26 Canadian sailors vying to qualify this weekend for the 2023 Pan American Games

49erFx fleet - US Open Sailing Series © Sail Canada

A total of 26 Canadian sailors will take part in the US Open Sailing Series to be held this weekend, February 2-5, in Clearwater, Florida, where they will aim to qualify a spot for Canada and/or for themselves at the 2023 Pan American Games.

This weekend's competition is one of many qualifying regattas where sailors from the North, Central and South Americas will be able to secure one spot for their country in six of the 13 sailing events scheduled for the 2023 Pan American Games, as per Panam Sailing qualification criteria (panamsailing.org). The 2023 Pan American Games will be held from October 20 to November 5 in Santiago, Chile.

Also, based on Sail Canada's Santiago 2023 Pan American Games Sailing Internal Nomination Procedures, available at www.sailing.ca/sc_event/2023-pan-american-games, Canadian athletes competing in 49er, IQFoil (men and women) and Kiteboarding (men and women) events can also qualify themselves for the 2023 Pan American Games by, first, qualifying a spot for Canada by getting the top result among countries that are not yet qualified (see the current qualification situation below), and then by being the top Canadian in the event held in Clearwater.

Canadian athletes in ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 already qualified a spot for Canada last summer and will be able to qualify themselves for the 2023 Pan American Games at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Spain, April 3-8.

In 49erFX and Nacra 17, because the last qualifying event for the 2023 Pan American Games in Clearwater has been cancelled, Panam Sailing will move forward with the procedure for the reallocation of unused quota spots, as outlined in the Pan Am Sailing qualification criteria (panamsailing.org), and based on numerous factors. As for the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, Canadian sailors in 49erFX and Nacra 17 will look to qualify their team at the Princess Sofia Regatta if Canada secures a spot for the 2023 Pan American Games.

Sailors in the Sunfish, Snipe and Lightning classes, which are not Olympic events, will qualify at competitions to be held later this year.

A first step towards the 2024 Olympic Games

Qualifying for the 2023 Pan American Games will be one of many opportunities to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games. The Olympic sailing competitions will be held in Marseille, France.

The first opportunity to earn a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games will be at the 2023 Sailing World Championships, to be held August 10-20 in The Hague, Netherlands. The first boat in each of the Olympic events will secure a spot for their country, except in ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, where the first two boats will be able to do so.

The second opportunity will be at the continental qualifier, which, for Canada, will be at the 2023 Pan American Games. There, again, the first boat in each of the Olympic events will secure a spot for their country, except in ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, where the first two boats will be able to do so.

The Last Chance Regatta, in April 2024, will be the next opportunity for countries to grab a spot for Paris 2024, except for athletes in ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, where seven athletes in each class will also be able to qualify a spot for their country at their respective World Championships to be held in January 2024.

Finally, some countries will also be able to secures spots for Paris at a competition called the "Emerging Nations Regatta". However, Canada is not on the "Emerging Nations" list.

Sail Canada will then select its team for the 2024 Olympic Games based on selection process criterias to be communicated later.

Canadian sailors competing this weekend at the US Open Sailing Series in Clearwater, Florida

49er

Thomas & William Staples (Beaconsfield, QC) - RSLYC
William Jones (Jerseyville, ON-RHYC) & Justin Barnes (Pickering, ON-RCYC)
Ryan Wood (West Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC) & Hunter Hoy (Kirkland, ON)
Arie Moffat (Kingston, ON-KYC) & Samuel Bonin (Toronto, ON-RCYC)
Dylan Jones (Victoria, B.C.-RVicYC) & Jonathan Kelly (Nanaimo, B.C.-RVYC)

IQFoil (W)

Rebecca Heller (Dunrobin, ON-KYC)

Kiteboarding (M)

Logan Sutherland (Toronto, ON)
Charles Jenkins
Mac Morrin (Kingston, ON-KYC)
Michael Brodeur (Montreal, QC-BYC)

Kiteboarding (W)

Martyna Dakowicz (Oakville, ON)
Marie-Ève Mayrand (Calgary, AB)
Nataliya Leshko (Toronto, ON)
Emily Bugeja (Vancouver, B.C.-RVYC)

ILCA 6

Annie Balasubramanian (Toronto, ON-RCYC/OST)
Maura Dewey (Victoria, B.C.-RVicYC)
Clara Gravely (Toronto, ON-ABYC)
Chris Mouland (Toronto, ON-OST)
Hunter Parks (Pickering, ON-FBYC/ABYC/OST)
Coralie Vittecoq (Montreal West, QC-PCYC/BLBC)

ILCA 7

Daniel Connors (Upper Tantallon, N.S.-RNSYS)

Current qualification situation for each event to be held at the 2023 Pan American Games:

49er

-Last 3 spots out of a total of 8 available in Clearwater
-5 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Uruguay, USA
*In Clearwater, the top Canadian team will also qualify itself for the Pan American Games if Canada qualifies for a spot in this class

IQFoil Men

-3 spots out of a total of 9 available in Clearwater
-5 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Argentina (X2), Brazil, Aruba, Chile
-1 last country to qualify later
*In Clearwater, the top Canadian athlete will also qualify himself for the Pan American Games if Canada qualifies for a spot in this class

IQFoil Women

-3 spots out of a total of 9 available in Clearwater
-4 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico
-2 last countries to qualify later
*In Clearwater, the top Canadian athlete will also qualify herself for the Pan American Games if Canada qualifies for a spot at this class

Kiteboarding Men

-3 spots out of a total of 8 available in Clearwater
-3 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Brazil, Antigua and Barbuda, Chile
-2 last countries to qualify later
*In Clearwater, the top Canadian athlete will also qualify himself for the Pan American Games if Canada qualifies for a spot in this class

Kiteboarding Women

-3 spots out of a total of 8 available in Clearwater
-2 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Brazil, Chile
-3 last countries to qualify later
*In Clearwater, the top Canadian athlete will also qualify herself for the Pan American Games if Canada qualifies for a spot in this class

ILCA 7

-5 spots out of a total of 17 available in Clearwater
-4 countries and five spots have been already allocated for the 2023 Pan American Games: Canada, Puerto Rico, USA, Chile (2 spots)
-8 last countries to qualify later
*As Canada has already qualified for a spot, athletes will be selected at the Princess Sofia Regatta in April

ILCA 6

-5 spots out of a total of 17 available in Clearwater
-5 countries and five spots have been already allocated for the 2023 Pan American Games: Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Chile, Uruguay
-7 last countries to qualify later
*As Canada has already qualified for a spot, athletes will be selected at the Princess Sofia Regatta in April

49er FX

-5 spots out of a total of 8 still available: with the qualifier planned for the 49erFX having been cancelled, Panam Sailing will move forward with the procedure for the reallocation of the 5 unused quota spots, as outlined in the Panam Sailing qualification criteria (https://panamsailing.org/).
-3 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Brazil, Chile, USA
*If Canada is allocated a spot, the team will be selected at the Princess Sofia Regatta in April

Nacra 17

-5 spots out of a total of 8 still available: with the qualifier planned for the Nacra 17 having been cancelled, PanAm Sailing will move forward with the procedure for the Reallocation of the 5 unused quota spots, as outlined in the Pan Am Sailing qualification criteria (https://panamsailing.org/).
-3 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Argentina, Chile, USA
*If Canada is allocated a spot, the team will be selected at the Princess Sofia Regatta in April

Sunfish Men (non-Olympic event)

-7 spots out of a total of 8 still available
-1 country already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Chili
-7 last countries to qualify later

Sunfish Women (non-Olympic event)

-7 spots out of a total of 8 still available
-1 country already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Chili
-7 last countries to qualify later

Snipe Mixed (non-Olympic event)

-5 spots out of a total of 8 still available
-3 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Argentina, Chili, Ecuador
-5 last countries to qualify later

Lightning Mixed (non-Olympic event)

-2 spots out of a total of 8 still available
-5 countries already qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Chili, Peru, U.S.A.)https://www.sailing.ca/sc_event/2023-pan-american-games
-1 last country to qualify later

More information on the selection process for the 2023 Pan American Games is available at www.sailing.ca/sc_event/2023-pan-american-games.