Dale King named Sail Canada Volunteer of the Year Award winner

Dale King named Sail Canada Volunteer of the Year Award winner © Sail Canada

Sail Canada announced today that Dale King from Toronto has been awarded Sail Canada's 2024 Volunteer of the Year Award.

The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes volunteers for their outstanding contributions to sailing activities at Sail Canada member clubs, sailing schools and regattas. The contributions can be related to activities by the candidate(s) over a period of years or to a specific event or program during a particular year.

Dale King is a Sail Canada certified Regional Judge, as well as a member of Sail Canada's Judges Sub-Committee and the Training and Certification Advisory Committee.

She has been instrumental in forming and leading the Judge Advisory panel to help Canadian Sailing Team athletes and coaches before and during major events. The team was supported at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games and World Championships leading up to the last Olympic Games in 2024. The program has continued into 2025 with the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships.

From the nomination form: "Dale has taken on the task of coordinating, leading and supporting the Judges Advisory panel in support of Canadian Sailing Team athletes and coaches. She has approached this professionally and in a tireless manner, addressing time zone issues in support of the team while in competition at multiple World Championships, Pan American Games and in orchestrating the preparation for Olympic Game support. Beyond the event support, she has been instrumental in coordinating direct athlete support on rules questions and providing guidance during seminars to team members and coaches. Dale has done an impressive job in support of the team and has broken down the barriers between officials and athletes/coaches to make us a 'team'."

A member of the National Yacht Club, Dale King also races in the Shark, C&C 99, Ideal 18, J80 and 8 Metre classes.

"What an honour to be named Sail Canada's Volunteer of the Year," said Dale King. "I'm grateful for this recognition, and I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the Sail Canada High Performance coaches, staff, and all the judges who've participated in the 'Judge Advisor of the Day' program."

"This initiative was created to support our High Performance Team athletes and coaches at international events, and I have to say—it's been rewarding. Helping athletes reach their goals, while also building connections beyond the judge stream, has been a highlight of my volunteer journey."

"What's made it even more special is the openness and camaraderie that has grown between different groups in our sailing community. It's a reminder of how strong we are when we work together."

"On a personal note, I've learned that understanding the rules has made me a better racer. After all, how can you win by the rules if you don't know them? And even when you do know them, figuring out how to navigate the protest room effectively is a whole other skill set. It's all part of the game, and I love every minute of it."

More information on the Volunteer of the Year Award is available at sailing.ca/volunteer-of-the-year-award-past-winners.