Kingston to host a sailing qualification competition in ILCA for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games

During the 2026 Sail Canada Senior Championships (ILCA 6 & 7) and CORK Olympic Classes Regatta

Kingston, September 23, 2026 – Sailors from North America, including from the Caribbean, and Central America, will gather in Kingston this weekend, September 25-27, for Sail Canada Senior Championships (ILCA 6 & 7) and CORK Olympic Classes Regatta.

More than 50 sailors will compete on the road that leads towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Athletes will be aiming to qualify a spot for their country in ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games. The Pan Am Games will be one of the opportunities for sailors to qualify a spot for their respective countries for Los Angeles 2028.

To qualify a spot for their country for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, athletes in ILCA 6 from the Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, and Cayman Islands will need to finish amongst the top two countries.

In ILCA 7, participants from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago will also aim to be in the top two in the final countries standing.

Athletes from the United States will also be in action, even if the country already secured spots in both classes.

A maximum of 17 athletes in ILCA 6 and of 17 in ILCA 7 will be selected to compete in Lima, with a maximum of one boat per country per sailing class.

Canadian Sailing Team members Annie Balasubramanian, Clara Gravely and Lilly Rainham in ILCA 6, as well as Ryan Anderson in ILCA 7, will be amongst the more than 40 Canadian sailors in action.

Details are available at https://www.sailing.ca/sc_event/sail-canada-ilca-6-and-ilca-7-senior-championships-2/.

The Sail Canada 2026 ILCA 6 & 7 Senior Championships are part of a series of seven Sail Canada National and Regional Championship events to be held this summer. These competitions provide an opportunity for sailors to train and compete with high-level sailors in their region, in addition to serving as talent identification opportunities for regional and provincial sailing teams, as development and mentoring opportunities for coaches, and as opportunities for officials and volunteers to train and develop.

Helly Hansen is the proud prize sponsor for the 2026 Sail Canada Championships.

Sail Canada Championships are funded – in part- by the Government of Canada.

About Sail Canada
Established in 1931, Sail Canada is the national governing body for the sport of sailing in the country. Sail Canada is a leading international sailing nation, proud of its world class athletes, lifelong participants and inclusive culture. The organization and its members are committed to excellence by developing and training its leaders, athletes, sailors, instructors, coaches and officials. With the valued support from our partners, the Provincial Sailing Associations and our member clubs, schools, organizations and stakeholders, sailing is promoted in all its forms. By setting standards and delivering programs from home pond to podium for Canadians of all ages and abilities, from dinghies to keelboats, cruising to navigation, windsurfing to powerboating and accessible sailing, Sail Canada sets sail for all, sail to win and sail for life.

A sport in the Olympic program since the first Games in 1896, except in 1904, the pursuit of success in these Games is what fuels the focus of Sail Canada as Canadian athletes have so far achieved nine Olympic and five Paralympic medals.