Trials will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Kitsilano Yacht Club in B.C.
Kingston, July 5, 2023 – A total of nine teams will battle it out this weekend in hopes of representing Canada in the Lightning class at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, as they will compete Saturday and Sunday during the trials to be held at the Canadian Open Lightning Championship at the Kitsilano Yacht Club, in British Columbia.
Canada clinched a spot for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games following the results earned by David Sprague, Ann Rouget and Alyssa Loughborough at the 2022 Lightning World Championships. As per the Pan American Games regulations of a one-man and two-women crew configuration, their performance placed Canada as the third-place country at that competition, good for the last spot available at this event for Santiago 2023.
At the Canadian Open Lightning Championship and Santiago 2023 Pan American Games trials, the top Canadian crew including one man and two women will qualify to be nominated for Santiago 2023 as per Sail Canada’s Selection Process, available at www.sailing.ca/international-events.
Following are the Canadian teams in action this weekend:
-Menno Bos, Ury Segal & Hila Behar (KYC)
-Bill Cote, Bob Matthews & Judy Day (RVYC)
-Luke Ramsay, Rachel Green & Jessica Hirschbold (KYC/RVYC)
-Claire Rawlinson, Ian Weekes & Jane Henley (KYC)
-Jeremy Smith & Tara Smith (RVYC)
-Ran Vered & Eli Mann (RHKYC)
-Richard Walsh, Monica Walsh & Daniel Hansen (TRSC)
-Ross Bailey, Nancy Bailey & Don Shanks (TRSC)
-Chris Duncombe, Ignacio Vulliez & Deb Willis (Kitsilano YC)
Two other teams from the USA are also registered.
As of today, 12 Canadian sailors have qualified to be nominated to the Canadian team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games:
ILCA 7: Fillah Karim (Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC)
ILCA 6: Sarah Douglas (Toronto, ON, ABYC)
49er (M): Will Jones (Jerseyville, ON-RHYC) & Justin Barnes (Pickering, ON-RCYC)
49erFX (W): Ali ten Hove (Kingston, ON, KYC) & Mariah Millen (Toronto, ON, RCYC)
Nacra 17 (mixed): Galen Richardson (Toronto, ON-RCYC) & Madeline Gillis (Halifax, N.S.-RNSYS)
IQFoil (W): Rebecca Heller (Dunrobin, ON-KYC)
Kiteboarding (M): Mac Morrin (Kingston, ON-KYC)
Kiteboarding (W): Emily Bugeja (Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC)
Sunfish (M): Lee Parkhill (Oakville, ON, OYC)
More information on the Canadian Sailing Team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is available at https://www.sailing.ca/sc_event/2023-pan-american-games.
About Sail Canada
Established in 1931, Sail Canada is the national governing body for the sport of sailing in the country. Sail Canada is a leading international sailing nation, proud of its world class athletes, lifelong participants and inclusive culture. The organization and its members are committed to excellence by developing and training its leaders, athletes, sailors, instructors, coaches and officials. With the valued support from our partners, the Provincial Sailing Associations and our member clubs, schools, organizations and stakeholders, sailing is promoted in all its forms. By setting standards and delivering programs from home pond to podium for Canadians of all ages and abilities, from dinghies to keelboats, cruising to navigation, windsurfing to powerboating and accessible sailing, Sail Canada sets sail for all, sail to win and sail for life.
A sport in the Olympic program since the first Games in 1896, except in 1904, the pursuit of success in these Games is what fuels the focus of Sail Canada as Canadian athletes have so far achieved nine Olympic and five Paralympic medals.
