Bayview Yacht Club, the premier sailing club in Michigan and the Midwest, is going to host the inaugural Bayview Yacht Club International Match Race for the Detroit Cup.

Highly-ranked racing sailors from six countries are going to compete in the May 8-11 event, which will be sailed on Bayview’s club owned fleet of Ultimate 20 sailboats.

Competitors for the 2008 Detroit Cup and their international ranking include: Victor Lanier, of France, 11th; Andrey Arbuzov, of Russia, 15th; Simon Minoprio, of New Zealand, 26th; Chris Van Tol, of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., 31st and the top U.S. skipper; Brian Angel, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., 37th; Adam Minoprio, of New Zealand, 43rd; Dave Perry, of Southport, Conn., 44th; Juan Ignacio Grimaldi, of Argentina, 53rd; and Simone Ferrarese, of Italy, 54th.

According to the International Sailing Federation’s grading criteria, this event is one of the top three prestigious events in North America in 2008. This race is sponsored by Toyota Motor Company.

The private yacht club is inviting sailing fans to watch the race from the club.

Swimming is one of the many forms of exercises that you can learn in a few days. Once you know the basics, it will be easier for you to learn the strokes. Here are few tips on how to best execute the swimming techniques.

There are some myths related to swimming. Many people have the perception that is you create a lot of splashes in the water you will be able to move faster. This is absolutely wrong. By splashing the water you are actually kicking the air and not the water while moving forward.

The correct technique is to maximize the distance achieved per stroke. By doing this you will be able to let your hands enter the water properly.

Freestyle: When applying the freestyle technique, let your thumb enter first. Let your finger loose enough to catch water and push it backward. Once the hand has reached the thigh, the other hand must be ready to do the same motion and maintain the momentum.

Let the power come from the thighs and not from your lower legs. This is because the muscles in thighs are bigger and stronger resulting to better propulsion.

The next important thing is to know how you should breathe in the water. Just turn your head to the side and raise it just enough to allow air to enter your mouth.

When you jump into the water, keep the body as tight as possible and hands squeezed between the ears. Increase the momentum by using your legs after pushing away from the wall just before starting the stroke.

This way, you can conserve a lot of energy especially if you are doing a number of laps non-stop.

Backstroke: When you are doing a backstroke, apply exactly the opposite what you did in freestyle. Your arms should come out with the thumb first and enter the water using the finger. This will allow you to catch more water for each stroke.

In backstroke, bend your legs tightly to add propulsion to the work done by the hands while your head should stay still looking at sky. The breathing pattern is similar to freestyle which can be done after every stroke or more.

Breaststroke: Breaststroke is similar to how frogs swim. The technique used in the arms has evolved in many years that instead of creating a wide area for the hands to catch water, a smaller circle has been proven to be more efficient.
The reentry for the arms can be done on the surface which increases the interval of both pulling and kicking that make you move faster in the water.

To be a good swimmer, all you need to do is spend more and more time in the water, practicing the sport.