(2012 under Review - 2011 changes are in red)

1.  Management

Little Current Yacht Club is the organizing authority of the 2011 Mackinac to Manitoulin Challenge (Race) and has appointed the Little Current Yacht Club Mackinac Race Committee (Race Committee) to conduct the Race and related activities.  The Race Committee has the authority to interpret the rules and conditions of the Race and to reject the entry of any boat at any time before the start of the Race.  The Race will start on July 21, 2011.  The fleet will be divided into divisions and classes according to rating/handicap and other factors at the discretion of the Race Committee.

2.  Rules

The Race shall be governed by the “rules” as defined in the current Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012 (RRS), which include the following (except as changed by the Sailing Instructions):

a.)  The prescriptions of the Canadian Yachting Association. 
b.)  This Notice and Conditions of Race (Notice of Race). 
c.)  The Sailing Instructions and any amendments.
d.)  The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. 
e.)  Applicable U.S.and Canadian Coast Guard Rules and Regulations.
f.)  Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) rules as administered by the Race Committee.  All handicapping will be based on nautical miles. 

3.  Responsibilities of Skipper and Crew

a.) Little Current Yacht Club, its officers and members, the members of the Race Committee and sponsors shall not be liable for any loss of life, injury to persons or damage to property that may occur during or related to the Race. 
 

b.) As used in the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions, the term “Skipper” means the person who is designated on the Entry Form as “Skipper” and who is in charge of the boat, whether or not the owner. 

c.)  The safety of a boat and its crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the Skipper, who must insure that the boat is fully sound, thoroughly seaworthy and sailed by an experienced and physically and mentally fit crew.  The Skipper must be satisfied with the soundness of the hull, spars, rigging, sails and gear and must insure that all equipment is properly maintained and stowed and that the crew knows where it is kept and how it is to be used.  Neither the acceptance of a Crew List, the establishment of equipment or safety requirements nor an inspection of a boat in any way limits or reduces the complete and unlimited responsibility of the Skipper. 
 

d.) Little Current Yacht Club strongly recommends (but does not require) that all personnel on deck wear personal flotation when starting and finishing without exception and at all other times except when the Skipper directs that it may be set aside.   Competitors are reminded that it is the competitor’s individual responsibility for wearing personal buoyancy adequate for the conditions (RRS 1.2) and that each boat is solely responsible for deciding whether or not to start or to continue racing (RRS 4). 

Competitors are required to notify the Race Committee, via VHF radio channel 80 or by phone at (705) 691-1199, at the earliest opportunity if the boat withdraws from the Race. 

4.  Conduct

The Skipper shall be responsible for the conduct of the crew before, during, and after the race.  In the event of a serious breach of conduct, the destruction of property, or the failure to comply with a reasonable request of the Race Committee, the Race Committee may request that the Protest Committee act under RRS 69.1. 

5.  Eligibility

Participation in the Race is only by invitation of Little Current Yacht Club.  An invitation may be requested by sending a letter, to Little Current Yacht Club, P.O. Box 167, Little Current, Ontario, POP 1K0, Canada or an email to:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  A boat’s invitation to race shall be conditional upon the Race Committee’s acceptance of the boat as an entrant in the Race after application. 

To be eligible, boats must be of a seaworthy offshore type, at least 26 feet LOA for Leg One and 24 feet LOA for Leg Two, with accommodations and equipment in accordance with Mackinac Equipment Requirements and have a permanently installed inboard engine fitted with a propeller or an outboard motor that must remain mounted in its normal operating position throughout the race.

a.) PHRF Spinnaker

It is expected that there will be more than one class, which will be scored using the PHRF handicap system with either symmetrical or asymmetrical spinnakers or gennakers.  Preliminary class splits will be posted on the web site as available.  Final class splits will be announced at registration.

Boats in the PHRF Spinnaker classes  are subject to the following limitations:

     • Use either an asymmetrical or a standard spinnaker; you cannot use both.

     • Headsails must be flown hanked to the headstay or in the headstay groove except that

       asymmetrical spinnakers may be flown as provided below.

     • Staysails may not be flown on sloop-rigged boats.  Other boats may fly a staysail in the

        foretriangle provided that the combined areas of the staysail and the headsail do not exceed

        the maximum LP stated on the boat's entry form.

     • If a roller-furler credit is given:

          · all headsails must be cut for the roller-furler;

          · the roller-furler must be used throughout the race, and

          · during headsail changes, the old sail must be dropped to the deck and the new sail then

            put on the roller-furler and hoisted.

     •Asymmetrical spinnakers may be flown provided they

           (i)  are flown without a whisker or spinnaker pole and

           (ii) are attached to a tack point or are attached to a tack line that is led to a tack point that

             is no more that 12 inches fore or aft oof the jib tack.

     • Whisker or spinnaker poles may be used only for headsails or symmetrical spinnakers.

 

 

b.)   PHRF – White Sail Only

All PHRF White Sail Only classes will have the same requirements as shown above for PHRF Spinnaker, except spinnakers and gennikers will not be allowed.  A twelve (12) second a mile credit will be given to White Sail Only boats to allow for speed difference to spinnaker boats for overall scoring.

 

6.  Ratings & Handicaps

a.)  All PHRF boats must furnish with the Entry Form a copy of all of the boat’s valid 2011 PHRF handicap certificates issued by any local authority.  The Race Committee may adjust individual PHRF handicaps to compensate for differences in handicapping methods employed by various handicapping authorities.  Ratings will be e-mailed to entrants as they are assigned.  Competitors will be deemed to have knowledge of the assigned rating when it is e-mailed.  Accordingly, competitors are encouraged strongly to check their e-mail regularly.  Ratings will also be emailed to competitors.  It is the responsibility of the Skipper to report any discrepancies to the Race Committee as soon as possible.

The Skipper of a boat that does not have a valid 2011 PHRF certificate must complete the Entry Form in its entirety, including all boat information, and copies of all existing PHRF certificates in the Skipper’s possession should be sent to the Race Committee.  The Race Committee will assign a PHRF handicap to the boat based on the data provided in the Entry Form and other available information.

b.) No changes in ratings or handicaps initiated by competitors, and no revised rating or handicap certificates, will be accepted after July 15, 2011. 
 Accordingly, competitors are encouraged strongly to check their rating when they are sent to them.  The Race Committee may correct obvious rating or handicap errors at any time. The Jury will not entertain protests related to ratings or handicaps.  PHRF handicaps assigned by the Race Committee are final. 


7.  Entry

The Race Committee must receive the following items before July 19, 2011:

     • Completed Entry Form and non-refundable entry fee as per the race fee schedule.

     • Crew List, complete with the names and enough information to demonstrate to the satisfaction

        of the Race Committee that Skipper and crew are sufficiently experienced to compete safely

        in offshore conditions.

     •Copy of the boat’s current valid handicap or rating certificate. Final decision regarding PHRF ratings for entries 

       after July 15th will be made by the Race Committee. If there is insufficient time to confirm rating of late entries

       prior to the start of the race, the Race committee will determine the PHRF rating of those entries after the start of

       race and advise the fleet as soon as reasonably possible. The jury will not entertain protests related to ratings or

       handicaps. PHRF handicaps assigned by the Race Committee are final.      

 

8.  Registration

A Final Crew List, signed by the Skipper, shall be submitted at registration. 

The Skipper of each boat or a representative with the Skipper’s written authorization shall register the boat at the following location and time:
Mackinac Island Yacht Club on July 20, 2011 between 16:00 and 18:00 hours, followed by a Skipper’s Meeting at 18:00 hours.

The Skipper, or a representative with the Skipper’s written authorization, of each boat sailing only in Leg 2 shall register the boat at the CYC office in Gore Bay or with the Race Committee on July 22, 2011 between 12:00 and 19:00.  There will be a Skipper’s meeting at 19:30 hours for the Skippers who are sailing only in Leg 2 at the Pavilion where the fish fry is held. 

The Race Committee can be reached on VHF radio channel 80. 

 

9.  Sailing Instructions

Sailing Instructions will be distributed at registration and e-mailed to competitors.

 

10.  Course

Leg One

Starting east of Mackinac Island and north of the shipping channel proceed easterly to False Detour Passage, enter the North Channel leaving Cockburn Island to starboard and Manitoulin Island to starboard.  Proceed to the entrance to Gore Bay and then into the bay to the finish off the point at Gore Bay Municipal Marina.

Leg Two
Starting off the point at Gore Bay Municipal Marina proceed up the bay and then easterly to Clapperton Island.  Round the north end of Clapperton Island and then proceed southerly leaving Amedroz Island to port.  When safe to do so, proceed easterly towards Little Current leaving James Foot Patch to port.  The finish will be at the east end of Spider Bay Island, in the vicinity of J45. 

Exact start and finish locations will be included with the sailing instructions. 

 

11.  Scoring

Each boat shall be ranked by her corrected time in division and class.  The boat with the lowest corrected time wins. 

PHRF: Time allowances of PHRF boats will be calculated on a time-on-distance basis. 
For Leg #1 the distance will be approximately 94.2 nautical miles. 

For Leg #1 shortened course at Janet Head the distance will be approximately 92.1 nautical miles.
For Leg #2 the distance will be approximately 28.2 nautical miles.
For Leg #2 shortened course J-71 the distance will be approximately 15.73 nm.
For Leg #2 shortened course J-66 the distance will be approximately 18.22 nm.
For Leg #2 shortened course J-63 the distance will be approximately 25.39 nm.

 

12.  Protests and Alternative Penalties

a.) There will be a Protest Committee constituted in compliance with RRS Appendix M. 
b.) RRS 44.1 and RRS 44.2 shall not apply.
c.) Penalties imposed by the Protest Committee include disqualification, but in lieu of disqualification, the Protest Committee may penalize a boat by an amount that the Protest Committee deems appropriate. 

 

13.  Dockage

The Mackinac Island yacht harbor is reserved for the Bayview-Mackinac fleet through Tuesday, July 19^th.  All MacMan boats will be able to dock at no charge at the Arnold Ferry dock (West side) on the night of the 20^th.  Boats arriving before the 20^th are responsible for making their own arrangements.

     • Customs

        All boats must clear customs after docking at Gore Bay harbor. 
        There is a phone on the dock to call customs if there is no officer present.

     • Environment Control   

        The laws of Michigan and Ontario prohibit any through-hull fittings that may be used to pump
        toilets or holding tanks overboard. The Race Committee will not inspect for compliance,but   

        governmental authorities may do so. 

 

14.  Awards

     • Flags will be awarded for Leg #1 and Leg #2 and overall for the full MacMan.

     • Flags for Leg #1 will be awarded in Gore Bay.

     • Flags for Leg #2 and overalls will be presented at the awards dinner on July 23^rd in Little

        Current.

     • The “Manitoulin Transport Racing Trophy” will be awarded for 1^st overall boat for the full  

        race (Leg #1 and Leg #2). The Manitoulin Transport Cruising Trophy will be awarded to the

        best White Sail Only boat on Leg #2. The trophies will be kept at Little Current Yacht Club.

     • Flags will be presented to the overall winning Skippers. 

 

15.  E-mail

The Race Committee will e-mail information to competitors.  Competitors will be deemed to have knowledge of such information from the time it is so e-mailed.  Notices to competitors also will be posted on the Official Notice Board(s) as provided in the Sailing Instructions.

Competitors are required to supply a working e-mail address on the Entry Form as a condition to entry in the Race.

The Race Committee will notify each competitor of amendments to the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and rating by e-mail to the address so supplied.