Having grown up in a family of sailors, it was inevitable that he too would catch the sailing bug. Andre began sailing at the West Vancouver Yacht Club through their Learn to Sail program. He later joined the race team at age 9 and has progressed through Optis, Lasers (ILCA), and various keelboats. Andre has had the distinct honour and privilege of representing his home club, WVYC, all over the world while attending 5 World Championships (soon to be 6), 7 National Championships (where he has achieved two podium finishes), and countless North American Majors. Some of his recent ILCA 6 sailing highlights include finishing 3rd at the 2024 Canadian Youth Champs, placing 7th (3rd Youth) at the 2025 ILCA North American Championships, and coming in 9th at the 2023 Orange Bowl Youth International Regatta. Through all his sailing, Andre makes a conscious effort to give back to the community that supports him on his journey by supporting the next generation. He can be found coaching the WVYC Opti race team, running the club’s youth keelboat team, and mentoring younger sailors from his club.
As the recipient of wise coaching throughout his career, Andre understands the value that being prepared and ready can bring. Being prepared not only enables athletes to compete and the highest of levels but it also permits them to excel. In the ILCA, this requires good equipment, proper training, and attending regattas. All costing lots of money. Whether it’s a new race sail that will wear out after a few events, or the cross-county flight; some expenses are just unavoidable. For this reason, Andre is looking for some support in making his sailing dreams a reality.
Some large costs include:
- Bahamas training camp: $1,856.77
- Fall Training fees: $1,254.00
- Fall Charter fees: $1,200.00
- World Sailing/Sail Canada Regatta fee: $4,575.00
- Flight to the World Champs: $1,634.52
Any and all help is greatly appreciated.