac” Races, will have received an invitation. Over 125 invited competitors have registered to date. For those of you entering a new boat in the race, you may start the process of requesting an invitation via the regatta website. 

We would like to share a synopsis of the following important updates: 

• June 1 Entry Deadline: We have extended the June 1 Entry Deadline to June 30.
• June 15 Late Entry Deadline: We have extended the June 15 Late Entry Deadline to June 30. 

Please click here for the applicable NOR amendment #3 on the Official Notice Board and the exact procedures that will be in place moving forward.

The committee continues to monitor COVID-19 developments and how this is impacting our sailing community.  This remains a fluid situation.  We have contended all along that our ability to host the CYCRTM race this year will be  dependent on the alignment of three key items:

1. The ability to run a safe race with consideration of the safety, health and well-being of all of the participants and our volunteers.
2. The availability of equipment: the ability to have boats safely provisioned in time for the race in such a manner that we can inspect and check their compliance with CMSRs.
3. The proper clearance from governmental bodies: which include the States of Illinois and Michigan, the Cities of Chicago and Mackinac Island, and the USCG.

In an effort to be as transparent as possible with the planning of the 112th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust, we would like to share a synopsis of the following important updates: 

• April 1 Deadline: We have extended the April 1st Division Formation, One-Design Section Request and Early Bird Entry Fee deadlines to May 1st. 
• Cancellation Refund Policy: In the event that we cancel the race due to COVID-19, we will issue a full refund of 2020 entry fees paid.
• Withdrawal Policy:  If the race continues as planned and you, the Invited Competitor, decide to withdraw your entry for any reason, we will credit your paid entry fee toward your entry as an Invited Competitor in the 2021 CYCRTM. 

We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments, and how this is impacting our sailing community.  The committee is targeting late May for a “go or no-go” decision on running the race. 

Planning for the 112th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac continues even under isolation.  Our organizing committee is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely, and while we are still a ways away from the July 17th and 18th start dates, I want to ensure you that we will be in communication with you regarding any changes to our plans. As a committee, we’re busy looking at how we can keep the race safe, and yet provide an opportunity to escape from what has been going on with COVID-19. That said, we’re optimistic at this time that we’ll be able to provide a world-class event for all of our racers, fans and friends in July. 

It is a pleasure to extend my personal welcome to the 112th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. Race preparations are well underway by our committee members, volunteers and many of you as we look to warmer weather and sunnier skies. 

The CYCRTM Committee is very excited to present, along with this year’s race, a newly redesigned website. We hope this new look and feel enables you to more easily navigate the registration process, quickly find race-related items and other race-related information you might need.  

Invitations for this year’s event are being sent out, and the Notice of Race is now available on the Official Notice Board. If this is your first time entering, you will need to complete a Request for Invitation. If you have any questions about this process, or have not yet received an invitation you were expecting, please email regattamanager@chicagoyachtclub.org.