Concord Pacific Racing squad for Puig Women's America's Cup & UniCredit Youth America's Cup
by James Rigby 23 May 15:50 PDT
Concord Green Energy, along with lead sponsors RBC and TELUS, has unveiled the Concord Pacific Racing squad for Canada's first-ever campaign at the historic Puig Women's America's Cup and UniCredit Youth America's Cup, set to take place in Barcelona later this year.
Supported by official sponsor Dilawri Group and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, the Concord Pacific Racing squad features top talent from across Canada, with a dynamic blend of seasoned veterans and emerging stars, including decorated Olympians and SailGP athletes.
The Concord Pacific Racing Women's team is:
- Isabella Bertold (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Captain)
- Ali Ten Hove (Kingston Yacht Club)
- Maggie Drinkwater (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club)
- Mariah Millen (Royal Canadian Yacht Club)
- Maura Dewey (Royal Victoria Yacht Club)
The Concord Pacific Racing Youth team is:
- Andrew Wood (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Captain)
- Andre Van Dam (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club)
- Jack Gogan (Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron / Northern Yacht Club)
- Galen Richardson (Royal Canadian Yacht Club)
- Georgia Lewin-LaFrance (Chester Yacht Club / Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron)
Georgia Lewin-LaFrance is eligible to represent Concord Pacific Racing in both the Women's and under-25 Youth categories. The Rolex Canadian Sailor of the year in 2022 and a member of the Canada SailGP Team, Lewin-LaFrance will also represent Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer.
Concord Pacific Group President and CEO Terry Hui announced, "The Concord Pacific Racing teams will be led by illustrious Australian Head Coach Chris Nicholson, renowned for his track record in cultivating a culture of excellence with the ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team, and with six World Championships to his name."
Concord Pacific Racing Head Coach Chris Nicholson added, "It's fascinating how simulated sailing advances our sailors' skills with these incredible machines. The team has worked really hard on the simulator and in planning. It's a pleasure to work with such dedicated individuals who are passionate about representing Canada in the America's Cup. We have a lot to do before the first race day, but these are truly exciting times. I'm very much looking forward to getting out there."
Concord Pacific Racing will make history as one of the first women's teams to compete in a new chapter of America's Cup history spanning 173 years. The announcement is the culmination of a rigorous 14-month selection process that commenced in November 2022, involving over 50 aspiring sailors nationwide.
Concord Pacific Racing Women's Captain Isabella Bertold said, "I'm incredibly proud to have assembled such a dynamic and passionate group of athletes to represent Canada on the world's biggest stage in sailing. We've been fully focussed on building the best team possible, not just the best sailors in Canada.
"When it comes to sailing an AC40, it's like nothing we've ever done before. It's a brand new concept so it comes down to who can pick up concepts quickly, learn and adapt, and at the same time get used to this new style of sailing which is much more like sailing a video game. It's also about who is a great personality fit, a strong team player and who can be really calm when the boat is flying above the water going incredibly fast."
Olympian Mariah Millen, selected for the Women's team along with her 49er FX partner and fellow Olympian Ali Ten Hove, is proudly following in the footsteps of her father, John Millen, who introduced her to sailing after his own career as a crew member of Canada 1 and Canada 2 for the America's Cup in 1983 and 1986.
Mariah Millen said, "I'm beyond excited to represent Canada with this exceptional group of athletes. It's been an amazing journey so far, and we've made remarkable strides as a team. Continuing in my father's footsteps and making this a family tradition makes it even more special. We're eager to keep developing, putting in the hard work, and seeing what we can achieve together."
Through intensive on-water training camps in Pensacola, Vancouver, Lake Garda, Toronto and Barcelona, and an exhaustive trial process which included analysis both on the water and in high-tech simulators, candidates were evaluated for their aptitude in handling the high-speed, technologically advanced AC40 foiling monohulls—boats that fly above the water demanding unparalleled skill, teamwork, and adaptability.
The team has now relocated to Barcelona, immersing themselves in the local sailing scene, acclimatising to the challenging conditions and surveying the race course in preparation for the upcoming regattas.
The Youth regatta starts in Barcelona on September 17 with the final scheduled for September 26. The Women's regatta starts racing on October 5 with the final to be staged amid the main AC75 America's Cup racing program on October 13.
The two Canadian teams will compete against Spain, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and France.
The unveiling of Concord Pacific Racing's squad comes just weeks after three of Canada's leading corporations, Concord Green Energy (Concord Pacific), RBC, and TELUS, announced their sponsorship of the team. With a commitment to advancing gender equity and nurturing young Canadian talent, Concord Pacific, RBC and TELUS will support in heralding a new era of Canadian sailing.
Dilawri, Canada's largest automotive group is the team's official sponsor and is thrilled to support the Concord Pacific Racing team as they prepare for Barcelona. Concord Pacific Racing is also supported by its suppliers Vaikobi, Maximizer CRM and liv.rent.
You can follow all the action of Concord Pacific Racing on Instagram or at the team website.