They will take part in the Lanzarote International Regatta this week
Kingston, March 19, 2021 ÛÒ Sail Canada will be represented by a total of six athletes at the Lanzarote International Regatta set to start Sunday in the Canary Islands, Spain. The group includes four Canadian sailors who were nominated to the Olympic team on Thursday: Alexandra ten Hove, Mariah Millen, Will Jones and Evan DePaul.
Ten Hove (Kingston, ON) and Millen (Toronto, ON) will compete in the 49erFX event, while DePaul (Burlington, ON) and Jones (Jerseyville, ON) will take part in the 49er event.
Canada will also be represented by two members of the Canadian Sailing Development Squad, sisters Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance from Chester, NS.
With the start of the 2020 Olympic Games only four months away, Canadian sailors will take part in one of the few competitions that have been able to go ahead in spite of circumstances over the past year. They will also be able to measure themselves against some of the best sailors in the world as many international athletes are currently training in Lanzarote, including home favorites in the 49er Diego Botin and Galician Iago LÌ_pez, who took the 4th place at the 2019 World Championships in this event, as well as Tamara Echegoyen and Paula BarcelÌ_, also from Spain, winners of the 2020 49erFX World Championships.
A total of 100 sailors from more than 30 countries from all over the world will take part in this competition.
Thursday, Sail Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee introduced the 9-member team that has been nominated to represent Team Canada in sailing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, slated for July 23rd to August 8th, 2021. Here is the release: https://www.sailing.ca/nine-sailors-selected-to-represent-team-canada-at-tokyo-2020/.
QUOTES FROM THE ATHLETES
Ali ten Hove, skipper
“We are really excited to get back to racing as it’s been 13 months since we last raced with the international fleet. Everyone has put a lot of work in over the past year and it’s an exciting time to see it all come together. Our focus this week is to sharpen up our racing skills again. After one year off, this will be a much needed ‘check in’ to identify any gaps that we may have leading up to this summerÛªs Olympics.”
Will Jones, skipper
“This is the first major event we will be competing in since the 2020 World Championships last February in Australia. It is going to be a really good opportunity to check on the progress weÛªve made in terms of the skills we’ve been working on, and to run through some processes that we need to fine-tune for Tokyo. We’re excited to check off a few more boxes and hopefully get a better idea of what we will need to focus on before the 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.
– 30 –
Information:
Patrick Godbout
Communications Manager
Sail Canada
Email: patrick@sailing.ca
Phone: 514-213-9897
