Sail Canada launched its first Open Canadian Sailing Team (CST) training weekend in Kingston, September 5-7, bringing together national team members with rising athletes in the Olympic pathway, and Olympian mentors for three days of intensive training and shared learning.
Athlete Participation & Integration
CST members Arie Moffat, Annie Balasubramanian, Clara Gravely, Lilly Rainham, Thomas Staples and William Staples were joined by James Huynh, fresh off a bronze medal at the Junior Pan American Games in Men’s Formula Kite, together with a strong group of Ontario and Quebec-based athletes right in the Olympic pathway.
With ILCA 6, ILCA 7, 49er, and Formula Kite all training on the water together, the block created a rare opportunity for cross-class integration. Athletes compared approaches, shared race insights, and built connections that strengthen the overall Canadian high-performance sailing culture.
Coaching Leadership & Mentorship
Under the leadership of Head Coach Ken Dool, the program benefited from the expertise of:
-Olympians John Curtis and Ali ten Hove contributed with an inspiring evening talk on their Olympic journeys and strategies for sustainable careers.
-Team Québec coach Caroline de Alcala, alongside Audrey Staples and Nicolas Tosi, who each provided targeted technical input and broad athlete support.
Training Environment
Kingston delivered outstanding 11-20 knot conditions, allowing for:
-High-intensity tactical and technical on-water sessions.
-Starting practice and race-focused drills.
-Approximately 11 hours of targeted sailing.
-Two strength and conditioning workouts
-Daily pre- and debriefs with video reviews, promoting reflection, accountability, and peer-to-peer learning with both technical and tactical learnings, led by Ken Dool.
-The combination of challenging conditions, structured support, and effective debriefing placed development and shared learning at the centre of the weekend.
Looking Ahead
This Kingston block laid a strong foundation for the fall training cycle. The next opportunities for Canadian athletes to join the Open CST weekends will be:
Vancouver – September 12–14, 2025
Halifax – September 19–21, 2025
These upcoming weekends will continue building momentum as Canadian sailors sharpen their skills, strengthen team culture, and pursue the long-term Olympic journey.
