Expect to see records broken at the Swiftsure International Yacht Race this weekend.
Some of the Pacific Northwest’s fastest mono- and multi-hull racing sailboats will gather in Victoria for the 73rd running of the popular yacht race.
By Tuesday, 208 boats had been registered for one of five races that start on Saturday morning: The Swiftsure Lightship Classic (138.2 nautical miles), Hein Bank Race (118.1 nautical miles), Cape Flattery Race (101.9 nautical miles), Juan de Fuca Race (78.7 nautical miles) and the shorter Swiftsure Inshore Classic. The first four are considered long as parts of those races take place after dark.
“There is a good possibility that records will fall this year,” said race chairman Vern Burkhardt.
“It’s very competitive and, with our handicapping system, everybody has a fair chance at winning.”
The excitement this year centres around six sailboats that are 21 metres and longer. All things being equal, a boat with a longer waterline will be faster than smaller boats.
Competitors this year are expected to encounter fair winds and favourable currents that will aid them outbound and, with luck and the right timing, inbound from Race Rocks as well.
Thousands of spectators are expected to line up along Dallas Road, near Cook Street or at Clover Point (the two best viewing areas) to watch the start.
Thanks to modern technology, spectators can continue to follow the race even after the boats have disappeared over the horizon.
Transponders are fitted to every boat in the long races to communicate its position to a satellite every 10 minutes. Positions will be entered into a digital map at the Swiftsure Centre, in the Steamship Grill and Bar restaurant in the Inner Harbour. You can also follow the race online.
Elders from the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations will bless the fleet from Clover Point at 8:30 a.m., just before the start of the race. They will ask their ancestors to give the participants safe passage as they travel through the traditional fishing and hunting grounds of both bands.
The races start with the first wave at 9 a.m., followed by a group every 10 minutes, with the last of the boats off by 9:40 a.m.
After the boats have set off, a CH-149 Cormorant of 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, usually stationed at CFB Comox and redeployed to Victoria for the race, will demonstrate a sea-rescue exercise just off Clover Point.
Yachts in the long-distance races typically start crossing the finish line, off the end of the Ogden Point breakwater, overnight Saturday into Sunday.
Boats can be followed at tracker.swiftsure.org. For information, go to swiftsure.org.
Neighbours enhance community spirit
What better way to meet your neighbours than a community festival or block party? Two neighbourhood events on Saturday give residents the chance to have fun and get to know one another.
Enjoy a free, fun-filled multi-cultural family event at the Selkirk Waterfront Festival, hosted by the Burnside Gorge Community Association.
There will be carnival-style rides and activities for children in the Family Fun Zone, with face painting, balloon twisting, a duck pond, crafty kids and interactive fun with the Dreamco Circus.
You can shop for arts and crafts products in a colourful street market or dine on ethnic cuisine in the international food court.
The event features a kaleidoscope of live world music and dance, including Wontanara African Drum and Dance, Veselka Ukranian Dance, Bollywood Beats, Salsa Caliente and the Soul Shakers.
The event is free to attend. It runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Selkirk Green Park, 350 Waterfront Cres.
For information, go to burnsidegorge.ca.
Esquimalt Parks and Recreation is hosting a block party to help residents get to know their neighbours while promoting a sense of community and safety.
The party is meant to raise awareness for the Block Watch Program and Esquimalt’s Block Party initiative.
Spend the afternoon getting to know your neighbours, with food, inflatable amusements, face painting, a selfie booth, and other games and activities for all ages.
There will also be community information kiosks and an art corner. The Esquimalt Lions will serve a barbeque in support of their fundraising efforts.
The event is free to attend. It runs 1 to 4 p.m. on Fraser Street in front of the Esquimalt Recreation Centre, (between Lyall Street and Carlisle Avenue).
For information, go to esquimalt.ca/news-events/events/neighbourhood-block-party.
Architecture through ages on display
See the evolution of residential architecture in Victoria at the Eclectic Heritage Home Tour on Sunday.
From Emily Carr’s iconic House of All Sorts to a modern cutting-edge glass and steel residence, the tour promises a wide-ranging look at local architecture over the past 150 years.
Those taking part in the self-guided tour can admire nine homes, from heritage houses from the 1860s through to a contemporary house completed in 2013. The event is a fundraiser for the Ross Bay Villa Society and co-sponsored by the Victoria Heritage Foundation.
“Over the past 150 years, architects and homeowners in our region have embraced diverse architectural styles and trends,” said Simone Vogel-Horridge, president of the society. “The tour is a delightful opportunity to stroll through the rooms and the gardens of these nine residences and get a sense of how our ideas of home design have evolved with the times.”
Built in 1865, Ross Bay Villa was saved from the wrecking ball in 1999. The Ross Bay Villa Society, formed in 2013, purchased the property from The Land Conservancy in 2015. Proceeds from the tour will go toward the restoration, maintenance and programming at the house/museum.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online. The tour runs noon to 5 p.m. at various locations in Victoria. It includes afternoon tea in the Victorian garden of the Ross Bay Villa Historic House Museum, 1490 Fairfield Rd. Tickets are available at rossbayvilla.org or facebook.com/Ross Bay Villa.
Model train clubs stage annual show
See rolling history in miniature at the Victoria Model Railway Show on Sunday.
There will be almost 1,700 square metres of train layouts, with operating displays of N, HO (the most popular scale of model railway, making up 65 per cent of the hobby), Lionel O and Garden-scale trains. There will also be Lego and Brio displays for younger children.
The event, which attracts up to 1,500 people every year, is an opportunity for people to meet with members of local model train clubs.
While the trains look old, they feature cutting-edge technology underneath.
“The new trains now come with sound simulation,” said show co-ordinator Ted Alexis. “This new innovation makes it possible for the built-in speakers to electronically reproduce the sound of a diesel or steam train, the whistle, chimes or bells.”
The show supports the Times Colonist Christmas Fund and C-FAX’s Santa’s Anonymous. The event is supported by B.C. Shaver and Hobbies and the Pacific Northwest Region 7th Division of the National Model Railroad Association.
Admission is $7 for adults, free for children ages eight and under when accompanied by an adult, $14 family.
The event runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Curling Rink at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, 1767 Island Hwy.
There is free parking or you can take B.C. Transit No. 50. For details, call 250-595-4070.
Swan Lake Nature House is place to bee
Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary is hosting a Bee Day drop-in program at Swan Lake Nature House on Sunday.
Visitors can discover the buzz about bees by directly viewing a newly-renovated community hive in the Nature House library.
Honey-bee colonies can have up to 50,000 members consisting of only three types: the queen, male drones and non-fertile female workers.
At the family-friendly event there will be bee costumes, bee crafts and even some bee spit to taste.
Admission is by donation. The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary at 3873 Swan Lake Rd.
Parking is limited and dogs are not allowed. For information, go to swanlake.bc.ca.
Who will be the Island’s Top Dog?
The Vancouver Island Dog Fanciers Association is holding its annual show from Friday to Sunday.
It is the show’s 83rd year. Typically, the event involves hundreds of dogs, with out-of-town participants from as far away as Nova Scotia. It is one of only two annual dog shows in the region.
Dogs compete in six categories to earn points toward the Canadian Kennel Club Championships. Many of Canada’s elite dogs in their breeds are entered in the show, vying to become 2016 Top Dog.
Organizers have arranged a charity pet food drive on Saturday in support of the pet food bank at Our Place.
Vendors will be on hand with anything and everything you could want to buy for your dog.
Admission to the show is free. The event runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day at the Saanich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stellys Cross Rd., Central Saanich.
For information, go to vidfa.ca or Facebook.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
