71st Swiftsure International Yacht Race

The 71st Swiftsure race was a good one. Saturday morning was sunny with the wind WSW at 15 knots and promising to build throughout the day, and the tide was on the flood
until late afternoon making it a challenging start.

At 0900 sharp the Swiftsure Lightship Classic was away after a blessing by Lekwungen (Songhees and Esquimalt) First Nations Elders from Clover Point. By 0950 all the races had started without any delays,and 187 sailboats were on their way.

Immediately after the start, spectators on Clover Point were treated to a search and rescue demonstration involving a Royal Canadian Air Force Cormorant helicopter and Canadian Coast Guard patrol vessel Cape Naden.

The difficulty of lifting a man by helicopter from a moving vessel in 15 knots of wind and 3 knots of tide was clear.

The lesson; be careful when you are on the water. The wind held up through Saturday bringing the multihull Dragonfly representing the Royal Victoria Yacht Club home from Cape Flattery (101.9nm )in 10 hours 53 minutes and 34 seconds to win Line Honours. Not a record, but very fast. Lawn Dart from the Nanaimo Yacht Club (PHRF) and Flash from the Corinthian Yacht Club Seattle (IRC) were the first home and also first on handicap in the Cape Flattery Unlimited races, and AnamCara from the Portland Yacht Club won first overall in the Cape Flattery race which had 54 entries.

Longboard of the West Vancouver Yacht Club was first home among the PHRF boats, and Icon of the Anacortes Yacht Club won Line Honours among the IRC handicapped boats in the Lightship Classic (138.2nm) making the round trip to the Swiftsure Bank in 25 hours 26 minutes and 53 seconds. Glory of the Seattle Yacht Club corrected over Icon on handicap.

In the Juan de Fucara(78.7nm) Mai Tai of the Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club was first home in 12 hours 8 minutes and 45 seconds(before dark).Blade Runner of the Bellingham Yacht Club was first in the double handed division. Juan de Fuca Strait became its usual difficult water obstacle when night brought lightwind and bigtides.

The light winds persisted throughout Sunday frustrating 20 of the 23 boatstrying to finish the Lightship Classic.

The other races had much better sailing. Only 15 of the 51 boats racing to Cape Flattery did not finish.

In the Juan de Fuca race 30 of the 37 boats entered finished the race.

Great sailing!

This year everyone finished the Inshore Classic. First home to light the BBQ was Anomaly of the Seattle Yacht Club (Monohull Flying Sails) in 12:26:04, Annie 12:19:0 (Monohull Non Flying Sails),and Flying Kiwi in 13:39:01 (Multihulls). Sugar Glider finished first overall among the

Flying Sails to take the Kevin Clark Trophy.

For complete results checkout our website at http://www.swiftsure.org/results/

It was a wonderful weekend of sailing. It did have its challenges, but as they say, Swiftsure, Always a Challenge