When the Swiftsure Lightship Classic race wound up on Sunday, Korina Korina — skippered by John Knudson of Washington state — had won.
The crew was made up of Victoria and Washington state residents who came together to face strong winds and rough seas in a “fantastic” race, crew member Duane Pinkney of Victoria said Monday.
In second place was Planet Express, based at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, with skipper Adam Serediuk.
Event chairperson Randy Diamond said sailors racing in this year’s event told him it was one of the better Swiftsures — “and some of them have done 30-35 Swiftsures.”
It was a challenging race because of a strong, adverse current at the start, he said. “The wind was light, not non-existent, so they were always moving. Then it became quite windy through the night.”
That, coupled with bigger waves, made it exhilarating for sailors, he said.
The return of the Swiftsure International Yacht Race, now in its 77th year and presented by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, follows two years of no races due to the pandemic.
It took a little extra work to stage this year’s event because of the break, Diamond said.
This year, an online charity auction was staged for the first time as part of the event, with proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and SALTS (Sail and Life Training Society). The auction, which ends at 9 p.m. Tuesday, is at hibid.ca/events/swiftsure-2022-charity-auction.
About 120 yachts, including Victoria entries, took part in the races, with hundreds of spectators lining Clover Point and the Victoria waterfront to watch the boats, with their colourful spinnakers, heading out on Saturday morning.
The first competitors in the shortest race returned that afternoon.
Once yachts passed the finish point, they took their sails down and motored to Ship Point in Victoria Harbour to tie up at the inspection dock, some in the middle of the night.
There, they were greeted with donated hot soup, which was “very well received,” Diamond said.
Safety equipment was checked and a satellite tracking device was handed in at the inspection dock.
Preliminary results for the Hein Bank race put Blue, with skipper Michael Schoendorf, in first place.
In the Cape Flattery race for monohulls, Annapurna, with Iain Christennson as skipper, was first.
The Juan de Fuca race ended with Setri of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, with skipper Peter Dennis, in first place.
Dragon, with skipper Duncan Gladman, placed first in the Juan de Fuca race for multi-hull boats.
