The Great Lakes Singlehanded Society (GLSS) constitutional revision to allow finishers of the Singlehanded Trans Superior Challenge to be admitted as GLSS members and to have present members noted for doing the Challenge was unanimously approved at our annual meeting in Chicago last weekend.

This means that now all systems are go to hold the inaugural Singlehanded Division of the Trans Superior with the start on August 6, 2005.

I have added a few more names to our list of interested parties so I will give a little background to all.

GLSS members Eric Thomas of Duluth and Dick Lapin of Rogers City came up with the idea of a singlehanded class for the Trans Superior Race. The Race committee requested GLSS advice for acceptance of entrants and specific rules for the class but did not want to be part of the selection process. As a member of the GLSS Board of Directors and a supporter of the idea I was solicited to submit the constitutional change required to sanction the event and allow recognition of the finishers. Eric, Dick and I have been working together on this for the last 10 months and will continue to do so through this year.

The Trans Superior Race will be handled by the Duluth Yacht Club, Algoma Sailing Club and the Lake Superior Yachting Association. Eric Thomas will be a member of the Trans Superior Race Committee and our direct contact with them. They will run the event, set handicaps and decide on the number of classes. They will also award flags for all the classes per their race instructions.

The singlehanded participants will be in the Singlehanded Division which may allow for more than one class depending on the number of actual entries. The GLSS Board will review all singlehanded entries and determine which skippers are allowed to enter. Following completion of the race, singlehanded skippers will submit documentation to the GLSS Board who will determine acceptance of the finish and determine additional awards and GLSS membership.

We are currently in the process of developing acceptance standards, race Instructions and entry forms. When completed and approved by the GLSS Board and the Trans Superior Race Committee they will be posted on the GLSS web site at www.solosailor.org You should also check the Trans Superior Race web site at www.transsuperior.com as they will also be updating this shortly.

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