The Swiftsure yacht race has been cancelled — again.
For the second year in a row, organizers have pulled the plug on the annual international sailing event off the Victoria waterfront because of the risks involved with COVID-19.
The 2021 event, which was scheduled for the last weekend in May, was called off this week as organizers on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border agreed that there were no guarantees that the pandemic would be under control by the spring.
“It was a heck of a commitment to make on a maybe,” Swiftsure co-chair Andrew McBride said in an interview Friday. “So we made the decision [not to proceed].”
This year’s Swiftsure race was cancelled in March as the pandemic was unfolding, ending a run of 74 consecutive years for the largest yacht racing event on the West Coast.
This time, McBride said the organizing committee realized they had to look ahead early in the planning process.
“We looked at the vaccine situation and the ability for people to move around safely … health officials are saying maybe next fall,” he said. “We didn’t want to put on an event where people still might be at risk.”
McBride also noted there isn’t any indication the border will open any time soon as COVID-19 cases surge in Canada and mount at alarming rates in the U.S.
Swiftsure typically draws up to 200 yachts, hundreds of crew and thousands of supporters and spectators from Canada and the U.S. Almost two-thirds of the largest yachts involved in the longest races are American.
The organizing committee has more than 300 volunteers, and the support structure includes dozens of sponsors and ships and crew from the Canadian Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and search-and-rescue agencies.
The five-day event has long been considered a kickoff to the summer tourist season and it’s a boon for hotels, restaurants and bars.
“Swiftsure isn’t just a race, it’s an event,” McBride said. “And we want to be back for a strong event in 2022.”
He said organizers will meet next week to determine how to fill the void, possibly holding virtual races or smaller race events on each side of the international boundary.
“We have sent out emails to all our participants to explain our reasons and we are getting positive feedback,” McBride said. “They regret it, but they understand.”
dkloster@timescolonist.com
