Dear Competitor,
On behalf of the Chicago Yacht Club, I am thrilled to announce that registration for the 117th Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust is now open! I know that you all are excited too, as we’ve already gotten a lot of questions. This note will answer many of those. Thanks in advance for your support as we work to make the race better every year.
The Notice of Race is now available online and you can enter the race by visiting our Entry Guide.
As you prepare your entry, please also read the following instructions for registration:
1. Do you have a user profile?
If you competed in the Mac Race in 2025, you already have a user profile in which case you should use this same email/password to sign-in via the link on the Entry Guide. If not, you’ll be prompted to create your user profile. You will need this for the following steps.
2. Do you have a boat profile?
If you entered a boat in the Mac Race in 2024 or 2025, you already have a boat profile created under your user profile. If you did not compete recently or you did but want to enter a different boat, you’ll need to create a new boat profile.
Once you’re signed in under your user profile, first make sure you’ve enabled “management of boats, crew and race entries” by clicking “My Account” and then click “My Details”. At the bottom of your details page, make sure you toggle on (click) the selector for “I intend to manage boats, crew and race entries”.
Now “My Boats” should appear as a menu item under “My Account” on the left hand side. You can click the green “Add Boat” button or select a previous boat you’ve assigned to your user profile.
3. Register your entry:
Once registration goes live on December 2nd: When logged into your user profile, on the left hand side click on “Events”. This will open a drop down menu. Click on “Enter Events” and you can select the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust to enter.
You will need to enter basic info about your entry (much of which will be pre-filled if you're a past competitor). You will then pay a 25% non-refundable deposit that provisionally secures your spot in the race (subject to your acceptance based on qualifications).
4. Complete your entry:
As soon as you are able, execute the requirements as laid out in the Notice of Race (NoR) by the entry deadline to secure your docking priority. This includes the following:
Pay any remaining balance of your entry fee
Complete your provisional crew list (50% of the anticipated crew, but no fewer than the minimum required crew number and include PIC and RPIC) and include all required items
Submit your application for a rating certificate
Please be sure to check your entry often as any updates or requests for information will come through our Race Dashboard.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us as you prepare your entry by emailing regattamanager@cycracetomackinac.com. It's our goal to make it as easy as possible to participate in the Race and we will to see you on the start line in July 2026!
Sincerely,
Kevin Foote
Race Chairman
117th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust