Location: Fort Erie, Ontario
Dates: August 15-17, 2025
The season wrapped up at the ILCA Canadian Championships at Buffalo Canoe Club. After finishing 4th here in 2023, I came in hungry to improve and close the year on a strong note.
Day 1 – Waiting for Wind
Friday was a non-starter — literally. The breeze never filled, leaving the fleet ashore trading stories and waiting on flags that never came down. With the first races pushed to Saturday, the anticipation only grew.
Day 2 – Four Races in the Sea Breeze
Saturday delivered in style: four great races in a building 6–14 knot sea breeze. Out on the outer loop, the breeze stacked up some small, surfable waves — perfect for ILCA 7s. Timing and technique became key, and I was able to link onto a few more waves than my competitors, jumping forward at critical moments.
Despite feeling a bit rusty off at the starting line after a month away from racing, I leaned on boatspeed to open the regatta with scores of 1, 1, 3. In the fourth race, the one start I really nailed off the pin, a massive right shift came through and flipped the fleet. That race became a damage-limiting exercise — but with solid results in the bag, I ended the day atop the leaderboard
Day 3 – Storms and Shifts
Sunday’s forecast brought the same offshore, storm-driven conditions that had caught me out two years ago. That year, I pushed too hard on starts and got burned. This time I made a mental shift — starting more conservatively, staying patient, and reacting to the first shift rather than forcing it.
The adjustment paid off. In race one I managed a 6th, keeping myself in the hunt. In the final race I had a good start as the breeze picked up. Although I made a small mistake of overstanding the layline, I managed to claw my way back to the front on the reach and first downwind. From there I was able to close the series with a 1st.
A Satisfying Finish
Those results sealed my third Canadian Championship title, a redemption after two year’s frustrations, and a fitting way to cap off the season.
RESULTS
Road to LA 2028: Next Up, off season training
Getting fitter in the gym and on the water.
