Swiftsure Skippers Series: #4 Vancouver

#4 in the Swiftsure Skippers Series brings us 2 skippers from Vancouver.

Peter Salusbury is returning to race the Swiftsure Lightship Classic and possibly retain his 2015
First Overall bragging rights. Peter has raced
41 Swiftsure races!

John Mortimer is developing a unified theory of the universe while he races in Swiftsure’s Cape Flattery race and Vic-Maui in 2016. He competes hard and prepares very well!

Q1: Name Peter Salusbury (Longboard, Riptide 35 Mk II)

Q2: How many Swiftsure races have you done? 41

Q3: What year was your first Swiftsure? 1970

Q4: What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you or your crew when racing in Swiftsure?
In the 1977 Swiftsure, I was sailing on Kanata and rounded Swiftsure Bank first out of 197 boats. We had been crossing tacks with Warlock right before rounding and just nudged them out at the mark boat. We were so focused on rounding first that we forgot to set up the spinnaker for the run home and Warlock blew by us a few seconds after rounding! The excitement of rounding first quickly turned to embarrassment! Warlock remained ahead and won line honours, but we were the overall winner on Kanata.

Q5: What was the most exciting or interesting thing that occurred while you were racing in Swiftsure?
I’ve had so many interesting Swiftsure experiences but one that stands out is being becalmed in the middle of Juan de Fuca Strait when a very large pod of whales swam through the fleet. It was an incredible sight.

I’ve also had many exciting sails coming home on a strong westerly wind through Race Passage. In the old ‘pinched stern’ IOR boats we used to fly massive spinnakers and bloopers that created all kinds of havoc as we blasted through Race Passage! Lots of grand memories.

Q6: What advice would you give someone who’s thinking of racing Swiftsure for the first time?
It’s one of the most scenic yachting races in the world with snow-capped mountains and large ocean swells. It usually offers a wide range of wind and sea conditions, and lots of wildlife.

Race on a well prepared boat with people you like being with, think safety first, dress warmly, and take a change of clothes. Enjoy the scenery and the camaraderie, and prepare to be amazed!

Q1: Name John Mortimer (String Theory, Beneteau First 47.7)

Q2: How many Swiftsure races have you done? 6

Q3: What year was your first Swiftsure? 1992

Q4: What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you or your crew when racing in Swiftsure? Fog and 30 knot winds all at the same time.

Q5: What was the most exciting or interesting thing that occurred while you were racing in Swiftsure? Match racing against Kinetic and actually getting in front of her on some of the tacks, plus 30 knot winds rounding Race rocks under full spinnaker.

Q6: What advice would you give someone who’s thinking of racing Swiftsure for the first time? Try to understand the physiological preparedness that the crew has to get into for a long distance race of this magnitude, This gets over looked by most crews.