DETROIT – Bayview Yacht Club, one of the nation’s most storied and historic sailing clubs, has announced that Atwater Brewery is a presenting sponsor for its 2020 Bayview Mackinac Race, the 96th consecutive running of the Race. Ryan Farrell, 2020 Bayview Yacht Club Commodore, made the announcement.
As part of the partnership, Atwater has also been named Official Malt Beverage/Beer, Hard Seltzer, and Hard Cider Sponsor of the Race, which starts July 11, in Port Huron.
According to Farrell, “In a year in which Bayview Yacht Club is undergoing a historic renovation and rebirth, we are excited to add Atwater Brewery, an iconic Detroit brand, as a sponsor for this year’s Bayview Mackinac Race. As we look to the 100th consecutive Race, we are looking to build long-term affiliations that make sense financially, align with our core philosophy, and will make good long-term partners. In Mark Rieth and Atwater Brewery, we believe we have found one.”
Founded in 1997, Atwater Brewery revived Detroit’s proud brewing tradition from its location in the historic Rivertown district. Led by top-selling beers Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java Porter as well as its Hard Seltzers, Atwater has become a cornerstone of Michigan’s brewing scene. Its newest fruit-forward IPA, POG-O-Licious, encourages drinkers to #GetTropical with an easy drinking beer that balances Passion Fruit, Orange and Guava.
“Atwater Brewery and the Bayview Mackinac Race are both Pure Michigan and Pure Detroit all the way,” said Atwater Owner Mark Rieth. “Becoming a presenting sponsor of this great race is our way of not just supporting these elite sailors, but also supporting all Michiganders who enjoy the state’s waterways. Whatever the occasion, Atwater is all about having fun and drinking responsibly.”
“We anticipate that the number of boats this year will be well over 200, and as we get closer to the 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race in 2024, we expect the number of boats and attention globally to increase to a level we have not witnessed in the past,” said Chris Clark, 2020 Bayview Mackinac Chair. “For this year’s Race, we have introduced a new class for sport boats, referred to as modern planing boats. This class responds to the need to start bringing a younger demographic to sailing, and they will definitely bring an extra level of excitement to the Race.”
In addition to Atwater Brewery, Bayview Yacht Club would like to thank these returning sponsors: Grand Hotel – Official Race Hotel; Luca Mariano Distillery, LLC- official Bourbon and Rye; Gill North America- official apparel; Coral Reef Sailing Apparel; North Sails, NôMI Sparkling Water; Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry; Tito’s Handmade Vodka; Aitken Ormond and Frankenmuth Insurance. The agreement with Atwater is for one year.
From its traditional start in Southern Lake Huron, the fleet will head north on one of two courses. The shorter Shore Course covers 204 nautical miles (235 statute miles) along the Michigan shoreline heading west to the Mackinac Island Finish Line. The longer Cove Island Course is 259 nautical miles (298 statute miles) and takes sailors around a buoy off the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Canadian waters before heading west toward the finish line. The Race will culminate with the annual Awards Party at Woodfill Park, located at the foot of the hill leading to Grand Hotel on Tuesday, July 14.
About Atwater Brewery
Founded in 1997, Atwater Brewery revived Detroit’s proud brewing tradition from its location in the historic Rivertown district. Led by top-selling beers Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java Porter, Atwater became a cornerstone of Michigan’s brewing scene. Other brands, such as the recently introduced POG-O-Licious IPA, Better Life Choices (an American IPA that was named as a top ten IPA by Beer Connoisseur Magazine), Decadent Dark Chocolate (which won Bronze in the World Beer Cup) and Atwater’s Hard Seltzers augment the brewer’s portfolio. Atwater also operates three unique taphouse and biergarden locations, in Rivertown at 237 Joseph Campau in Detroit, Atwater in the Park in Grosse Pointe Park, and Atwater Grand Rapids. www.Atwaterbeer.com
About Bayview Yacht Club
Bayview Yacht Club, founded in 1915, is widely regarded as the premier sailing club in Michigan and the Midwest. Located on the Detroit River near the mouth of Lake St. Clair, it has been hosting the Mackinac Race since 1925 and has more than 1,000 members For more information: www.byc.com.