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Dan Peters
Sports Editor
Oak Park
Journal
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This
Link Will Track the GPS signal from each craft in the event.
A Day with Interesting Weather
will Start This Years Mackinac Race, 72 degrees Fahrenheit and
thunderstorms will announce the Start at 10:00am CST in
Chicago. Bon Voyage and Bon Chance
by Ed Vincent
This year the weather will begin the contest with some extra
elements to make the journey and race that much more interesting.
In 2006 about 275 sailboats came to compete in this jewel of fresh
water racing. This is North America’s Largest Sailing Regatta
Series and this year there are some 435 sailboats in the race and that
means thousands and thousands of people have come here to Chicago to
participate in the most exciting and longest race of its kind in the
world. This freshwater race on Lake Michigan is celebrating its
100 year of top notched racing, and this year you can easily track
the racers on line with one mouse click.
There different classifications of ships and boats and each has
its
own division, this keeps the race more competitive and gives some
of the smaller and less wealthy entrants a chance at an award.
The rain and poor visibilty wasn't enough of a challange...the start
and for hours to follow there was little to no wind.
View the Start of the Longest Annual Freshwater Sailing Race
The 2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Presented by Lands’ End
Business Outfitters Chicago, IL (July 15, 2008) Catch a glimpse of over
435 sailboats as they begin the world’s longest freshwater race, the
Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Lands’ End Business
Outfitters. The Mac will be
held this Saturday, July 19, 2008.
Everyone is invited to join in the merriment of the historic 100th
running of the race free of charge. The festivities start
Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. and go until 2:00 p.m. at the east end
of the second tier of Navy Pier, where the magnificent and colorful
Parade of Boats can be viewed. A sportscaster will be announcing all
the boat and crew information.
There will be giveaways, which will include race t-shirts, bite lights
and fudge from the island of Mackinac, Mich. Also, Island Goats, or
sailors who have competed in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac at
least 25 times, will be mingling with the crowd to recount stories
about sailing the wild and unpredictable Lake Michigan.
It’s a beautiful sight to see the yachts promenade with their bright
ceremonial flags before attempting to win the 333-mile, adventurous
race from Chicago to Mackinac Island.
The Red Witch, a 77-foot Schooner operated by Lakeshore Sail Charters,
is offering two tours to bring guests out on the water to watch the
competition unfold at the start of the Mac. The first three-hour tour
begins at 11:00 a.m. in Burnham Harbor, for approximately the first
seven starts. After returning to the dock at 2:00 p.m., the boat will
re-board and leave immediately for the next tour. Throughout the tours,
a guide will offer explanations of racing tactics and strategy. The Red
Witch is located near the loop at Burnham Harbor, which is adjacent to
Chicago’s Museum Campus, McCormick Convention Center. Tickets are $95
for adults, $65 for children under 12. For more information or to order
tickets, contact The Red Witch at 312.404.5800 or online at
www.redwitch.com.
For those unable to come out on race day, all boats are equipped with
GPS transponders and can be tracked on-line at
www.chicagoyachtclub.org/racetomackinac . Click on multimedia and race
tracking.
To learn more about the boats entered in the race and to check out the
latest race updates, photos, and videos of the race, please visit to
the official race website at www.chicagoyachtclub.org/racetomackinac .
About the Chicago Yacht Club
Founded in 1875, the Chicago Yacht Club and is one of the oldest and
most respected yacht clubs in the world and is one of the preeminent
organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United
States. These include the world famous Chicago Yacht Club Race to
Mackinac in its 100th Running this year, the popular Verve Cup Regatta,
the NOOD ( National Off-Shore One Design) and the North American
Challenge Cup, a regatta for disabled sailors. This year it is also
host to the International Etchells World Championships and the US
SAILING Junior Championships. For more information please log onto
www.chicagoyachtclub.org
About Lands' End
Established in 1963, on the promise of delivering high-quality
merchandise at a great value, Lands' End® offers a complete line of
clothing and accessories for women, men, children and infants and an
innovative collection of fine-quality goods for the home. Lands'
End Business Outfitters designs unique uniform programs that offer
employees individual choices and helps build the brands of companies of
all sizes, including hundreds of Fortune 1,000 companies.
And, all Lands' End merchandise is Guaranteed. Period.®
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