MID-LAKE RACE - COURSE REDESIGN
By Dale Hyerstay for the Race Management Group
The course format for the Mid-Lake Race has been dramatically transformed for 2023. While
the creation of an ad hoc shorter course for the Macdonough last fall was a bit of a race
management misadventure, there was a lot of positive feedback regarding the course and the
length of the race. As such we recognized that a “middle distance” course format could
become the basis for a distinctive and permanent course for the Mid-Lake Race.
We developed the logic and format of a race with only two marks, a north-south orientation,
the start and finish in open water of the broad lake, and a target race duration of 8 to 12 hours.
The JaM course will be similar to the Spin course but with a shorter southern leg.
Given the north-south orientation of the lake and the prevailing winds being mostly in an arc
from NNW to SSW, the start locations needed to provide versatility. We settled on the B mark
for N/NW and S/SW winds, and the P mark for N/NW winds. All courses finish at P mark.
For detailed Mid-Lake Race course listings see courses 130 – 135 in ‘2023 Courses for PROs’ on
the LCYC website.
