VICTORIA -- Anyone hoping to get a look at a pair of Royal Canadian Navy vessels as they head to sea this week can do so on Thursday afternoon.

HMCS Regina and HMCS Winnipeg will sail past the Victoria area between 4:15 and 5:15 p.m.

The ships, along with a pair of embarked Cyclone helicopters, are en route from CFB Esquimalt to Hawaii to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).

RIMPAC is the world's largest multi-national maritime exercise and is hosted every two years by the United States Navy. Canada has participated in every RIMPAC since it began in 1971. RIMPAC 2020 is scheduled to run from Aug. 17 to 31.

The helicopters will be airborne while the frigates sail past the Victoria shoreline.

Following RIMPAC, the Winnipeg will carry on to the western Pacific Ocean for Operations Neon and Projection.

Related: Military to send Cyclone helicopters, downsized force to world's largest maritime exercise amid COVID-19

Where to view the ships Thursday:

  • Trafalgar Park at 4:40 pm
  • Clover Point Park at 4:45 pm
  • Beacon Hill Park at 4:50 pm
  • Holland Point Park at 4:55 pm
  • Ogden Point breakwater 5:00 pm
  • MaCauley Point park 5:05 pm
  • Saxe Point Park at 5:10 pm
  • Esquimalt Lagoon at 5:15 pm.