Comments on: VIEW THE TRAILER http://www.americansailors.tv/posts/news/hello-world/ The wind shows no favorites. Anyone can win. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:37:21 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: American Sailors http://www.americansailors.tv/posts/news/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-2 American Sailors Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:12:12 +0000 http://www.americansailors.tv/v2/?p=1#comment-2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NATIONWIDE PREMIER OF HISTORIC SAILBOAT RACE TO AIR ON JULY 4 Sailboat racing takes center stage this Saturday when the visually stunning program American Sailors debuts to a national television audience. This HD documentary takes a behind the scenes look at the stories of four sailboat skippers racing in the 100th running of the Chicago to Mackinac sailing event. WGN America will air the primetime special on Saturday, July 4th at 9:00 PM EST, with an encore broadcast scheduled for Sunday, July 26 at 1:00 PM EST. The Chicago to Mackinac is the world’s longest and oldest freshwater race, and 2008 marked its historic 100th running. The tradition and drama of this celebrated event were beautifully captured in high definition by the producers of American Sailors as they followed the featured boats for the entire race. “This was an amazing opportunity for us to tell the story of one of the most celebrated events in North American sailing,” said John Grooters who produced and directed the program. “The pictures and the stories behind them are an incredible part of our maritime legacy.” Eighty six foot boat Windquest, owned by Dick and Doug DeVos, is captained by professional sailor Tom Giesler and is one of the most decorated boats in freshwater racing history. Coming into the Mac, Windquest is fresh off a three flag victory in the prior week’s Queen’s Cup. Windquest also won the 2007 Chicago to Mackinac race by being first to finish, first in class, and first overall. American Sailors also sails with John Nedeau and his boat Windancer. Neadeau is the most experienced racer in Mac history, and is running the race for a record 61st time. To counter-balance the ultra-experienced Nedeau is first time skipper Brian Torresen. Brian is an experienced race hand who has crewed on racing boats all over the world, but who gets his first-ever chance to skipper his own boat on a 32’ Melges called Peerless. And finally American Sailors rides with Middle School teacher Steve Schiller who races with his two sons on a thirty-five year old family boat Souvenir. Steve’s boat may be older and slower, but he is as serious about winning as anyone. The show’s tag line is, “The Wind Shows No Favorites – Anyone Can Win” and this debut episode of the program proves that to be true. Produced by West Michigan production company, Grooters Productions, American Sailors was shot in High Definition from air, sea and land with camera crews both on and off the featured boats. Shooting began in March of 2008 and concluded in August of that year. The finished show is sprinkled with motion graphics, slo-motion race footage, and original music. American Sailors has already won a national award for productions excellence and has been picked up for international distribution by Solid Entertainment. Solid is shopping the show overseas under the moniker Champion Sailors. Here’s what the website Sailing Anarchy had to say about the program: What a pleasant surprise it was then for us to hear today that Chicago-based national cable network WGN has picked up the Grooters Productions' “American Sailors” documentary. The program has great production quality and awesome racing scenes, but more importantly, it focuses on four interesting characters and follows them for the entire race. SA's own longtime member Brian Torresen and his heavily turboed Melges 30 'Peerless' is one of those sailors, and anyone who knows BT knows that his appearance on the screen is guaranteed to be entertaining, at the very least. http://www.sailinganarchy.com/article.php?get=3904, 06/26/09 American Sailors is Grooters Productions’ first nationally broadcast prime-time special. John Grooters says his hope is to produce a full season of American Sailors, and to expand the program to cover other iconic races around the world. “We are going to look for the interesting and passionate stories wherever we can find them in locations all over the world,” Grooters said. To find out more or to view the program trailer visit the show’s website at: www.AmericanSailors.tv. Contact: Sara Hogan sara@americansailors.tv 17 West 6th Street Holland, MI 49423 616-546-4000 ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATIONWIDE PREMIER OF HISTORIC SAILBOAT RACE TO AIR ON JULY 4
Sailboat racing takes center stage this Saturday when the visually stunning program American Sailors debuts to a national television audience.
This HD documentary takes a behind the scenes look at the stories of four sailboat skippers racing in the 100th running of the Chicago to Mackinac sailing event. WGN America will air the primetime special on Saturday, July 4th at 9:00 PM EST, with an encore broadcast scheduled for Sunday, July 26 at 1:00 PM EST.
The Chicago to Mackinac is the world’s longest and oldest freshwater race, and 2008 marked its historic 100th running. The tradition and drama of this celebrated event were beautifully captured in high definition by the producers of American Sailors as they followed the featured boats for the entire race.
“This was an amazing opportunity for us to tell the story of one of the most celebrated events in North American sailing,” said John Grooters who produced and directed the program. “The pictures and the stories behind them are an incredible part of our maritime legacy.”
Eighty six foot boat Windquest, owned by Dick and Doug DeVos, is captained by professional sailor Tom Giesler and is one of the most decorated boats in freshwater racing history. Coming into the Mac, Windquest is fresh off a three flag victory in the prior week’s Queen’s Cup. Windquest also won the 2007 Chicago to Mackinac race by being first to finish, first in class, and first overall.
American Sailors also sails with John Nedeau and his boat Windancer. Neadeau is the most experienced racer in Mac history, and is running the race for a record 61st time.
To counter-balance the ultra-experienced Nedeau is first time skipper Brian Torresen. Brian is an experienced race hand who has crewed on racing boats all over the world, but who gets his first-ever chance to skipper his own boat on a 32’ Melges called Peerless.
And finally American Sailors rides with Middle School teacher Steve Schiller who races with his two sons on a thirty-five year old family boat Souvenir. Steve’s boat may be older and slower, but he is as serious about winning as anyone. The show’s tag line is, “The Wind Shows No Favorites – Anyone Can Win” and this debut episode of the program proves that to be true.
Produced by West Michigan production company, Grooters Productions, American Sailors was shot in High Definition from air, sea and land with camera crews both on and off the featured boats. Shooting began in March of 2008 and concluded in August of that year. The finished show is sprinkled with motion graphics, slo-motion race footage, and original music. American Sailors has already won a national award for productions excellence and has been picked up for international distribution by Solid Entertainment. Solid is shopping the show overseas under the moniker Champion Sailors.
Here’s what the website Sailing Anarchy had to say about the program:
What a pleasant surprise it was then for us to hear today that Chicago-based national cable network WGN has picked up the Grooters Productions’ “American Sailors” documentary. The program has great production quality and awesome racing scenes, but more importantly, it focuses on four interesting characters and follows them for the entire race. SA’s own longtime member Brian Torresen and his heavily turboed Melges 30 ‘Peerless’ is one of those sailors, and anyone who knows BT knows that his appearance on the screen is guaranteed to be entertaining, at the very least.
http://www.sailinganarchy.com/article.php?get=3904, 06/26/09
American Sailors is Grooters Productions’ first nationally broadcast prime-time special. John Grooters says his hope is to produce a full season of American Sailors, and to expand the program to cover other iconic races around the world.
“We are going to look for the interesting and passionate stories wherever we can find them in locations all over the world,” Grooters said.
To find out more or to view the program trailer visit the show’s website at: http://www.AmericanSailors.tv.

Contact: Sara Hogan
sara@americansailors.tv
17 West 6th Street
Holland, MI 49423
616-546-4000

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