Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

Bayview and Chicago Mac Races adopt ORC

by ORC Media 1 Nov 2020 13:35 PST July 2021
Each year hundreds of entries race to Mackinac Island from starts in Chicago and Port Huron, Michigan. These are the largest freshwater races in the USA © Chicago YC

Bayview Yacht Club and the Mackinac Race Authority announced it will adopt the ORC Rating System to score the 97th consecutive Bayview Mackinac Race which starts on 24 July 2021. This decision is in conjunction with Chicago Yacht Club who is making the same change for its 112th Race to Mackinac, which starts on 16th and 17th July 2021.

Every summer the races to Mackinac are the focal point events in the Great Lakes sailing scene, with typical combined entry counts that can annually exceed over 500 yachts. They start, respectively, in Port Huron, Michigan and Chicago, and both finish at Mackinac Island in Michigan, where the post-race celebrations are extremely popular with participants and their families.

"The adoption of the ORC Rating System will offer competitors a handicap rule with full transparency that is more widely used in premier regattas like the Bayview Mackinac Race throughout North America and Worldwide. The expectation is that competitors will have a better user experience, access to more resources and a race with a rating rule that is transparent and easy to understand at the same, or in many cases lower, costs." said C.J. Ruffing, 2021 Bayview Mackinac Race Chairman.

"As an organizing authority, we always strive to have boats compete using a rating rule that is predictable, sustainable, transparent, and flexible resulting in accurate ratings to support fair racing," said Martin Sandoval, Commodore of Chicago YC. "We will be working with the ORC technical staff along with the US Sailing Offshore office to facilitate this transition."

The ORC Rating System uses science and technology to develop a boat's handicap to allow fair racing between dissimilar boats. By entering specific measurements into computer software ORC measures how a racing crew can reach their boat's theoretical performance potential in various wind conditions. This Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) allows the race organizers to correct the elapsed time of competing boats to score them on the same level.

"We believe that ORC has become the dominant player and can bring significant technical resources to the race and its competitors. Many of us that race outside the Great Lakes have already raced using the ORC Rule and have experienced the value ORC brings. From the competitor's standpoint there will be little change other than a potential reduction in cost," said Chris Clark, last year's Bayview Mackinac Race Chairman.

"US Sailing is well positioned to support the sailors and organizers in the transition of rating rules with the use of the Universal Certificate System (UCS). The UCS allows the existing measurement data to be transmitted to the ORC rating rule in the already familiar portal for owners. US Sailing is pleased to work with both the Bayview and Chicago Mackinac fleets as they navigate the adoption of the ORC rule for their races and look forward to successful events in 2021 and beyond," said Nathan Titcomb, Offshore Director for US Sailing.

"We are very pleased to work closely with both Chicago and Bayview Yacht Clubs for these important and prestigious races on the offshore racing calendar. Our staff, alongside US Sailing, is ready to support the race organizers and competitors in every way possible so they may enjoy competitive and fair racing," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC.

The Bayview Yacht Club, Mackinac Race Authority and Chicago Yacht Club are all committed to ensuring that all sailors interested in competing have ample opportunities to learn about the new rating rule, with more information to be posted on the Bayview Mackinac Race website, www.bycmack.com and the Chicago Mackinac Race website, at cycracetomackinac.com.

More on ORC rating systems, ORC certificates and events can be found at www.orc.org.

Related Articles

Varadero Valencia sponsors 26th SM La Reina Trophy
The flagship race at the Real Club Náutico de Valencia Varadero Valencia underlines its commitment to yachting by sponsoring, as in other years, the SM La Reina Trophy regatta and the ORC1 class. Posted on 3 Jul
Four days to start the 5th AEGEAN 600
The fleet has a wide range of sizes and types represented Nearly all 60 teams are assembled here at the Olympic Marine venue getting ready for the start of the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600, organized by the Hellenic Offshore Race Club (HORC) with co-organizers being Olympic Marine and Region of Attica. Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 Preview
International sailing & ocean conservation unite in Cascais From July 4 to 6, Cascais hosts the biggest sailing regatta of the year with a strong focus on sustainability. The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy celebrates six years of diversity, competition, and environmental commitment. Posted on 30 Jun
From ORC to DH: The XR 41 Delivers Again
All eyes were on the new XR 41 during the Maior Regatta in Kiel All eyes were on the new XR 41 during the Maior Regatta in Kiel, where she convincingly won under ORC. The boat has proven her versatility by taking on Denmark's Fyn Cup — and winning again. Posted on 29 Jun
First-ever ORC North American champions crowned
Fox, Zammermoos and Teamwork win at Block Island Race Week 2025 After completing the full schedule of races - 9 in the ORC 1 class and 10 in the ORC 2 and 3 classes - three new ORC North American Champion teams have been crowned on Friday at the Storm Trysail Club's 31st biennial Block Island Race Week. Posted on 28 Jun
31st Block Island Race Week Day 5
IHG Hotels and Resorts Race Day concludes the event Block Island Race Week's final tent party was abuzz with anticipation and excitement Friday evening, as sailors and spectators awaited the announcement of cumulative awards for the regatta's 60th anniversary. Posted on 27 Jun
31st Block Island Race Week Day 4
Round The Island Race on Mount Gay Rum Race Day Mount Gay Rum Race Day featured everyone's favorite race of Block Island Race Week: the Regatta Craft Mixers Round The Island Race. The breaking of the recent heatwave made for a fast and furious counter-clockwise lap. Posted on 26 Jun
Tight racing at ORC North American Championship
Two days of racing remain before titles awarded in three classes With three days of racing completed over 7 Windward-Leeward courses, the scorelines are filling up for all three classes competing in the first ORC North American Championship at Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week. Posted on 26 Jun
31st Block Island Race Week Day 3
Soaring temperatures on Risk Strategies Race Day Risk Strategies Race Day at Block Island Race Week featured another day of champagne conditions and soaring temperatures. To give sailors a brief reprieve, the Race Committee called for an "early" end to racing (only 2 long races instead of 3). Posted on 25 Jun
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterZhik 2024 DecemberHenri-Lloyd Dynamic Range