Republished July 04, 2016 - 1:02 PM
Original Publication Date July 04, 2016 - 8:10 AM
TORONTO - Dannie Boyd already knew she was going to represent Canada at Rio.
The 26-year-old from Kingston, Ont., and 27-year-old Halifax crewmate Erin Rafuse earned an Olympic berth for Canada in the women's 49er FX class last November at the world championships in Buenos Aires. They were nominated for the Canadian team at the beginning of March and haven't stopped their never-ending quest to go faster on the water.
Still the official announcement of Canada's sailing team was welcome news — yet another step forward in her Olympic dream.
"It's a good Monday," Boyd said with a laugh.
Boyd and Rafuse will be sailing in a boat named Maple in the 49er FX class, which has been in the Olympics for men since 2000 but it is making its Games debut for women.
Boyd and Rafuse are part of a nine-athlete Canadian sailing team that includes Nikola Girke, a veteran of three Olympics already.
Girke was 13th in the 470 class at the 2004 Olympics before switching to RSX windsurfing for the Beijing Games in 2008, when she finished 17th. Four years later in London, she was 10th in her windsurfing event.
In Brazil, the 38-year-old from West Vancouver will be teaming up with 28-year-old Vancouver's Luke Ramsay of Vancouver in the Nacra 17, a mixed crew catamaran. Four years ago, Ramsay placed 25th with partner Mike Leigh in the London 470 event
Canadians are competing in four other Olympic sailing events: men's Laser, Finn and 470 and women's 49er Laser Radial.
The sailing competition, based out of the Marina da Gloria, runs Aug. 8 to 19 on courses in Guanabara Bay. While the athletes get to compete near the shore of the famed Olympic host city, they will have to do it in polluted waters.
Toronto's Tom Ramshaw will represent Canada in the men's Finn. The 24-year-old will be making his Olympic debut after transitioning from the Laser class.
Brothers Jacob and Graeme Saunders from Chester, N.S., will race in the 470 class while Lee Parkhill of Oakville, Ont., competes in the men's Laser.
Toronto's Brenda Bowskill will race in the Laser Radial.
Canada's last Olympic sailing medal came in Athens in 2004 when Mike Wolfs and Ross MacDonald won silver in the Star class.
Canada's total Olympic medal haul on the waves consists of three silver and six bronze.
Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016