In its inaugural season, the East Coast ILCA Sailing Team has come together and created
success in many different aspects across both Canada, North America, and Internationally.
On April 2nd, the newly formed team hit the icey cold waters of the North West Arm in
Halifax, and hasn’t looked back. Launching out of the Waegwoltic Junior Club facilities, the
team was able to make the best of the April / May months, when finding decent weather for
training proved to be challenging. With the team working hard towards boat speed, fitness,
and taking the time to plan their summers, East Coast ILCA sailors have laid out pathways
that will see the team compete in the Canada Summer Games, Sail GP Inspire Program,
Continental Championships, as well 3 different ILCA World Championships (ILCA 4, 6, and
7), in their respective age groups.
Sail Canadas “Identified Athletes Program: This program selected the top applicants to
compete in the ILCA 7 class at the Under 21 Worlds in Portugal this August. Through past
results, current training programs, and reference letters, a selection committee picked five
sailors from Canada to compete at the u21 World Championships. Of those five, two are
East Coast ILCA sailors Daniel Connors and Finley Nakatsu. They will each receive
coaching and support from Sail Canada, as well as funding towards the expenses of the trip.
A big thanks to Support4Sport Nova Scotia, who will also be helping the team get to
Portugal!
When SailGP’s Inspire program was taking applications, Lilly Rainham was quick to apply.
Through an application process that included short videos, pictures, and past and current
results, Lilly was selected to compete in the Inspire Program at SailGP Chicago. The
program was five days long, and she trained alongside sailors who are at the very top of
their respective classes. She was able to train among and learn from foiling professionals,
and take part in the amazing experience that the Sail GP Inspire program offers. The skill
she learned has had her come back to the ILCA as an even stronger sailor!
As I write this, the team is currently training in Kingston for the ILCA North Americans. As the
coach , I am unable to attend as I am on “baby watch”.The team is led by 2016 Olympian in
the ILCA 6, Brenda Bowskill. Brenda has represented Canada at the Olympics, multiple
world championships, and has won the North Americans several times. The team will have
three sailors from the Caribbean join them for this event; sailors from the British Virgin
Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and Barbados will join with East Coast ILCA and
compete over the 4 days from July 1st – 4th. This event is a 2023 Pan American Games
qualifier.
Canada Games! The trials were held over two days of “fruity” conditions in Halifax harbour
over the May 27th – 28th weekend. After a close battle among 4 sailors in the ILCA 7, it was
Daniel Connors who bested the fleet, and took the win by a single point. Due to a schedule
conflict with the u21 worlds, Daniel bumpedthe spot one place down to second place
finisher, Sullivan Nakatsu. With just two months before the Canada Summer Games start,
Sullivan will represent Nova Scotia in the ILCA 7. Sullivan, being only 16 years old, will be
one of the youngest sailors in the fleet, however he has proven that he is capable of taking
on older sailors from across Canada. Racing will take place this August in Niagara on The
Lake, in Ontario.
ILCA 6 Youth Worlds 2022 are to be held in Houston Texas this July, and will see 2 East
Coast ILCA sailors Sullivan Nakatsu, and Anneka Siegel compete. Through a qualification
system that uses past results from North American regattas, both Sullivan and Anneka were
able to secure spots early in the application process. The regatta will take place on wavey,
windy, and hot Galveston Bay, which is about 45 minutes from Houston Texas. The team will
be coached by Halifax local Max Seward. Max will also host three other sailors from Quebec
and Ontario to join the East Coast ILCA team, and they anticipate competing for the top
spots in the highly competitive fleet of 200+ sailors, and over 30 countries represented. A
big thanks to Support4Sport for helping both of these sailors get to the event!
And lastly, the ILCA 4 World Championships will take place in Portugal this August, and East
Coast ILCA sailor Alicia Leguziman will take part. She is representing Team Canada and will
be the only ILCA 4 female from Canada to compete in the World Championships. Alicia has
been training hard with the other ILCA 4 sailors on the team. James Woodard and Mattea Nakatsu have been pushing her in
practice to get ready for this major competition. The ILCA 4 is the smallest of the three rig
sizes, and has proven to be the best feeder boat for sailors who wish to transition into the
Olympic sized rigs, the ILCA 6 and the ILCA 7.
East Coast ILCA Team
Coach (1): Chris Watters
Sailors (10): Daniel Connors, Finley Nakatsu, Anneka Siegel, Reilly Nakatsu, Lilly Rainham,
James Woodard, Alicia Leguziman, Mattea Nakatsu, Simon Blanchard, Sullivan Nakatsu