After testing their skill levels in the growing world of competitive sailing during the 2014-2015 season, William-Patrick Blouin-Comeau and Brian Cherry are ready to take on bigger goals for the upcoming 2016-17 season.
Blouin-Comeau and Cherry, also known as Team Wyred, is set to compete in one of sailing’s most extreme competition in the spring of 2016: The Red Bull Foiling Generation. This international competition brings together the best youth sailors from multiple countries and get them to sail against each other in a foiling or “flying” catamaran.
“If you take a racing catamaran and splice plane technology into it, you get a boat that is capable of foiling about two feet from the water’s surface” Blouin-Comeau explained. “This is a design that has been growing ever since the America’s Cup in San Francisco back in 2013.”
Both Cherry and Blouin-Comeau have taken the year off university to pursue their goal of becoming one of the leading forces in youth Canadian sailing. “The timing for us to be pursuing this goal couldn't be better,” Cherry said. “The Red Bull Foiling Generation is a gateway to entering the world of professional sailing and is the most efficient way for us to enter this work and bring Canadian extreme sailing to another level.”
Team Wyred mostly trains in the Comox Bay, but often travels to Vancouver or the States for races. “Both Brian and I have competed in a couple of North American championships this year. We finished ninth at the Hobie 16 North American’s and I finished third and Brian fourth at the Wave North American this past summer," Blouin-Comeau stated.
“We've got multiple races in our most competitive class (Formula 18), including winning part of Red Bull: Around the Strait this past summer and finishing second at the Jericho End of Year regatta.”
With the goal on becoming one of Canada’s most extreme sailing duo, Team Wyred spends countless hours training, either on the water or in the gym, to gain the skills and physical strength to pursue this sport.
Blouin-Comeau and Cherry thank their sponsors Helly Hansen and Compass Adventure for the support they have received this past season.
“Without the support of the coaches at Compass Adventure and people at Helly Hansen, our goal would be basically impossible to achieve,” Cherry explained. “We both work two part-time jobs to keep our dream a reality and spend all our spare time either training or working on the professional side of Team Wyred.”
Team Wyred is currently inviting new sponsors for the 2016 season as they are gearing up for their most exciting season yet. “We are looking to partner with local, national and international companies that are looking to promote their business and the Comox Valley as well as the sport of extreme sailing,” Blouin-Comeau said. “Promoting businesses as well as the Valley is something important for us as we were both raised here.”
To contact Team Wyred about working or partnering with them on achieving their goals, contact teamwyred@gmail.com