New shore-based events, a change in life-raft requirements and new technology are some of the highlights of this weekend’s 71st Swiftsure International Yacht Race.
Ships began arriving in Victoria’s Inner Harbour on Friday in anticipation of the race. Although the race is a test of sailors’ abilities, landlubbers can share the excitement starting this afternoon as the Swiftsure Centre tent goes up and the public can rub shoulders with skippers.
The Royal Victoria Yacht Club, the host of the race, has added a number of shore-based events to expand the event’s appeal.
“We want it to be more than just a boat race,” said Gary Davis, chairman for media for the race.
“We have built up on-shore activities so that there is more to see and do between the time the ships start and when they return.”
Activities include a night market with about 28 stalls, including food vendors. To acknowledge the event taking place in traditional Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations lands, there will be a Lekwungen Cultural Centre. Entertainment includes a Jack Sparrow impersonator and local bands.
The race on Saturday follows a blessing on the fleet by Songhees and Esquimalt elders, followed by a search-and-rescue demonstration.
Organizers expect to welcome 185 ships, including 71 signed up for the Cape Flattery race and 29 for the 240-kilometre Swiftsure Lightship Classic.
A recategorization of safety requirements has opened the Swiftsure race to smaller boats this year, resulting in almost doubling the number of entries to 29.
“We haven’t seen this number of entries since 2005,” said Davis.
The change in safety requirements this year has meant entries in coastal races don’t have to carry a lifeboat, although the boats still need to adhere to specific safety equipment.
While the boats may be out of sight during the race, a chase boats with photographers on board will follow them, sending back pictures, some in real time. The race’s 800 Twitter followers will get tweets updating them on the progress of the boats.
People can also follow the progress of all the participants in real time with a Race Tracker program online. Every boat is equipped with a GPS transponder, which communicates its position every 10 minutes. People can track individual or multiple boats at any time during the race. By putting the race on the Internet, armchair fans of the competition anywhere in the world can follow the boats.
The new technology is also a safety net, with co-ordinates instantly available in case of an emergency.
There are five races on Saturday and viewing is free. The Swiftsure Lightship Classic starts at 9 a.m., the Unlimited Flattery Race and Cape Flattery Race for Multihulls start at 9:10 a.m., the Cape Flattery Race starts at 9:20 a.m., the Juan de Fuca Race starts at 9:30 a.m., and the Swiftsure Inshore Classic starts at 9:40 a.m. from Clover Point. The finish line for all except the Inshore Classic is the Ogden Point Breakwater. The Inshore Classic finishes in Cadboro Bay.
Official Swiftsure events begin Friday at 2 p.m. at the Swiftsure Centre at Ship Point in the Inner Harbour, but the public is invited to come down to watch the boats arrive starting today.
The centre will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday. A pancake breakfast is served at 8 a.m. Saturday at Clover Point. The Swiftsure Centre is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for race tracking and free vessel plotting. Competitors are expected to cross the finish line, at the breakwater at Ogden Point Sunday and Monday.
For information, go to swiftsure.org.
