Search Suspended for Man Overboard

Chicago, IL (July 21, 2018) – After nearly seven hours of active search efforts, the US Coast Guard has suspended the search to locating the missing sailor aboard Mark Hauf’s Imedi, a Transpac 52 competing in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. The sailor has been identified as Jon Santarelli, a 52-year-old from Lincoln Park (Chicago).

The search efforts included approximately 20 boats and three helicopters from US Coast Guard, Chicago Fire, Chicago Police and Chicago Yacht Club covering nearly 47 square miles. All competitors in the vicinity immediately suspended their own racing efforts to assist in the search.

The man overboard occurred approximately five miles east of Navy Pier, 40 minutes after Imedi began the Race to Mackinac. Conditions at the time were described as having six to eight foot waves with 15 to 25 knots of wind from the north amid overcast skies and intermittent rain.

Santarelli had more than a decade of offshore racing experience, and was a core member of the Imedi Racing team as well as the greater Chicago sailing community.

The 109th edition of the race attracted 288 boats across the Racing and Cruising Divisions, with 43 boats in the Cruising Division starting yesterday and the balance in the Racing Division, which included Imedi, starting today.

Event details – Entry list – Tracker

Background: The Cruising Division starts on July 20 with the Racing Division in the 110th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac getting underway July 21 for the 289.4 nm course from the Chicago Lighthouse, just off Navy Pier, to Mackinac Island.