GPS Tracking to Add Level of Excitement to 85-Year-Old Sailboat Race
Friday, June 26th, 2009
 A Michigan tourism organization and a nearly century-old private yacht club mixed high-tech with tradition when planning this year’s Pure Michigan Bayview Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race.
The Bayview Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race, one of the most challenging, longest and popular freshwater sailboat races in the world, will be held for four days beginning Saturday, July 25 along Lake Huron on Michigan’s east coast. The event draws about 250 sailboats and thousands of sailors from all over the United States and several countries. Yachts range in length from 26 feet to more than 80 feet. An estimated 100,000 fans are expected to gather on the shores of Michigan and Canada for the annual spectacle. Michigan officials estimate up to $60 million in tourism dollars will pour into the state, if the weather is good.
For the first time in its 85-year history, all the participating boats will be furnished with GPS tracking devices. Pure Michigan is hosting the new online system. Race fans will be able to track the progress of each boat on the course, with live updates, at www.michigan.org.
“For fans and spectators, we are excited to be able to use the latest 21st century technology to bring this exciting event to their laptops, in addition to the majestic experience of being at (starting point) Port Huron for the pageantry and fun,” said Race Chairman Frank Kern.
 The race is sponsored by the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Mich. Founded in 1915, it is one of the most prestigious, independent sailing clubs in the state. The club established the race in 1925.
There are two courses. The longer course, “Cove Island Course,” is about 293 miles and it crosses into Canadian waters. The 252-mile “Thunder Bay Course” is comparatively shorter and calmer. Only the most seasoned of sailors are invited to be part of the yachting crews.
The regatta has grown to grab media coverage worldwide, partly due to its combination of sportsmanship, strategy and family tradition. Sailors are at the mercy of the wind and weather.
This year, fans can watch via the Internet, 24 hours a day, if they so choose. The GPS tracking units that will be affixed to each boat are being provided at no cost during check-in at the race. The transmitters are about the size of a paperback book. The race participant must ensure that the unit is installed according to directions and must make every effort to see that it is functioning for the duration of the race.
The “real-time” GPS tracking systems will give out vital information that will be displayed online, including each yacht’s position, direction and speed. Every hour they will send signals to a satellite and on to the website.
Viewers will be able to see the yachts on either a Google satellite image or an animated nautical chart. They can click an option to view all boats in a particular division or class, along with an unofficial leader board; or they can enter the name of a boat and the computer will pick it out in the fleet. Fans will also be able to see how their favorite boat is doing by reading a “percentage of race completion bar” that is based on the distance to finish line.
A map overlay is available that will even show surface winds along the course, so the viewer will know what kind of weather the participants are facing.
Sponsor Pure Michigan conservatively estimates that the web page will receive 12 million hits from around the world over the race weekend. When a GPS tracking option was offered in 2008 for the similar Chicago-to-Mackinac race, its website got 25 million hits.
