Open CST Kingston – Fin de semaine ouverte de l’équipe canadienne de voile (ÉCV) à Kingston
Sail Canada launched its first Open Canadian Sailing Team (CST) training weekend in Kingston, September 5 to 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 Québec-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 center 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.
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