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Track the Boats in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot

CHICAGO, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- When sailors embark on the 102nd Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot this weekend, spectators will be able to watch the action long after the sailboats race past the horizon. That's because all 360 boats will be tracked online by GPS technology--a record-setting number. The 102nd Mac will be the year's largest fleet tracked in all of sailboat racing.

"Chicago Yacht Club has been a world leader in electronic tracking of sailboat races. For years, racers, families and fans of the Race to Mackinac have enjoyed the excitement of tracking the fleet as it heads up Lake Michigan," Greg Freeman, chair of the 2010 Mackinac Committee remarked. "Tracking brings the Race to millions of people around the world."

The 2010 Mac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, will host more than 3,000 sailors from 15 different U.S. states as well as Ontario, Switzerland, and as far off as Hong Kong, who will compete in this 333 mile adventure from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Mich.

This onboard technology, provided by IonEarth, will enable friends, families, and millions of spectators onshore to follow the race as it unfolds on the web. To follow the boats, go to cycracetomackinac.com and click on the IonEarth Race Tracking logo in the top right corner. Tracking will display a vessel's position, speed, and heading.

Race to Mackinac with Veuve Clicquot

The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, is one of the oldest and most prestigious freshwater sailing races in the world, and Chicago Yacht Club encourages spectators to follow all of the racing action online. In addition to race tracking, there will be "Race Course Reports" by sailors, as well as updates on the Race to Mackinac pages on Twitter at www.twitter.com/racetomackinac and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/Chicago-Yacht-Club-Race-To-Mackinac/84141671211.

The Mac would not be possible without the support of Presenting Sponsor Veuve Clicquot, Co-Sponsors MBHB, Crowley's Yacht Yard, Henri Lloyd and Mount Gay Rum, and Supporters and Suppliers West Marine, Gougeon Brothers, Pettit Paint and Torresen Marine. To learn more about the 102nd Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, go to the official website at http://cycracetomackinac.com.

Media Contact:

Christie Denson | Communications Director | 312.861.7772 | denson@chicagoyachtclub.org

SOURCE Chicago Yacht Club