The 2010 US-IRC Great Lakes Championships Notice of Race

by Luiz E. Kahl on 6 Apr 2010 The 2010 US-IRC Great Lakes Championships for the second consecutive year will be sailed in lower Lake Huron in the shadow of two great sailing communities; Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan. The Port Huron Yacht Club is looking forward to hosting this much anticipated event just one week before the Bayview Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race is scheduled to set sail on July 10th and 11th, 2010.

The Blue Water Area provides a beautiful and challenging setting for the events race course. Mid July on Lake Huron brings uncertain wind conditions which will keep skippers and their tacticians busy trying to plan for the next shift. Although predominate wind direction would call for southerly winds this time of year all it takes is a cold front to come through the area to make for some entertaining racing with strong northerly winds and high seas.

Racing conditions were near perfect for the 2009 US-IRC Great Lakes Championships. Warm southerly breezes met the three classes of boats the entire weekend as a close an intense battle in sued between the yachts to establish who would be the first ever US-IRC Great Lakes Champion.

After two days of amazingly tight competition Val Saph's Thomas 35 Rowdy was declared the overall champion. The other class champions included in IRC 1 - Burden IV skippered by Todd Jones and in IRC 3 - Rebel skippered by Jim Bowen and Chuck Williams.

'It was a huge honor to be first overall in 2009, especially against the quality of competition that this event attracted,' said Saph. 'Our entire crew is very excited to race in this event in 2010 and looks forward to another great weekend on Lake Huron.'

Nick Ward will again serve as the Event Chairman and PRO Tim Rumptz will be leading a fine staff of Race Committee personal. 'The Port Huron Yacht Club is very excited and looking forward to mid July,' said Chairman Ward. 'Our goal is to have great competition and provide a championship setting.'

The Port Huron Yacht Club is not only known throughout the Great Lakes as a excellent ambassador for the sport of sailing it is also has a reputation of one of the most friendly and fun Clubs on the Lakes. 'We certainly want to make sure all the competitors are having a good time at Fiddlers Green (the name of the bar in PHYC),' said Chairman Ward. The dinners and night life that will accompany this event will be second to none which will continue to add to the Port Huron Yacht Clubs allure.'

Registrations can be completed now at Yacht Scoring's website for this exciting mid July event on Lake Huron at www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=319

http://www.phyc.org/

http://www.us-irc.org