Winds and tides set to help sailors in 81st annual Swiftsure race

Swiftsure racers prepare for test of grit and endurance off Victoria

Sunny skies and moderate winds: those are the conditions expected for this year’s Swiftsure yacht races – trials that, for 81 years, have pitted sailors against each other in long-distance, often gruelling tests of skill, endurance and grit. Sporting shorts, wraparound sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen, dozens of boaters will begin the races just off Clover Point at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 23. Each of the 100 participating boats, which range in…

Winds and tides set to help sailors in 81st annual Swiftsure race

Hundreds of sailors will take to the waters of Juan de Fuca Strait this weekend for the 81st annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race.

Sails, Strategy and a Little Beer Math: Sailors set for Swiftsure

When it comes to sailing, there’s etiquette involved. For starters, don’t just hop aboard someone’s yacht without asking permission. “Permission to come aboard, please?” I asked before stepping onto Free Bowl of Soup, a yacht moored in the Inner Harbour from Portland, Oregon. “Hell yeah,” laughed sailor Piper Easton. The laid-back atmosphere along Victoria’s waterfront is quickly giving way to race-day excitement as sailors from both sides of th…