Canada’s Pan American Games sailing team includes Oakville, Burlington athletes

Canada’s Pan American Games sailing team will include Oakville, Burlington athletes

Oakville’s Lee Parkhill and Burlington’s Rachel Green have been named to Canada’s sailing teams for the upcoming Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Nominated by Sail Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Parkhill will compete in the Sunfish (men’s dinghy), while Green will take to the water in the Lighting (mixed dinghy) event along with Jessica Hirschbold (Victoria, B.C.)
Luke Ramsay (Vancouver, B.C.).

The first Pan American Games ever held in Chile will take place from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5 in the capital of Santiago.

Sarah Douglas will be making her second appearance at the Pan American Games. The Toronto native, who is one of four athletes on the team who won medals at previous Pan American Games, took home gold in ILCA 6 (women’s dinghy) at Lima in 2019.

“I’m excited to be returning to the Pan American Games,” said Douglas. “It’s always an honour to represent Canada. At the last one in 2019, I was sick and on bed rest, but still able to win the gold medal. But this time, I’m hoping to be healthy and to truly enjoy the experience.”

“Since I’ve already qualified Canada for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in ILCA 6, I’ll have the pressure off in Santiago and use it as an Olympic preparation event since it is a unique multi-sport Games environment.”

Parkhill is also a Pan American Games medallist. The Oakville native won a bronze medal in ILCA 7 at Toronto 2015. Other Canadian medal winners competing this year include Luke Ramsay, two-time silver medallist in Sunfish at Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019; and Justin Barnes, bronze medallist in 49er at Lima 2019 with former crewmate Alex Heinzmann.

Green (Royal Hamilton Yacht Club), along with Luke Ramsay from Vancouver (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club) and Jessica Hirschbold from Victoria, B.C., (Royal Victoria Yacht Club) qualified to be nominated for the Pan American team at the Canadian Open Lightning Championships in British Columbia back in July.

Ramsay, Green and Hirschbold ended the eight races that took place as part of the 12-boat competition with five wins, allowing them to finish first overall.

Green just recently graduated from Queen’s University and sailed with that institution’s team over the past four years. She and sailing partner Galen Richardson, who was also named to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games national team, won the 2023 Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association Fleet Racing National Championship.

“I am super excited to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games and I’m looking forward to representing Canada,” said the 22-year-old sailor.

Sailing will take place October 28 to November 4 (Days 8 to 15) at the Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico in Algarrobo.

The full Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.