Originally Posted by
Ratickle
Usually that doesn't work, because most people only come for the day. However, that doesn't mean it wouldn't work in the case of Michigan City because the vast majority of visitors are only a few hours drive.
But, anytime there is a race schedules where the course runs close to a shore with possible wave issues in event of a storm/high wind. There is also a planned storm course farther offshore just in case. The probalem for most of the boats isn't that the water is too rough, heck Orange Beach last year had to be 6's with the occasional 8, but that the water is too shallow for rescue time when the course is close to shore. With the canopied boats especially, drifting upside down into shore with no time for rescue can be a huge problem. In an open boat, not so much because it would be extremely rare to still be in the boat.
I don't know what the issue was for cancellation, maybe just because the Coast Guard said no with a possible lost person in the water. It's their permit that you get, they can do anything they want to the race if they deem it a done deal.