Please select your home edition
Edition
Noble Marine 2022 YY - LEADERBOARD

Canada's Santiago 2023 sailing team announced

by Sail Canada 21 Sep 2023 01:20 BST October 28 - November 4, 2023
Sarah Douglas - 2023 ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 Senior European Championships © Thom Touw Sailing Photographer

Sail Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada's sailing team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Team Canada sailing team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Athletes:

49er (Men's Skiff)

  • Justin Barnes (Pickering, Ont.-RCYC)
  • Will Jones (Jerseyville, Ont.-RHYC)
49er FX (Women's Skiff)
  • Mariah Millen (Toronto, Ont.-RCYC)
  • Ali ten Hove (Kingston, Ont.-KYC)
ILCA 6 (Women's Dinghy)
  • Sarah Douglas (Toronto, Ont.-ABYC)
ILCA 7 (Men's Dinghy)
  • Fillah Karim (Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC)
iQFoil (Windsurfing - Women)
  • Rebecca Heller (Ottawa, Ont.)
Formula Kite (Kiteboarding - Women)
  • Emily Bugeja (Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC)
Formula Kite (Kiteboarding - Men)
  • Mac Morrin (Kingston, Ont.-KYC)
Nacra 17 (Mixed Multihull)
  • Madeline Gillis (Halifax, N.S.-RNSYS)
  • Galen Richardson (Toronto, Ont.-RCYC)
Sunfish (Men's Dinghy)
  • Lee Parkhill (Oakville, Ont.-OYC)
Lightning (Mixed Dinghy)
  • Rachel Green (Burlington, Ont.-RHYC)
  • Jessica Hirschbold (Victoria, B.C.-RVicYC)
  • Luke Ramsay (Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC)
Sarah Douglas, gold medalist in ILCA 6 at Lima 2019, is looking for a different kind of Pan American Games in her second appearance.

"I'm excited to be returning to the Pan American Games," said Douglas. "It's always an honour to represent Canada. At the last one in 2019, I was sick and on bed rest, but still able to win the gold medal. But this time, I'm hoping to be healthy and to truly enjoy the experience."

"Since I've already qualified Canada for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in ILCA 6, I'll have the pressure off in Santiago and use it as an Olympic preparation event since it is a unique multi-sport Games environment."

Douglas made history in her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where her sixth-place finish in the event then known as Laser Radial was the best ever Olympic result by a Canadian woman in an individual sailing event. She is one of four athletes on the team who won medals at previous Pan American Games.

The other Pan American Games medalists on the team are: Luke Ramsay, two-time silver medalist in Sunfish at Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019; Lee Parkhill, bronze medalist in ILCA 7 at Toronto 2015; and Justin Barnes, bronze medalist in 49er at Lima 2019 with former crewmate Alex Heinzmann.

For Ali ten Hove and Mariah Millen, an Olympic spot for Canada in 49er FX will be at stake.

"We are honored to represent Canada at our second Pan American Games together as a team!", said Millen. "This regatta is important as it will be a chance for us to qualify a spot for the country for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games next summer."

"It will be a challenging event with such a small fleet of high level boats! We are excited to race and give our best effort to win Canada a medal and an Olympic berth," added ten Hove. "We are especially proud of Mariah's relentless efforts towards recovering from her knee injury to race this event and the amazing support team around us that made this possible!"

For the Olympic classes (which excludes Lightning and Sunfish), the 2023 Pan American Games will be the second of five opportunities for Canadian sailors to qualify spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the 2023 Sailing World Championships held in August in The Hague, Netherlands, Sarah Douglas secured Canada an Olympic spot in ILCA 6.

To qualify for Paris 2024 in the remaining Olympic classes at Santiago 2023, Canadian sailors will need to achieve the following:

  • iQFOil (M and W), Formula Kiteboarding (M), ILCA 7, 470 and Nacra 17: finish as the best sailor/crew from North America and the Caribbean;
  • Formula Kiteboarding (W), 49er and 49erFX: finish as the best sailor/crew from North America and the Caribbean, except the United States which already qualified spots in those events at the 2023 Sailing World Championships.

The full list of North American and Caribbean countries is available at www.sailing.ca/sc_event/2023-pan-american-games.

While the team features several experienced sailors - including Tokyo 2020 Olympians Douglas, ten Hove, Millen and Will Jones -, other team members are taking part in a major Games for the first time. This includes Mac Morrin, who will compete in his first-ever Pan American Games ahead of kiteboarding making its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.

"This will be my first major Games experience and I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada", said Morrin. "These Games are important to me because this is a chance to showcase the sport I love to a bigger audience, especially since kiteboarding will be at the Olympic Games for the first time in Paris, and I also have a shot at qualifying the country for the Olympics next year."

Sailing will take place October 28 to November 4 (Days 8 to 15) at the Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico in Algarrobo.

"Ahoy, sailing team! Welcome to the Pan American Games, where the wind and waves are your allies on this aquatic adventure," said Christine Girard. "As Chef de Mission, I'm thrilled to see your sails billowing with promise and your boats cutting through the water with finesse. May your skills navigate you to success on these Pan American waters, and may your journey lead you closer to the ultimate destination: the Paris Olympics. Fair winds and following seas, sailors!"

Team Canada's sailing coaches and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Coaches

  • Federico Alonso (Gijon, Spain) - Coach
  • Ken Dool (London, ON) - National Performance Coach
  • Vaughn Harrison (Aurora, ON) - Coach
  • Andrew Lewis (Port Of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) - Coach
Support Staff
  • Mike Milner (Peterborough, ON) - High Performance Director
  • Alice Sobiesiak (Toronto, ON) - Athletic Therapist
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee's Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found at olympic.ca/team-canada-roster.

Related Articles

Sail Canada appoints new High Performance Director
Anders Gustafsson combines over 25 years of experience in high performance sports Sail Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Anders Gustafsson as its new High Performance Director. Posted on 7 May
Sail Canada awards $80,000 in funding
To 26 clubs and schools as part of "Sailing for All" initiative Sail Canada is pleased to announce that 26-member sailing clubs and schools from across the country have been awarded a combined total of $80,750 as part of Sail Canada's 2025 "Sailing for All" initiative. Posted on 1 May
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week overall
Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance win bronze medal at Sailing Grand Slam Series event Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance from Chester, N.S., won the bronze medal in 49erFX at the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, French Olympic Week, which was held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA. Posted on 27 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 5
Two Canadian boats will take part in Saturday's Medal Races Here are the highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 5 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 25 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 4
Antonia & Georgia Lewin-LaFrance finished 1st and 4th in the 49erFX The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on day 4 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 24 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 3
Clara Gravely is currently ranked 7th overall in the ILCA 6 class The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 3 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 23 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 2
Clara Gravely is still in the top 10, in ninth position The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 2 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 22 Apr
Sail Canada partners with LI/NE
A Canadian company that recycles old sails and turns them into bags Sail Canada is proud to announce, on the occasion of Earth Day 2025, a new partnership with LI/NE, a Canadian company that recycles old sails and turns them into bags. Posted on 22 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 1
Clara Gravely is in 7th place in the ILCA 6 fleet Here are the highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on Day 1 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 21 Apr
8 Canadians set for French Olympic Week
The French Olympic Week competition will be held April 21-26 in Hyères A total of eight Canadian sailors will take part in the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, French Olympic Week, to be held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA. Posted on 18 Apr