Please note changes in the text of the following two paragraphs in bold italic:

9  RADIO PROCEDURES

c "For safety reasons, yacht-to-yacht transmissions on VHF radio are prohibited from the time of the first warning signal until four hours after the last startof the day,except during emergencies. Thereafter, transmissions that do not contain information giving an advantage to any competitor are permitted. Re-transmitting the contents of public weather forecasts is encouraged if requested by another vessel."

This changes paragraph 9 c of the Sailing Instructions.

11   THE START

a "The Scheduled Start times will be as follows:

This changes paragraph 11 a of the Sailing Instructions.

The Marion - Bermuda Race Committee

Due to the current delays ISAF is experiencing in processing new applications for and appeals of sailor classification, the decision has been made by the Marion Bermuda Race Organizing Committee to forgo the appeals process and require each skipper to certify at registration that; their crew does not include any group 3 sailors and has no more than one group 2 sailor.

The committee encourages all sailors to continue with the application process for sailor classification through the ISAF to insure compliance in case of a protest.

All Captains,

The following is an exchange between the Secratary of the RHADC and Bermuda Customs.

-----Original Message-----
From: jennifer Mello [mailto:secretary@rhadc.bm]
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 11:03 AM
To: Lema, Dean N.
Cc: ejthompson@cdp.bm
Subject: Marion Ocean Race
Mr. Lema,

Please confirm that the yachtmen will not be charged duty on extra sails they may have with them and that will be leaving with them

Thanks
Jenny Mello

From: Lema, Dean N. [mailto:dlema@gov.bm]
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2005 10:31 AM
To: jennifer Mello; ejthompson@cdp.bm
Cc: Pearman, Lucinda; Fostine-DeSilva, Winniefred
Subject: RE: Marion Ocean Race

Ms. Mello,

I can confirm for you that any extra sails will not be charged duty.

The sails must accompany the vessel upon arrival; or, accompany yachtsmen arriving by air who are to join a vessel and sail back. The important piece is that the sails are subsequently exported. This relief is granted by CPC 5005.

Best regards.

Dean Lema, Deputising Principal Customs Officer
HM Customs Bermuda.
(T): 441-295-4816 ext. 280
(F): 441-295-5392
E-mail: dlema@gov.bm

This 2-day celestial seminar is a hands-on, practical course covering basic celestial theory, sight reduction of sun, moon, planets, stars, and specialty sights of certain bodies, such as the noon sun sight and latitude by Polaris. Sight reduction by calculator is also taught and discussed.

• Time, time zones, sight planning, sextant technique
• Dead reckoning, offshore plotting technique
• Running fixes, sextants, sextant accessories
• H.O. 229 and 249, Nautical Almanac
• Use of all celestial calculators supported by this class

This Ocean Navigator celestial class is part of the time-tested Ocean Navigator School of Seamanship (ONSOS) program, which has graduated thousands of students. This course is designed for the offshore sailor who desires an understanding of celestial as well as practical command of the broader navigation skills required by all ocean voyagers. Over the past 20 years, alumni have navigated in Marion-Bermuda Races (even won on occasion!) and made numerous celestial-only ocean crossings.

To sign up, please call Dave Jackson at the Ocean Navigator School of Seamanship (ONSOS) at 207-236-7014 or email fair.winds@verizon.net

Marion Bermuda Race & Buzzards Bay Weather Course

The full day weather seminar is an interactive class that covers marine weather in an organized, thorough and interesting manner. It is designed with the active sailor in mind whether his background is racing or cruising. Topics covered will be of critical interest to the day sailor, coastal sailor and the offshore passage maker with a focus on Buzzards Bay and southern New England sailing and the Marion to Bermuda Race. The class will include explanations of global weather patterns, real-time meteorology, storm systems, and local effects. The seminar will show the sailors how to collect the weather information, verify its accuracy and perhaps most importantly, how to use it to help them make informed decisions that. If you are interested in making your sailing safer, more enjoyable or more competitive, this weather seminar is designed to serve your interests!

• The class starts with an overview of how weather is created to get an understanding of fundamental climatology.
• Learn how to interpret weather maps, satellite imagery and other sources of weather data.
• Learn how local conditions influence the gradient weather to give you the weather you are actually going to experience.
• Gain an insight into the mechanics of weather so that you can use the principles to guide your own decision making process.
• We will look at various sources of information, discuss how to interpret the information, provide you with the sites and discuss ways to apply that information to your own project
• Online signup, Books, CDs and other materials can be purchased online at http://www.weather4sailors.com/classroomseminars.htm
• Check out the samples for our upcoming WxLive! Online Seminars!

Seating is limited; pre-registration is strongly urged.

Bill Biewenga, Weather Consultant, Navigator Sailing over 340,000 nm and one of the founding partners of Weather Window, Bill has put weather and sailing together for over 18 years.

For more information and to reserve your seating, visit us at: www.weather4sailors.com

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is pleased to announce that the 2005 race will move to a single number, time-on-time (TOT) handicap system using the Americap II velocity prediction program. The reasons for the choice are that a TOT system makes more appropriate adjustment for an offshore race that involves current, such as the Gulf Stream and may include significant reaching, which is typical for this race. It is also simpler and easier to understand than the combination of time-on-time and time-on-distance. The decision was made in consultation with Jim Teeters and US SAILING after modeling this change based on the 2003 race. Handicapping will continue to be done through US SAILING and Americap II.

For the first time, the Organizing Committee is providing every boat entered in 2005 a GPS transponder. This transponder will track your location and progress during the 645 mile race as well as your return to your home port. The GPS transponder will be provided to each boat at absolutely no cost to the entrant except for a fully refundable deposit on the transponders return. iBoat Track, the program created by Horizon Marine, is an internet based tracking program that can be accessed through any browser. Now your family and friends will be able to watch your progress throughout the race, your position and speed, where you stand within the fleet and your position in your class. All of the sailing publications and newspapers will also be tracking the race and will be able to report in real time how the race is unfolding. Horizon Marine will be handling all the details, supplying the hardware and information on how to easily install the book size GPS transponder on your boat.

It is a great addition to the 2005 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race and we would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Globalstar as a Presenting Sponsor for helping bring this significant improvement to the race.