The Tall Ships Challenge 2010 racing series will bring a fleet of tall ships from around the world to the Great Lakes. Sponsored by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) and Great Lakes United, the event will promote water conservation education and youth sail training. The racing series will take place on the world’s largest fresh water body and will cross all five Great Lakes.

Great Lakes United is a coalition that works to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Great Lakes. Comprised of environmentalists, academics, conservationists, Native tribes and other concerned citizens, the organization works to clean up pollution and stop invasive species in the Great Lakes. The Tall Ships Challenge 2010, billed as “The Race to Save the Lakes,” will take place from June 30 through August 29.

In 2009, ASTA sponsored a Tall Ships Challenge that crossed the Atlantic. See amazing footage of Tall Ships in action in this YouTube video from that event.

The Erie Yacht Club is one of the largest and oldest privately owned Great Lakes yacht clubs. Erie Yacht Club is located on the shores of the Presque Isla Bay of Lake Erie. The club was founded in 1895 by George T. Bliss, who served as Erie Yacht Club’s first Commodore. The club’s membership has had ups and downs over the years, but currently boasts a roster of over 1,200 members. Club members are committed to promote, encourage and develop yachting activities on Lake Erie. The club’s Reyburn Sailing School has a 60-year history of teaching juniors and adults water safety and the fine art of sailing.