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Vern Burkhardt, chair of the Swiftsure International Yacht Race, chairs and competes in the 71st annual race. Arnold Lim/News staff
The ‘Holy Grail’ of West Coast sailing
Arnold Lim News staff
Vern Burkhardt just can’t stay off the water, but he isn’t the only one. Approximately 200 boats set sail May 24 to 26 for the 71st annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race where Burkhardt says the scenery takes centre stage. “It’s the largest race in the Pacific Northwest and racers get together to exchange tales and catch up with each other once a year,” Burkhardt said. “Few vistas are like the downtown Inner Harbour
of Victoria that are so “I think this prestige,” he said. “It’s the holy grail of sailing around here. There beautiful and create a festival is one of the are other races that are more atmosphere for racers to challenging and harder to win but come and enjoy.” coolest team has the caché.” The chair of the race for sports out there.” Swiftsure Boats from as far as Oregon, four years has been an avid - Stuart Dahlgren Seattle and Vancouver join Island participant as well, having boats including the Westerly, raced in all but four events a 70-foot long Santa Cruz boat since 1977, and 2014 is no Dahlgren and a crew of 16 will race in the different. The veteran sailor said there is longest and most challenging course in the just something about the annual event event, the Swiftsure Lightship Classic. that keeps him coming back for more and The 240 kilometre race from Clover fellow racer Stuart Dahlgren agrees. Point, to Swiftsure Bank to the finish at “It is the one, it is the one that has the
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Ogden Point could see the entire crew stay up for 15 to 16 hours straight, or see the them take shifts sleeping if they expect a longer than a 24 hour trip. It will be challenging, he said, but worth it in the end. “I think this is one of the coolest team sports out there. The truest team sport. Not all jobs on the boats are glamorous, but every job needs to get done and someone needs to do it.” PLEASE SEE: Love of sea, Page A9
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