Swiftsure consists of four long-course events and one short.• The signature Swiftsure Lightship Classic (138.2 nautical miles) from Victoria to Swiftsure Bank, just outside the entrance of Juan de Fuca Strait, and back.
• Neah Bay to Hein Bank (118.1 nautical miles), over to Neah Bay, just inside the western entrance of the Juan de Fuca Strait, then to a weather buoy south of San Juan Island in the middle of the strait and back to Victoria.
• Cape Flattery Race (101.9 nautical miles), Victoria to Neah Bay and back.
• Juan de Fuca Race (78.7 nautical miles) to Clallum Bay on the U.S. side of Juan de Fuca Strait and back.
• The one-day Swiftsure Inshore Classic over to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in Cadboro Bay designed to take contestants out and back to shore in time for supper.
Boats are expected this weekend from Oregon, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver, the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and California.
Races commence 10 minutes apart, off Clover Point beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 28.
Clover Point offers a fine viewing spot for spectators to watch the start.
Also on Saturday morning at Clover Point, there’s a pancake breakfast supplied by the Central Saanich Lions Club. And the 442 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force will demonstrate a search-and-rescue operation using a helicopter.
People can also watch the progress of the race via satellite online with the Swiftsure Race Tracker (swiftsure.org).
All long-course racers will end up docked in the Inner Harbour after passing a finish mark off Ogden Point. Depending on wind, racers usually start arriving about midnight Saturday.
A good spot to watch the finishers is the Ogden Point Breakwater.
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