15 J's Challenge Notorious Juan de Fuca Straits
(Victoria, BC, Canada)- While Storm Trysail is hosting the east coast spring classic offshore race on the "right coast", on the "left coast" the Royal Victoria Yacht club in Victoria, British Columbia is hosting the Pacific Northwest’s Premiere Yacht Race-- the 68th running of their spring classic- the Swiftsure Lightship Classic Race. As one of the oldest long-distance races in North America, starting in 1930, the Swiftsure has always been a test of seamanship and tactical skill. The spring weather in the Straits can turn fast and stir up viciously steep chop and blow a gale, and then some. Last year's event saw "the pots, the pans and the kitchen sink" all thrown at them over the course of the race-- Mother Nature was at her usual capricious self.
The racers have a choice of 3 races to sail, the "Swiftsure Lightship Classic" that's 137 miles, the "Juan de Fuca Race" that's only 76 miles and the "Cape Flattery Race" that's 100 miles in length. All racing yachts will have a tracker system using Globalstar’s SPOT technology- locations are updated every 10 minutes, of every boat on the Swiftsure Lightship Classic, Cape Flattery, and Juan de Fuca race courses.The sixteen J's sailing in the three races include the gorgeous J/160 JAM sailed by John McPhail-- the only J doing the 137 nm Swiftsure Lightship Classic race. In the other two races, there are two J/109s sailing, including Dave McLean's ILLUSIONIST (CFR) and Peter McComb's TIPPY (JDFR). Also sailing are the J/122 ANAM CARA sailed by Tom Kelly (CFR), Scott Campbell's J/46 RIVA (CFR), four J/35s, three J/30s, a J/42, a J/105 and a J/33. Sailing photo credits- R Beberidge/ FlashInThePan.com For more Swiftsure Race sailing information.
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