Sail Canada launches ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û, an innovative fundraising initiative involving real estate to support Canadian sailing

Kingston, August 10, 2021 ‰ÛÒ Sail Canada launches an innovative and creative fundraising initiative to help support the development of sailing in the country and help young Canadians to follow their Olympic dream, capitalizing on the hot real estate market currently taking place in Canada.

Developed in partnership with Athlete Influencer Inc. (Ai), founded by 2008 Sailing Olympian Chris Cook who transitioned to real estate agent following his career, the ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û program allows real estate buyers and sellers to support Canadian sailing.

With no added cost to the buyer or seller, participating real estate agents across Canada can support the program by providing a portion of their commission.

The support commissions earned in the ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û program will then support Sail Canada‰Ûªs High Performance Development system and NextGen sailors at the NSO‰Ûªs National Sail Training Centres in the Atlantic, Central and Pacific areas of the country.

A win-win opportunity

Real estate buyers and sellers can first show interest to take part in the ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û program by filling the online form available on Sail Canada‰Ûªs website at https://www.sailing.ca/you-buy-or-sell-they-sail/.

Once the purchase or the sale of commercial or residential real estate is finalized, the participating real estate broker or both, if the two brokers in the transaction take part in the program, will give back approximatively 25% of the participating real estate broker commission.

If a home is sold for $600,000, that could mean that close to $3,000 would go to support the development of sailing in Canada, Sail Canada National Sail Training Centres, or another development area as requested by the seller or buyer.

‰ÛÏFirst of all, I would like to thank Chris Cook and his group for his collaboration and for this innovative new solution to financially support sailing in Canada, in the sport in which he performed so well,‰Û said Sail Canada‰Ûªs Chief Executive Officer, Don Adams. ‰ÛÏIt‰Ûªs rare that sport organizations can find funding without directly asking money from the government, businesses or individual Canadians. With the ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û program, Canadians can indirectly support Sail Canada, without reaching into their own pocket, thanks to the support from the Real Estate Brokers.‰Û

‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm inviting all members of the Canadian sailing community looking to buy or sell real estate to go through this program, or to mention it to their friends and family. On behalf of the current and up-and-coming athletes, thank you!‰Û, added Don Adams.

‰ÛÏThroughout my athletic career, it was always a challenge to find money and funding to fully maximize preparation ahead of major competitions,‰Û said Chris Cook. ‰ÛÏEven now, this challenge is unfortunately still there, making it difficult to make sure our Canadian sailing athletes are at their optimum level to perform and can proudly represent our country. We are excited today to work with Sail Canada in a new and innovative option to better support our athletes of today and tomorrow.‰Û

Ready to buy or sell your real estate? Fill out the form at https://www.sailing.ca/you-buy-or-sell-they-sail/ and support Canadian sailing!

The ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û program does not apply to rentals or leases.

Real Estate Agents interested in participating in the ‰ÛÏYou BUY or SELL, They SAIL‰Û program can contact Chris Cook at chris@halyardgroup.ca.

About Sail Canada National Sail Training Centres

High Performance Sailing in Canada will reach new heights with the development of National Sail Training Centres, which include sites in the Atlantic, Central and Pacific areas of the country.

Through programs and services delivered at the Atlantic, Central and Pacific National Sail Training Centres, Sail Canada will be able to identify talent earlier and provide more systematic coaching and training programs to help athletes progress along the Gold Medal Pathway to international success.

With the support of the Canadian Sports Institutes and in collaboration with provincial sailing associations and key competitive sailing clubs, the National Sail Training Centres will allow Sail Canada to improve its high performance delivery system and enable a nationally repeatable system for athlete identification and development, which will ultimately produce consistent international podium results.

These integrated and clustered services will better allow young Canadian sailors to follow their Olympic dream in a world-class training development and support environment, without being constrained due to financial challenges.

Support the National Sail Training Centres through donations

If Canadians are not buying or selling real estate, they can still support the development of sailing in the country through donations which will support the various components of the program, including regional and national training camps, coaching, equipment, domestic and international competitions, athlete bursaries, etc‰Û_

Donors may choose to align their gift with a particular national training centre or an area of interest, including but not limited to coaching, equipment purchases, training camps, competitions, or athlete bursaries.

Income Tax Receipts will be provided for all donations over $20.

For more information or to donate, please go to www.sailing.ca.

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.