The 74th Annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race gets underway from Victoria.
The race which covers a huge portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca gets going at just after 9:00 am on Saturday.
It is the longest running cross border race on the west coast and features boats of all sizes, both new and old. Over 200 participants took part in 2016’s version of the race.
Race chair Vern Burkhard says racers had to deal with tough conditions at the start. “The start is going to be challenging for the racers especially since it is ebb current flowing out to the Pacific Ocean so racers will have to be careful not to float out over the start line early.”
The event is made up of five different race sizes and the longest one will see sailors get to the finish line on Monday, some of the shorter ones will see boats returning Sunday morning or afternoon.
The best viewing point is at Clover Point and Dallas Road waterfront with races starting in 10 minute interval on Saturday morning.
You can track boats and racers here: http://tracker.swiftsure.org/