Discover Siobhan Sailing
Passion for Sailing
I grew up in Mabou, Cape Breton, where I discovered my love for sailing. What began with my uncle’s purchase of a bright red Albacore quickly grew into a passion that I never abandoned. My next goal is the 2.4mR World Championship in Lake Garda, Italy.
The Journey
2.4mR World Championships - Lake Garda 2025
Recently, an incredible opportunity presented itself through Clagett Sailing, an incredible organization based in Newport, Rhode Island. They host a major regatta that qualified the top ten sailors for the 2025 World Championships in Lake Garda, Italy. After a successful season, I earned a spot as one of those sailors and joined the Clagett Team.
About the boat - 2.4mR
It’s important to note the type of boat I sail and why it’s one of the best. The boat I sail is called a 2.4mR and it is a one design class, modeled after the America’s Cup 12-meter sailboats, but are designed to be solo.
The best thing about this boat is that the inside cockpit is completely customizable. It was chosen as a Paralympic Class boat because it was soon discovered that anyone could sail it. Paraplegics, amputees, stroke survivors, any level of physical ability could easily adapt the inside of the
boat and sail it as easily as an abled body person. Just as fast, and often even faster.
Sailing in this boat created the environment where once you hit the water, it became an even playing field. It doesn’t matter if you have all limbs or none, whatever your physical ability, we all left our lives on the dock and became racers on the water. I’m a large supporter of all paralympic sports, but I have yet to see another that creates such an atmosphere of equality, competition, support, and respect for one another regardless of physical ability.
My Start in Sailing
At just 14 years old, I began racing in the 2.4mR. In 2013, I raced in the Canada Summer Games and finished 4th—my third ever regatta—and went on to compete in the 2017 and 2022 Canada Games, winning a gold medal. I also raced in multiple World Championships across Canada and the U.S.
During my university years, I tried out for the Queen’s Sailing Team two weeks before my classes begun in August 2016, and that moment shaped my whole university career. I sailed all new types of boats, travelled many places while staying up to date with classes, and in my final year I became the captain of the Queen’s Keelboat Team in 2019.
In the past five years, I kept finding new ways to become a better sailor. I race weekly at National Yacht Club and many other clubs around Toronto on larger keelboats and continue to race my 2.4mR.