About 40 racing yachts sped out of Ucluelet on Wednesday morning en route to Victoria.
The vessels began filling the local harbour on Sunday night and spent a few days for rest and repairs before heading out on June 14.
“It’s always a joy to see those sailboats come into the harbour,” Ucluelet mayor Marilyn McEwen told the Westerly News.
The Shadow II crew arrived at Ucluelet’s 52 Steps Dock around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night and was greeted by the district’s harbour master Kevin Cortes.
“Kevin is fantastic,” the vessel’s crew boss Joel Ross told the Westerly News. “He met us here around midnight, was cheerful and chipper and ready to answer any questions we had. He’s an unbelievable guy.”
The Van Isle 360 spans 625 nautical miles consisting of nine legs, the longest one being from Winter Harbour to Ucluelet.
“The leg from Winter Harbour to Ukee is the longest leg in the race by 40 miles, so the time needed in Ukee is just to accommodate time for the slower boats to get here for the faster boats to fix everything that broke,” Ross said. “Stuff breaks all the time…We’re hard on the gear.”
Speaking to the Westerly at the dock on Tuesday, Shadow II crewmember Mike Bowman said the stopover in Ucluelet “has been amazing.”
“Ucluelet is a beautiful place to visit and we love it…It’s a long run down from Winter Harbour, so it’s a great stop before getting around to Victoria,” he said. “The restaurants have all been working really hard to make sure we’re fed and taken care of…All of the food we’ve had has been great. We really appreciate the town being ready to take care of us.”
McEwen noted the Ucluelet leg is dedicated to the memory of Mark Livingstone.
“He was instrumental in ensuring the safety of the fleet through his work with the Coast and then Ucluelet Search and Rescue as well,” she said.
Shadow II’s navigator Ian Lloyd was participating in his seventh VI360 race and said the leg was named after Livingstone in honour of his work on the ocean.
“It’s just a small way of giving something back from the racing community,” he said. “(Livingstone) was a big part of the search and rescue community and a valuable part of the maritime community.”
Lloyd added that Ucluelet has been an exceptional host community in each one of his races.
“The people are so friendly and laid back and welcoming. It’s just a wonderful community and we’re pleased to be welcomed each time we come back for this event,” he said. “The whole experience in Ucluelet was really friendly. It’s hard to pick out one highlight. It was all good.”
The racing yachts weren’t the only attraction luring locals and visitors to Ucluelet’s docks as the Royal Canadian Navy’s Raven 56 was open for tours in the outer boat basin.
The 100’ Raven 56 is one of eight Orca Class patrol ships based out of Esquimalt and is primarily used for officer training in the navy, though the vessel was in Ucluelet as a support vessel for two navy owned yachts participating in the race.
Lieutenant Commander Ryan deForest said the vessel is primarily used “for training naval officers in the art of navigation.”
“We primarily operate in the southern Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands in the U.S. driving around and building experience in the introductory phases of an officer’s career,” he said. “The frigats are so much bigger, but this is where you can learn all the basic skills.”
He said they arrived on June 9.
“It’s been a good visit. I really enjoyed hitting some of the restaurants and did a bike ride out to the (Canso Bomber Ruins Trail). It’s super awesome getting a chance to do a bit of a reconnaissance of Ucluelet so I can make plans for a future vacation.”
This was de Forest’s first time participating in the VI360 and he said the experience was “phenomenal.”
“It’s a huge undertaking, but a really awesome opportunity. The wildlife that people have seen and the challenging conditions have been really amazing,” he said.
Master Corporal Andre Maillet said he visits the West Coast at least twice a year on vacation and loves spending time in the community.
“It’s pretty much my favourite part of the Island,” he said. “I love the West Coast, love the wildlife, the surfing, the nature and the nice chill vibe here in Ukee.”
The racers are expected to spend a lay day in Victoria on Thursday before departing for the final leg on Friday to reach the finish line in Nanaimo on Saturday.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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