Smooth sailing for 75th Swiftsure event

The Swiftsure International Yacht Race wrapped up Monday with the all-women-crewed Geminis Dream coming just in time to qualify as a finisher.

The 44-foot Geminis Dream, skippered by Vancouver’s Shannon Rae, crossed the finish line in the Inner Harbour at 4:49 a.m., time enough to meet the official race closing time of 6 a.m.

Rae, a cancer survivor, and her sister, Nicole Speckmaier, and friends have undertaken Swiftsure as a qualifier for the July 1 Vic-Maui Race, from Victoria to Hawaii. They are also using the sailing events to raise money for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.

A total of 198 boats entered the various Swiftsure races, indicating a good, sustainable level of interest among yacht sailors from Canada and the U.S., race organizers said.

Event chairman Vern Burkhardt said Swiftsure 2018, the 75th version of the race, can be marked down as a great year.

Winds were medium to fast and currents tricky at times, giving all sailors a good challenge. On shore, volunteers worked hard to make sure the event was exceptionally well run.

“It was a great success and I had lots and lots of compliments from various racers and the volunteers,” Burkhardt said.

The unofficial winner of the signature Swiftsure Lightship Classic was the Westerly, a 70foot Santa Cruz skippered by Stuart Dahlgren of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

To find the winners of this year’s other races, go online to swiftsure.org.