Swiftsure 2009

This was the scene this morning off Clover Point when entrants for the Swiftsure races were awaiting the starting gun. There are four races altogether, of varying lengths, that out to the Swiftsure Bank the longest and namesake race. That's an overnight race and those yachts will not return until tomorrow. The other three races are for lesser distances.

I neglected to identify the yacht featured in yesterday's photo and it was a better segue than I thought when I posted it. It is the HMCS Oriole, the Canadian Navy's sail training yacht and a participant in today's races. It can be seen again on the far right of the photo below, with the glorious peaks of the Olympic Peninsula in the background. It was splendid warm morning for spectators but the sailors would have preferred more wind.