The Swiftsure International Yacht Race for 2013 took place between May 25 and May 27. While all of the action was out on the water, amateur radio operators from all over were in the background helping things run smoothly. They were at race headquarters in Victoria, at the start and finish lines, at the turn-around marks for all three races, and at Sombrio. Voice and Packet Radio (using Winlink Express) were be used.
The start was just off Clover Point, with the warning signal for the first race was at 08:50 PDT and the start of the Swiftsure Lightship Classic at 09:00. There was ten minutes between starts.
The marker for the Swiftsure Bank was HMCS Yellowkniife. Another naval vessel was at Cape Flattery. An anchored sailboat was the Juan de Fuca mark vessel.
The finish line for all races was off the end of Ogden Point Breakwater. The time limit for all races was be 06:00 on Monday, May 27, 2013. If no yacht in a particular race or division finished within the time limit, the rounding times were used to determine the results for that particular race or division. Any yacht failing to round the Swiftsure Bank mark by 1400 on Sunday or failing to round the Cape Flattery or Juan de Fuca marks by 1200 on Sunday would have been recorded as DNF.