Historic and Modern Competitive Sailing Come Together for Tall Ships Chicago 2013

CHICAGO - May 10, 2013 - PRLog -- One of the premier Chicago area events this summer (http://www.conciergepreferred.com/chicago-festivals/5152-best-2013-summer-events.html) is the Tall Ships Chicago festival taking place at Navy Pier between August 7 and 11. For the festival, many sailing vessels from around the world will be docking at Navy Pier for visitors to observe and even board with the purchase of special tickets. A maritime parade, dubbed Parade of Sail, will kick off the event and festivities include tours of and educational activities related to these magnificent vessels.

Joining Tall Ships at Navy Pier for the duration of the festival is the Chicago Match Cup. The east end of the pier will be transformed into a deluxe seating area, complete with live commentary, for visitors to watch the twelve teams of sailors from various countries compete against one another in match style races, a type of race that involves teams facing off on the course two at a time.

The racers are vying both for the prize of $100,000 and an improved ranking in the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, itself offering a World Championship prize worth $1.7 million. Race fans should note, the Chicago Match Cup is the only American stop on that particular tour, and as such Tall Ships Chicago is likely the closest and most convenient way for American sailboat racing connoisseurs to see an international competition in person.

Admission for the first day of the 2013 Tall Ships Festival in Chicago (http://www.conciergepreferred.com/component/k2/5248-tall-...) is free, so anyone can come observe the Parade of Sail. However, during Parade of Sail on August 7, access to the ships will be limited compared to the rest of the festival. From August 8-11, general admission will cost $5 and those looking to board and tour the vessels will need to purchase special passes running $25 for adults and $12 for children ages 3-12. Admission includes the opportunity to watch the Chicago Match Cup Races.