A System for Sustained Canadian Sailing Excellence
Current State of Olympic Sailing In Canada
Government funding has never been enough. This is true now more than ever. Government funding covers basic overhead and two national coaching salaries and the balance of $300,000 is focused only on athletes ranked in the top 8 internationally. It only scratches the surface of the real needs of the Canadian Sailing Team. What is left is a discretionary budget of just $48,000/ year to run the Team – with this budget real success is a pipe dream!
“We need funds for the things we need to do to win, not just the limited things Sport Canada and Own the Podium will fund.”
Anders Gustafson, Sail Canada High Performance Director
Enter - Lift The North
Inspired by a private donation of $300,000 spread over three years, Lift the North is a fundraising platform designed to build a sustainable System that will deliver international performance over time. As of May 4th, we have raised $410,000.
The focus of Lift the North is to finance a sustainable Canada-wide model to fund excellence in a high-performance environment. This means World Class Coaching, but also the ancillary things that accompany it. The coaches and athletes need to be able to travel, use reliable and safe coach boats, and all the modern technical tools that help gather objective data that has become an essential element of our sport. Things like Vakaros, drone video, video analysis software, etc. All the things that optimize the efforts of a modern coach. This is just the beginning. So much more can be done. For now, high-impact coaching, designed to maximize the potential of the daily performance environment and at regattas, offers the best return on investment.
Our immediate goal is $500,000 by June 30, 2026 and $1M by December 31, 2026
Tong term, our goal is to have a sustainable annual budget of $5 million
The Opportunity
Canada has medal-capable athletes. What separates leading nations is overall system strength: depth, coaching, execution, and the ability to sustain success. Lift the North exists to close that gap, with urgency, discipline, and a system built for results.
The Commitment
Lift the North is a continuation of belief and a commitment to build something enduring. Not just to win once. But to win well, over time.