Conditions on Saturday morning proved to be more than a match for some participating in the Swiftsure International Yacht Race, with a number of skippers calling it quits shortly after the race started.
Race organizers said three of the five multihull ships withdrew from racing this year after finding the conditions too difficult.
It appeared that sailing conditions may have caused broken gear for several boats, including one boat that experienced a shredded mainsail, they said.
Swiftsure race commentator Dale Gann said while 25-knot winds may have caused a challenging start, they could help some sailors break records this year.
“If you keep your vessel going and safe, and you can get the course around the wind, those really high performance vessels might be pushing some of our records,” he said.
Boats to watch include last year’s Swiftsure Lightship Classic winner Zvi racing out of the Seattle Yacht Club and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s Will O The Wisp, which is crewed by several Olympians, Gann said.
“It’s a big test to them, but they’re all seasoned sailors … grinning and having a good time getting wet,” said Gann, the vice-commodore of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, which is presenting the race.
Hundreds of people gathered at Clover Point to watch the start of the Swiftsure races.
Members of the Central Saanich Lions club were on the grassy knoll providing breakfast, though a brisk wind made it tricky to spread condiments on rapidly-cooling pancakes.
Ian Statham, who was watching the race from the shoreline with his family, had a portable radio receiver around his neck that dialled into the Swiftsure race announcements.
Hearing the race countdowns was almost like being on one of the racing yachts, he said.
About 135 boats are participating in the six Swiftsure races this year, up from 117 last year.
Longtime Swiftsure race watcher Paul Statham, Ian’s father, remembers the heydays of the 1980s when upwards of 400 boats would participate.
The night before the race was a boisterous time back then, he said, recalling flying beer bottles and mooning.
Asked if they would ever want to participate, both Stathams said they prefer watching the race instead. “[Swiftsure] takes more of a man than I am,” Paul joked.
Swiftsure, which began in 1930 with only six boats, is now the largest competitive yachting event on North America’s west coast.
The races haven’t happened in only a few years, due to world events such as the Great Depression, the Second World War and the COVID-19 pandemic.
To follow the races and for more information:
• Those with smartphones can download Kwindoo LiveView from the App Store for iPhones or Play Store on Androids, though Swiftsure organizers said on Saturday that there was a server error on Kwindoo, possibly due to a server overload.
• Boats with AIS can be monitored through an AIS tracking site. A list of sites can be found here: swiftsure.org/marine-traffic-in-strait
• Swiftsure’s Facebook page will provide real-time updates, photos, and essential information for attendees.
• Go to Swiftsure.org.
Note to readers: This article was updated on May 26 with information about the yachts that had pulled out of the race. An earlier version of the article cited information from a Swiftsure social media post that was later removed.
