HMCS Malahat on station for windy start to 79th Swiftsure Yacht Race

By Lookout Production on Jun 04, 2024 with Comments 0

Sailor 3rd Class Isabelle Maguet of HMCS Malahat keeps a close eye on the 135 boats at the start line of the 79th Swiftsure Yacht Race, including the Royal Canadian Navy training vessel Goldcrest, centre, off Clover Point on May 25. Photo: Lieutenant (Navy) Donald Den.

Lt(N) Donald Den,
HMCS Malahat PAO

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For hundreds of boaters and spectators, the end of May marked the Swiftsure International Yacht Race.

In its 79th year, Swiftsure is the largest sailing race on the west coast of North America and draws hundreds of participants and boats to Victoria. About 135 boats were entered in the six different Swiftsure races, up from 117 last year.

Personnel from HMCS Malahat, Victoria’s Naval Reserve Division, was on station to support the start of the six different divisional races.

“Being amongst the boats and having to move around in the wind and waves was so exciting,” said Malahat’s Sailor 3rd Class (S3) Isabelle Maguet. “Definitely my favourite part of being out here and supporting Swiftsure!”

Malahat provided a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) and personnel, which kept a close eye on the start line and communicated with the race officials on MV Hecate Sentinel, the Signals Boat. The RHIB acted as a marshalling boat in case any racing boats needed to be ‘herded’ into a different position.

With winds gusting to 25 knots, the sea was rough and choppy, leading to a start that was challenging, fast, and crowded.

Conditions proved to be ‘more than a match’ for at least two boats, which called it quits less than an hour into the start of the first race. This opener ran in stark contrast to the last three Swiftsure races, which were marked with low winds and heavy rains, leading many to refer to the event as ‘Driftsure’, but that was certainly not the case this year as boats zipped between each other at high speeds.

“Events such as Swiftsure provide Malahat with an opportunity to contribute and interact with the local and international communities with on-water support to the event,” said Lieutenant-Commander Anne Gardam, Commanding Officer of Malahat.

Despite some delays with the six separate race starts due to weather and large vessels in the shipping channels in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the race got underway successfully. Will O The Wisp, owned by Jeff Eckard and based at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, won the Swiftsure Lightship Classic, the longest of the races. It was only the second time a Royal Victoria Yacht Club boat had won since 1930.