Chicago2016.org – Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee website.

Citizen Media Law Project – Chicago 2016 v. Frayne – vexatious litigation by US Olympic Committee and Chicago 2016 Olympic bid organization against Chicago2016.com website domain.

Don’t Give Up The Ship – Chicago Yachting Association and Columbia Yacht Club boating advocacy support for Chicago 2016 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee will choose the 2016 Olympics host city on October 2, 2009.

Boat owners warned: Don’t make waves over Olympics rowing plan

Yacht club group tells members it fears retaliation from city if they protest proposal for Monroe Harbor

By Laurie Cohen, Kathy Bergen and David Heinzmann

Tribune reporters

February 12, 2009

Lots of boaters are unhappy with plans to use Monroe Harbor as the rowing venue for the 2016 Olympics should Chicago win the Games, but you won’t hear many complaints.

The Chicago Yachting Association, an umbrella group for 15 yacht clubs in the Chicago area, has asked members to keep a lid on it, noting in a memo obtained by the Tribune that yacht clubs “are vulnerable to retribution.”

Mayor Richard Daley’s office and the Chicago Park District have made it clear “that they do not wish to talk about issues that may be confrontational until after October 2009,” according to the memo by an association committee charged with formulating an approach to the city’s Olympic plans.

City officials say they aren’t trying to stifle dissent before Oct. 2, when the International Olympic Committee, which values popular support, selects a host city. But critics of the bid, from parks activists to concerned taxpayers, believe boosters have worked to suppress public criticism and withhold potentially controversial information.

The three-year Chicago campaign to win the Summer Games has been a study in how to carefully control the flow of information, with details parceled out only to the extent required to satisfy Olympic officials. The team has cited the intense competition among the finalists, which include Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, as a reason for keeping portions of its playbook private.

But critics want more information. The bid campaign “is not a very transparent process, and that makes it frustrating for us,” said Peggy Brennan, vice commodore of the historic Columbia Yacht Club, who wants more details on how use of Monroe Harbor as the rowing venue would affect boaters.

“When taxpayer dollars are involved, you’d like to be a little more transparent on these things,” said Allen Sanderson, who teaches economics at the University of Chicago.

Now, in formal bid documents due Thursday, Chicago and its rivals had to answer an extensive battery of tough questions from the IOC. The bid team has been saying for months that its book, to be released publicly in Chicago on Friday, will answer many remaining questions.

But other significant questions that aren’t required to be addressed will continue to go unanswered, including an accounting of donations to fund Chicago’s nearly $60 million effort to win the Games, information that would show who pitched in the most for one of the mayor’s favorite causes.

Chicago-area residents, while largely supporting the bid, doubt some of the city’s claims. A Tribune poll this month found that many Olympics supporters, as well as a vast majority of those opposed to bringing the Games here, don’t buy Daley’s pledge that private funds would cover nearly all the costs.

So far, the city hasn’t been quick to own up to the financial risks taxpayers would have to bear. Over time, it became known the city would make a variety of commitments, from a $500 million guarantee against the potential of operating losses to picking up the cost of city services and purchasing the site for an Olympic Village, for ultimate resale to a private developer.

Visit www.chicagotribune.com to continue reading this article.

Article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-thu-olympics-transparency-20feb12,0,7405895.story

Only monohulls will be eligible to race in the new Double Handed Division. 

While multihulls are not eligible to compete in the Double Handed Division, they will have the option to sail in a double handed configuration within the Multihull Division. 

Skippers and crews wishing to compete double handed (in either the Double Handed Division or the Multihull Division) must seek approval from the Race’s Selections Committee. In addition to the normal Race prerequisites, double handed applicants must document the following: 

• Skipper has completed 1,000 nautical miles of sailing as a skipper of the boat to be entered, or a similar boat design;
• Skipper has completed a non-stop passage or race under sail of not less than 100 nm and not less than 24 hours;
• Crew has completed 1,000 nautical miles of sailing, either as a skipper or crew member sailing on the boat to be entered, or a similar boat design; and
• Both skipper and crew have significant racing experience.

These are minimum requirements. Most, if not all, successful applicants will far exceed these requirements, and will be able to demonstrate significant short handed racing experience.

Full text:

Today, Chicago Yacht Club announced further details about opportunities for sailors wishing to race double handed in the 2009 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. 2009 marks the 101st running of ‘the Mac,’ the world’s longest annual freshwater sailing distance race. The 101st Mac will start off Chicago’s lakefront on Friday, July 17, 2009 and Saturday, July 18, 2009.

Only monohulls will be eligible to race in the new Double Handed Division. Monohulls at least 27 feet LOA will be considered for entry in this division, as will monohulls that are: 1) at least 21 feet LOA; 2) designed and optimized for short handed distance sailing; and 3) have an ORR positive stability index of 110 degrees or greater. All boats competing in the Double Handed Division must comply with the 2009 Mackinac Safety Regulations (”MSR”). The 2009 version of the MSR, which will be published within 30 days, will contain several items applicable only to double handed entrants. This division will be scored using the Offshore Racing Rule (”ORR”), and will start on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

While multihulls are not eligible to compete in the Double Handed Division, they will have the option to sail in a double handed configuration within the Multihull Division. This year, the Multihull Division will require a minimum crew of two, and a minimum LOA of 24 feet. (Multihulls less than 26 feet LOA entered in the 101st Mac must sail in a double handed configuration.) All Multihull Division entrants must meet the requirements of the 2009 MSR for multihulls. Double handed entrants within that division must additionally meet MSR requirements applicable only to double handed sailors. If sufficient multihull double handed entries are received, the Mackinac Committee will create a double-handed section within the Multihull Division. All multihulls will race under the rules of the Great Lakes Multihull Racing Association (“G LMRA”).  

Skippers and crews wishing to compete double handed (in either the Double Handed Division or the Multihull Division) must seek approval from the Race’s Selections Committee. In addition to the normal Race prerequisites, double handed applicants must document the following: 

· Skipper has completed 1,000 nautical miles of sailing as a skipper of the boat to be entered, or a similar boat design;
· Skipper has completed a non-stop passage or race under sail of not less than 100 nm and not less than 24 hours;
· Crew has completed 1,000 nautical miles of sailing, either as a skipper or crew member sailing on the boat to be entered, or a similar boat design; and
· Both skipper and crew have significant racing experience.

These are minimum requirements. Most, if not all, successful applicants will far exceed these requirements, and will be able to demonstrate significant short handed racing experience. The Selections Committee pays especially close attention to the experience portion of each competitor’s profile. Applicants wishing to sail in a double handed configuration must ensure the individual crew profiles are as specific, complete, accurate, and compelling as possible, and fully demonstrate compliance with the MSR requirements applicable to double handed entries. In particular, applicants should include specific information concerning relevant passages.

Participation in the 333 statute mile race from Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac Island, Michigan is by invitation only. Generally, if a sailor has competed in one of the last four Macs as a ‘Person In Charge’, he or she will automatically receive an invitation to compete in the 101st Race. Returning competitors seeking entry in a double handed configuration should update crew profiles as appropriate, and then e-mail with a note asking to be considered. Sailors who are not eligible for an automatic invitation may request an invitation through the official Race website at www.chicagoyachtclub.org/racetomackinac

Chicago Yacht Club looks forward to staging a world-class sailing race for skippers and crews. Should you have any questions about participating in the 101st Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, please contact Amanda Matta, Race Coordinator at 312.861.7777 or at

Race To Mackinac Committee announces:

I am pleased to announce that Chicago Yacht Club will have a booth at the Chicago Strictly Sail boat show this year. Additionally, we will be hosting a presentation at the show outlining our plans for, and answering your questions about, the 101st Race to Mackinac.

The presentation will begin on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 11:45 AM in Room 323 on Navy Pier. Please join us for this presentation and/or stop by our booth at the show.

Race To Mackinac Committee announces:

And, on the evening of the 31st, Chicago Yacht Club will host the annual Pink Pony Party at its Belmont Station. The party will begin at 6 PM. Everyone is welcome.

The Club will serve a casual dinner (entrees range from $12 to $15, inclusive of tax and gratuity), and will offer a live band and numerous giveaways. The Pink Pony itself reportedly will be making the trip down from Mackinac Island to join the fun. Please contact the Front Desk at the Monroe Station (312-861-7777) to make your dinner reservations.

another great night

more later

Just a few years ago, the Big Kahuna party was a fun event marking the middle of September, to be followed with a few more weeks of racing, including Area III followed by two weekends of MORF Open. A good number of boats would stay in the water until October or November, soaking up what was left of the full season before cold weather.

These days, Area III racing ends quickly- Saturday is the last Area III race- and MORF Open has been reduced to only one-and-a-half race days. The weather has been milder and warmer, but boats seem more eager to get put away before crew assistance vanishes.

Crowley’s move to the south makes the end-of-the-season boat delivery more exposed to the weather, and less interesting than the former traditional river trip to the old location.

Oh well, boats still have the option to stay in until October or later, the MORF Open is still a great way to extend your racing season, and the Big Kahuna is still a fun way to celebrate and socialize after the final Area III race this season!

Stay tuned for Chicago Mackinac race photos, coming soon…

Raven suffered a tiller failure on Mackinac return delivery, which was fixed. The boat was in Chicago to race Sunday.

Jahazi was seen in Muskegon at Torreson’s last weekend, appearing to have keel damage which was repaired.

Karma ran aground during Chicago Mackinac race and withdrew.

Regardless is rumored to have run aground.

Barracuda and her keel were recovered and transported to Manistee, where her fate remains to be decided. Hopefully she will be repaired and racing again soon.

The Island House awards party for Chicago Mackinac race may be dead, also. By all accounts, the Grand Hotel party was superior in all respects.

NOAA meterological data shows severe winds throughout much of the day Thursday.

Chicago Sun-Times article:

45 mph winds blister city, O’Hare

BLOWN AWAY | Boats overturned, flights canceled, trees and scaffolding rocked as strong gusts whip through area

Chicago lived up to its “Windy City” reputation Thursday as dangerous wind gusts blew into town, wreaking havoc that even led to two people being pulled from the water near Belmont Harbor after their boat capsized.

About 7 p.m., a male and a female were pulled to safety by staff members of Chicago Yacht Club after their 15-foot sailboat was tipped over by high winds in Belmont Harbor, police said.

“This isn’t a time that they should have been sailing,” said Joe Quick, a sailing instructor who helped rescue the pair.

The Chicago Sun-Times article also describes the tragic drowning of a young man in Waukegan who attempted to rescue another swimmer.

Reports posted on Sailing Anarchy describe a more troubling marine rescue scenario:

I saw 4 individuals (who’s names will be withheld from this tid bit) at Belmont last night deciding to go out on Vanguard 15’s. I had just finished up some prep on the Farr40 with the owner and noticed a couple of Vanguards being trotted from the dry dock to the lawn. They were going sailing. I said, ” Don’t do it, you are smarter than that. Don’t do it, something will happen.” I saw one of these individuals up in the club house and told them that racing would definitely be canceled, this person told me that racing was already canceled. They decided to venture out anyway.

They were doing a nice little planning ballet in the harbor and then they headed out into the lake. One of the crews was drinking beer from a glass bottle, not cool. I left at that point, needing to be home in time for game one tip off. I was in line for cigs when I got the call. “Dude get your ass down here, there are 3 fire trucks two ambulances a police boat and now, oh shit there are more vehicles coming.” “One of them flipped over, turtled and they are having a tough time getting it back up, M-2 blasted out of the harbor with a 7 foot wake and I have pictures.” I said,” Serves them right, it was death on a stick out there and now they are going to get ticketed.” Spectator said,” I know dude two of them came back in and now they are trying to hide-out.”

In all there we 10 -12 emergency vehicles and divers down there, one cop was quoted as saying, “I can’t believe someone would be so stupid as to take out a 14 foot boat in those kind of winds.”