Canada represented by 9 sailors in Mexico at the 2022 ILCA 7 Men's World Championships

Canadian sailor © Sailing Energy

Canada will be represented by a total of nine sailors, including two-time Olympian Tom Ramshaw, at the 2022 ILCA 7 Men's World Championships to be held May 23-28 in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico.

The veteran sailor from Toronto will lead a team which also includes members of Sail Canada's Development Squad, i.e. Ryan Anderson, Liam Bruce, Fillah Karim, James Juhasz, Luke Ruitenberg and Forrest Wachholz, as well as Canadian sailors Ben Flower and Norman Struthers.

Ramshaw will continue his return to ILCA 7. He has taken part in several ILCA 7 (Laser) World Championships over the years before switching to the Finn class in 2016, and he subsequently came back to ILCA 7 following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where the Finn class was part of the Olympic program for the last time.

So far in 2022, the 30-year-old sailor has finished 1st and 2nd at the US Open Sailing Series in Clearwater and Fort Lauderdale. Ramshaw, who, as part of the Canada SailGP Team took the third spot in its first-ever competition last weekend, was also the top Canadian at the World Sailing Hempel World Cup held in Spain in early April.

"I've spent more time sailing Laser (ILCA 7) at this venue in Mexico than anywhere else, so I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of racing a major regatta on these waters," said Ramshaw, who used to train there when competing in ILCA 7. "The ILCA 7 Men's World Championships are always a tough regatta, so I'll just be looking to improve on my mistakes from the previous World Cup and earn a better result."

Fillah Karim: looking to build on his success at French Olympic Week

Fillah Karim is also looking forward to competing at these Championships after being the top Canadian at the French Olympic Week in Hyères, France, at the end of April, where he closed out the competition with a personal best result, finishing 28th overall.

"At the halfway point of this 2024 Olympic quadrennial, these upcoming World Championships in Mexico are going to be a great opportunity for us to evaluate where we currently stand on the world stage," said Fillah Karim. "I personally feel more prepared going into these Worlds than ever before, and I am very excited to start racing. That being said, one of the harsh beauties about sport is that talk is cheap. One way or the other, the results will speak for themselves."

"It has also been great to watch the evolution of the Canadian ILCA 7 scene since the last Worlds in Barcelona back in November. We have so many young guys who have been pushing so hard, and I am very excited to watch them make their mark on the world scene in Mexico."

Canadian sailors at the 2022 ILCA 7 Men's World Championships

• Tom Ramshaw (Toronto, ON - RCYC) - Canadian Sailing Team
• Ryan Anderson (Halifax, N.S., RNSYS) - Canadian Sailing Development Squad
• Liam Bruce (Oakville, ON, Port Credit YC) - Canadian Sailing Development Squad
• Fillah Karim (Vancouver, BC, RVYC) - Canadian Sailing Development Squad
• James Juhasz (Oakville, ON, BHYC) - Canadian Sailing Development Squad
• Luke Ruitenberg (St. Margaret's Bay, N.S., RNSYS) - Canadian Sailing Development Squad
• Forrest Wachholz (Innisfil, ON, Barrie YC) - Canadian Sailing Development Squad
• Ben Flower (Tobermory, ON, Tobermory YC)
• Norman Struthers (Toronto, ON, RCYC)