End of an era for Canadian sailing

It is not uncommon for a national sailing federation to announce the retirement of an athlete, but for a sport with participants from 8 to 80, what does this mean? Are they moving on to golf? Has the Olympic pursuit spoiled their passion for sailing? Here’s a press release from Sail Canada:

Two-time Olympian Sarah Douglas announced her retirement from Olympic sailing, although she will be staying close to the sport through new opportunities.

At her first Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, she took the 6th position overall in ILCA 6, which is still to this day the best Canadian female performance in an individual sailing event at the Games. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she again qualified for the Medal Race and ended up in 8th place.

“After more than a decade representing Canada, I’m stepping away from Olympic sailing with immense pride and gratitude,” said Douglas. “I no longer feel the same fire for chasing the highest levels of Olympic competition, and it’s important to me to close this chapter with honesty and respect for the sport.

“Sailing has shaped every part of who I am—as an athlete, a competitor, a leader, and a person. Competing at two Olympic Games, achieving historic results, and standing on podiums around the world are memories I will carry for the rest of my life.

“Equally meaningful are the relationships, resilience, and sense of purpose that sailing has given me. I’m deeply grateful to the coaches, teammates, partners, and supporters who pushed me beyond what I thought was possible.”

Fiona Cochrane, Chair of Sail Canada’s Board of Directors adds, “Sarah Douglas perfectly embodies the spirit of sailing, having demonstrated discipline and perseverance throughout her career. Sarah has also demonstrated the power of inclusion, diversity, and equity in our sport, and she remains an idol for the next generation of sailors from all different regions, backgrounds, and origins.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, and the entire Sail Canada community, I would like to thank Sarah for the legacy she leaves to the sport in our country and the reputation of Canadian sailing around the world, and I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.”

Born in Burlington, Ontario, Douglas started sailing in the Optimist class at the age of 7 on the island of Barbados, taking part in North American and World Championships before the age of 15.

After outgrowing the boat, she returned to Canada and transitioned to the Laser Radial class (now called ILCA 6). From there, Douglas quickly became one of the top youth sailors in Canada, representing the country at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

After being away from competition and coaching athletes for two years, her dream to compete at the Olympics was rekindled in 2014 by a Canadian medalist who inspired her to get back into the game and pursue her goal of winning an Olympic medal.

With a sailing career spanning over a decade, Douglas has represented Canada at multiple international competitions and World Championships. She won a gold medal at the 2022 World Sailing World Cup held during the Princess Sofia Trophy Regatta, therefore coming up with her first podium finish at a World Sailing competition and, by the same token, her first career gold medal.

One year later, she won another gold medal at the 2023 World Sailing World Cup held during French Olympic Week. She also won gold and silver medals, respectively, at the Lima 2019 and Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, in addition to taking the 6th and 8th positions, respectively, at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Douglas won Sail Canada’s Rolex Sailor of the Year Award twice (2019 and 2020-21) as well as Sail Canada Gallagher Skippers’ Plan Athlete of the Year Award six years in a row, from 2018 to 2024.

In September 2026, she will be one of the invited skippers for the inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in IC37 keelboats.

“Even though this chapter is ending, my connection to the sport is not,” said Douglas. “I’m excited to continue my role as Athlete Director on Sail Canada’s Board of Directors, to explore new opportunities in sports marketing, and to take on a new kind of challenge as I build a team to compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship.

“This transition isn’t a goodbye; it’s a new direction. And I’m stepping into it with gratitude and a lot of excitement for what’s ahead.”

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program (July 16-28):
First Week – July 16-20
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA

Second Week – July 23-28
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 – Los Angeles, CA
Men’s Skiff – 49er – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 – Los Angeles, CA

For more details, click here.