By James Kelley, Voice Reporter With over 100,000 spectators expected to flock to Port Huron for the start of the 2010 Pure Michigan Bayview Mackinac race, the city of Port Huron is giving them a reason to stay.Building around the race, the Blue Water Fest will begin tomorrow and feature activities fun for the family well after the sailboats have left for Mackinac on Saturday morning.in its 86th year, the world class sailboat race will launch from Port Huron on Saturday as the 207 registered participants race to Mackinac Island. race fans will be able to track the action through Global system Positioning, or GPS, tracking devices placed in participating boats. By visiting Michigan.org or byc.com, race fans can track the race all weekend and follow their favorite boat for the journey.Spokesman for the Bayview Yacht Club, Bruce Babiarz, said the four major Detroit sports teams will also compete with one another in the race. The Detroit Lions, Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers, along with the Detroit Broadcasters Association, have all adopted a boat; and the four will compete with one another for tickets to their team’s games."Sailing is a popular sport in the area but we wanted to generate more interest amongst the greatest sports town in the country," Babiarz said. "each boat will have a logo on it and can be tracked online with the rest of the racers."Racing for the Lions will be the boat called Rebel III. The Red Wings have adopted the boat called Surprize and the Pistons have taken on the boat named George. The boat named Epic will represent the Detroit Tigers.Down four racers from a year ago, 207 registered boats will leave Port Huron Saturday en route to Mackinac Island. Racers can take one of two routes. The shorter course is called the Thunder Bay course and runs 252 statute miles toward a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration weather buoy located 43 miles southeast of Alpena. this buoy signals the turn towards the finish line.The longer course, which is called the Cove Island course, is a more challenging 298 statute-mile trip that crosses over into Canadian waters. Racers from as far as Hong Kong are making the trip to Michigan to participate in the annual event.according to Babiarz, Karl Kwok from Hong Kong will race in the event this weekend with his boat named Beau Guest."Mr. Kwok heard about the event and decided to make the trip to Michigan with his 80-foot boat," Babiarz said. "I think that shows how special this race is when you have someone willing to come all the way from Hong Kong to participate."yet, when the boats set sail on Saturday morning, the action won’t stop.The inaugural Blue Water Fest will take place from Thursday to Saturday and offers a variety of music and activities to build off the race."There will be music in every direction," event producer Jon Witz said. "we will feature 50 bands on four different stages through the three days. Our goal is to continue the family oriented idea from Thursday to Saturday and keep the party going through Saturday night. once the boats leave, the action will continue."Teaming up with Operation Transformation, Blue Water Fest organizers have created the Physicians Health Care Kids’ Zone complete with activities for children. The Kids’ Zone, which is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, will also feature a tent sponsored by best Buy which will feature video games free for kids to play.The Blue Water Art fair will run on Friday and Saturday in conjunction with Blue Water Fest and feature the work of 80 artists. a tall ship will also be on display throughout the festival, along with Jet Ski demonstrations.Port Huron Mayor Pauline Repp said she is looking forward to the new event in conjunction with the traditional race."we are thrilled to be building on the tradition of the Bayview Mackinac race, which has been a Michigan rite of summer since 1925 and features a spectacular array of sailboats lining the Black and St. Clair rivers in Port Huron," Repp said. "each year, thousands of spectators – sailors and those who wish they were – come here to view the yachts. to bring more people to the area and entice them to enjoy all the city has to offer, the city of Port Huron is putting on a festival with much wider appeal and excitement. The benefit to our city and this region will be tremendous."Power boats will also replace the sailboats on Saturday as well, according to Witz in effort to keep the party going."As soon as the sailboats leave, the power boats will come in," Witz said. "There is a lot going on in the three-day span and I think it’s going to be a great weekend for the city of Port Huron."For more information on the event, including a complete schedule of events and activities, visit bluewaterfest.com.  Submit a Comment

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