DETROIT, MI – Bayview Yacht Club has planned a new regatta for 2010 called the “Mackinac Awards Invitational River Challenge Race” to be sailed on September 11 in the Detroit River, it was announced today.

Winners of their classes in the July 2010 Bayview Mackinac Race from Port Huron to Mackinac Island race will be invited to compete representing their home yacht club in this inaugural event. Some 220 boats in 15 classes sailed in the 2009 Pure Michigan Bayview Mackinac Race.

“This is an exciting new regatta and welcome addition to the grand tradition that is the Bayview Mackinac Race,” said Commodore Bruce J. Burton. “We are excited to offer this opportunity for champions to sail against champions and another chance to sail in Detroit, showcasing the great facilities we have here.”

Racing sailboats come in different sizes and their class rating is based on a formula that includes their size, sail capacity, crew numbers and a host of technical factors. The smallest Mackinac racer in 2009 was 26-feet and the largest 88-feet.

The racing for the new regatta will put all competitors on a level playing field with each skipper and crew sailing aboard Bayview’s fleet of identical sailboats called Ultimate 20’s. The races will be held on the Detroit River, just steps from the Bayview Yacht Club docks on the day of the annual Mackinac Race awards dinner where winners are presented with their trophies and medals.

Racing will be short, point-to-point races, with a downwind start. The start/finish line will be directly in front of Bayview Yacht Club, which will allow for a spectacular view for spectators, sponsors and supporters.

Racing will begin at Noon, and an elimination series will be held to determine the finalists. Finalists will then race to determine the BAYVIEW YACHT CLUB MACKINAC AWARDS INVITATIONAL RIVER CHALLENGE Champion.

Bayview will present a perpetual trophy to the winner that will be engraved with both the winner’s name and their home yacht club’s name. The trophy will remain on permanent display in Bayview’s historic trophy case. A separate trophy will be awarded to the winner for their club or personal display.
“I am very pleased that Tim Prophit, who has participated in 27 Bayview Mackinac Races, has agreed to serve as Chairman for this regatta. The Bayview Board and its members are excited about this new challenge and the innovative thinking of our members,” Burton said.

Bayview Yacht Club, recognized as the premier sailing club in Michigan and one of the most storied and historical club’s in the world, has promoted racing sailing since its inception in 1915. Bayview has also taken a leadership role in supporting and encouraging women and junior sailing for many years. The 86th Bayview Mackinac Race will take place on July 17, 2010.

For more information on Bayview Yacht Club please visit www.byc.com or call 313-822-1853. For media or sponsorship inquiries please contact Bruce Babiarz, BAB Associates, LLC, (248) 890-5030. Babiarz@Comcast.Net. For more information on the Bayview Mackinac Awards Regatta you may contact Chairman Tim Prophit directly at tprophit@comcast.net.