Please be advised that we have issued two amendments to the Notice of Race. You may access them on our website under Race Documents, or by going to the following web address:

http://www.chicagoyachtclub.org/racetomackinac/pdf/2008-NOR-Amendments-1-and-2.pdf

Amendment 1 clarifies prohibitions on outside help. Race tracking results will, of course, be available to anyone with an Internet connection. To aid boats that do not carry onboard computers, we are allowing boats to receive cell phone relay of Race tracking information.

Amendment 2 changes the number of prizes given in each section, offering sixth place prizes for sections with 25 or more starters, and seventh place prizes for sections with 35 or more starters. This is an effort to recognize our friends in the Tartan Ten, Beneteau 36.7, and J-105 classes, who have put together some very large, competitive sections for the 100th Race.

Only two weeks to go! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

At this time in the season, many skippers begin to think about returning from the Race to Mackinac. To assist you in planning your return trip, we have developed a Mac Back resource document. You can find it on the section of the Race website titled The Race. You may also access it at www.chicagoyachtclub.org/racetomackinac/pdf/return_cruise_info.pdf. This document provides useful information regarding the locations, contact information, and available amenities for many Mac Back destination marinas.

We hope that you find this information to be helpful. Please remember that this information is unofficial. You should ALWAYS contact marinas in advance to confirm that they will suit your needs, and examine appropriate navigational aids to ensure that a particular harbor is safe for your boat. Water levels on Lake Michigan are very low, so PLEASE pay particular attention to those as you head back from the Race.

If you have comments or suggestions regarding our Mac Back resource, please do send them along via e-mail to racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org. Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Preliminary section breaks for the 100th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac have been established. You may review them on-line at www.chicagoyachtclub.org/racetomackinac. Scratch sheets are located under The Boats section of the website. We invite you to review the section breaks and confirm that you have been assigned to the appropriate division.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Mackinac Island Harbor will be a very busy and crowded place on Monday and Tuesday after the start of the 100th Race. If you are looking for a more tranquil docking arrangement, I am pleased to announce that we still have a few slips available in St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. If you agree to dock off-Island, you will receive a $3 per foot rebate to help defray the cost of ferry tickets for you and your crew. You will also have access to an expedited check-in procedure on Mackinac Island and discounted ferry tickets on Arnold Line or Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry. If you are interested in this offer, please e-mail us at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org on or before July 5, 2008.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

This Saturday, July 5 is the FINAL DEADLINE to reserve docking space at Chicago Yacht Club facilities prior to the 100th Race to Mackinac. We will stop accepting reservations at 5 PM on the 5th. If your boat is not moored in the Chicago harbor system, and you wish to dock/raft at a Chicago Yacht Club facility, you must send an e-mail reservation to dockmaster@chicagoyachtclub.org. The e-mail should contain the skipper's name, the name of the boat, the boat's home port, your choice of location (Monroe or Belmont Station), and an estimated date and time of arrival in Chicago.

If you wish to obtain a private slip in one of the harbors run by the Chicago Park District, we strongly encourage you to make those reservations immediately, as slips are going fast. Please contact us via e-mail at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Three weeks from today, we will all be enjoying (hopefully) a once in a lifetime sailing event -- the 100th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. Over the next few weeks, you will be receiving e-mail updates every couple of days, addressing issues from safety to parties to post-Race docking.

As you prepare for the 100th Race, a few quick reminders on safety equipment:

1. As stated in the Mackinac Safety Regulations, we require current SOLAS flares. Take a moment to double-check expiration dates on your flares and purchase new ones if needed.

2. If you are carrying a liferaft to satisfy the requirements of the MSR, it must have been re-certified within the past three years. Please check your raft and ensure that it is up to date.

3. If you are carrying an EPIRB to satisfy the requirements of the MSR, it must carry a current registration sticker from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Please check your EPIRB and ensure that your registration is current.

As always, please contact us at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

We hope that you are enjoying a successful racing season, and that you and your crews are looking forward to joining us for a once in a lifetime event on July 19. If you are joining us from outside of the Chicago metro area, and are planning to dock in a Chicago Yacht Club facility, please remember that you MUST make a reservation with the Club no later than July 5, 2008. Reservations can be made via e-mail to dockmaster@chicagoyachtclub.org. The e-mail should contain the skipper's name, the name of the boat, the boat's home port, your choice of location, and an estimated date and time of arrival in Chicago.. All boats docking at Club facilities will be subject to rafting. There are NO EXCEPTIONS.

If you wish to obtain a private slip in one of the harbors run by the Chicago Park District, you should contact the harbor of your choice and place your name on its reservation list. You may only place your name on a reservation list for ONE harbor in the Chicago harbor system. When speaking with the harbor representative, please tell them you are competing in the 100th Race. Information regarding the Chicago harbor system is available at www.chicagoharbors.info. If you are from out of town and are planning to dock at a non-Club facility, we would appreciate a brief e-mail to dockmaster@chicagoyachtclub.org, letting us know where you plan to dock.

Please contact us via e-mail at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you on the start line in only 26 days.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Last month, we asked you to participate in a survey concerning US Sailing's recent proposal to require all persons helming during major events to join US Sailing. Over 55 percent of you responded to our survey, and many of you provided valuable comments. Opponents of the proposal outnumbered its supporters by approximately a three to one margin. Based in part on your feedback, Chicago Yacht Club wrote the US Sailing Board of Directors, strongly opposing the membership proposal and sharing the results of our survey. We received many prompt and courteous responses to our letter and survey. Today, US Sailing advised us that its Board of Directors has voted to withdraw this proposal.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey. While we opposed the mandatory membership proposal, we remain a strong supporter of US Sailing, its mission and goals. US Sailing, especially its Offshore Office, has been extremely supportive of the Race to Mackinac and the other events that we run each year. We appreciate your support of US Sailing, and sincerely hope that you will encourage all of your crew members to become US Sailing members.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago next month. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org if we can be of service to you.

Regards,

Greg J. Miarecki

Chair

2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Brought to you by the Chicago Yacht Club, Mac Chats are a series of interviews with skippers and crew who share some of their opinions and best memories of the world's longest annual freshwater sailing race. The Mac Chat series is produced to commemorate the 100th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac next year. New Mac Chats will be added to the website leading up to the 2008 Race.

Click for the Bill Emery video.

CHICAGO YACHT CLUB (June 12, 2008). Today, Chicago Yacht Club announced that ESPN Classic will air a one-hour documentary regarding the 100th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands' End Business Outfitters. 2008 marks the 100th running of 'the Mac,' the world's longest annual freshwater sailing distance race. This documentary will be presented by Rolex Watch USA, the Official Timekeeper of the 100th Race. This year, the Mac will start off Chicago's lakefront on July 19, 2008.

ESPN's Gary Jobson, a highly decorated racing sailor and the world's leading sailing television journalist, will produce the documentary. Jobson and his team of journalists will highlight the storied history of the Race. A special emphasis will cover the technological advancements over the decades. Coverage will include helicopter and sea level footage, with camerapersons joining several highly competitive crews during the Race itself. The documentary will also cover all of the pre-Race and post-Race events associated with this once in a lifetime event. In addition to Rolex, a number of other sponsors will be supporting this project, including North Sails, Gougeon Brothers, and Lands' End Business Outfitters. The program will air worldwide on ESPN Classic twice in late 2008, with the first airing scheduled for Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

'The Race to Mackinac is an eagerly anticipated event by thousands of sailors each year. The history, the adventure, and the competition are all reasons we come back to Mackinac Island each year, and our ability to share this experience with our families and friends makes it all the more special. We look forward to sharing this terrific event with millions of people around the globe,' Greg Miarecki, Race chairman, comments. 'We are also deeply honored to have Gary Jobson covering the Race in this special way. We very much look forward to working with him to create a spectacular program,' Miarecki added.

'The Race to Mackinac is one of America's icons of yacht racing. We are proud to document the 100th running of the Mac for ESPN. Given the prestigious nature of this race, it is especially fitting to have Rolex leading this project. It is the highlight of the racing season in 2008,' Gary Jobson commented.

Chicago Yacht Club looks forward to staging a world-class, once in a lifetime race for skippers and crews. If you have any questions regarding this historic running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, please contact Amanda Matta, Race Coordinator at 312.861.7777 or at racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org

About The Chicago Yacht Club: The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1500 boating enthusiasts, and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.