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By Greg Bartlett

On July 25, the 85th running of the Pure Michigan Bayview Mackinac Race will begin.  Thousands of people will gather at Port Huron to watch the sailboats set out, and a few days later the crowd will gather again at Mackinac Island to watch the finish.  In between the two exciting events, however, everyone just has to wait to find out what happens. 

Or at least they used to.  This year the race will involve GPS tracking of the sailboats.  Now you can visit the official website, michigan.org/gps, and follow the progress of any or all of the contestants.  You can monitor individual boats in real time, watch the different classes, keep track of weather alerts, and see how the race is going overall.  For family and friends this can be a tool which proves peace of mind while their loved one is out on the waters. 

For instance, one mother reports that her 14-year-old son will be in the race with his father.  She feels much safer being able to monitor their progress with GPS tracking, plus she says it is fascinating and entertaining.  She can see on the computer if they make a wrong turn or if a sailboat gets ahead of them.  During the two to three days while the boats are out of sight, she’ll probably get wrapped up in watching the race’s progress on her computer.

The crews can use the GPS tracking information, too, to find out where their competitors are.  While the information won’t replace sailing expertise, it can be helpful, even providing information about speed and wind direction, indications which suggest which boat is most likely to finish first.  The crews can also use the information to find out about the next part of the course and adjust strategy as necessary.

Using GPS tracking to follow the Mackinac race’s sailboats will provide a way not only to improve contestants’ strategy and provide family and friends with peace of mind, it will also make the race more interesting.  Now anyone can watch the entire race and find out exactly what is going on.  Sure, enthusiasts will still want to be there for the opening and the finish, but now they can also find out what their favorite boat is doing every hour of the day.  Be there for the start of the race on July 25, but now you can also watch the entire race from start to finish.  You won’t want to miss it.