BERNARD LUTTMER

At the age of 12, Bernard began racing the Optimist dinghy. He developed quickly and represented Canada at the 1993 Optimist World Championships in Spain, his first international event. The next move was into the Laser 2’s at the RCYC junior club. To follow his Olympic dreams, at age 17, he moved into the Olympic Laser class.  For the past 9 years he has been training in the Laser with the High Performance Team at RCYC. He has competed for Canada at the World Championships 7 times. In 2000 he placed 3rd at the Canadian Olympic Trials narrowly missing a berth for the games in Australia. 4 years later Bernard found himself on top and was selected to the Canadian Olympic Team for Athens.  Bernard continues to compete internationally to reach his ultimate goal of getting to the top of the podium in China come 2008.

JEN PROVAN

Jen is from Toronto and grew up sailing at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.  A racing enthusiast by the age of 14, she chose to further her sailing career on the team at Tufts University, Boston, where she was a three-time All-American, National Women´s Champion and captain of the Women´s Team. While at university, she began sailing and competing in the 470 during the summers and upon graduation in 2001 began sailing full-time. Jen proudly represented Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Women´s 470 finishing in 13th and placed 10th at the 2004 470 World Championships in Zadar, Croatia. In 2005, Jen began sailing with Carol and although a new team, they have jumped right into the top of the competition. Their goal is to win Canada´s first sailing gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

OSKAR JOHANSSON

Oskar Johansson, of Oakville Ontario, has been sailing all his life. He started to race on his own, when he was 14 in the Laser. In 1996 he was the first member to join the RCYC HPT. In 2001 he switched classes to helm the Olympic Tornado. Oskar went on to place 15th finish at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. He is also a Pan American Games Gold Medalist in the Sunfish. Oskar graduated from Queens University in 2002 with a B. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Economics. In 2002, Oskar co-founded the Nathan Cowan Memorial Fund (www.nathancowan.org) and currently is a committee member of the International Tornado Class Association. He is currently campaigning full time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
 
Kevin Stittle, of Orangeville Ontario, started windsurfing when he was 11. After a successful beginning on the windsurfer, National Champion many times, Canada Games Gold Medalist and Pan American Games Bronze Medalist, Kevin, gave Tornado sailing a try.

Kevin and Oskar are currently ranked 10th in the ISAF, International Sailing Federation ranking system. The team is training full time for medal performance in Beijing in 2008.

CHRIS COOK

FINN Results Include:

11th EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2006
3rd PRINCESS SOPHIA REGATTA: 2006
5TH HOLLAND REGTTA: 2006
9TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2006
3RD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2005
6TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2001
CANADIAN CHAMPION: 2003, 2004
NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005
CANADIAN OLYMPIC CLASSES CHAMPION: 2002, 2003, 2005
MIDWINTER EAST CHAMPION: 2003, 2005
MIAMI OLYMPIC CLASSES REGATTA CHAMPION: 2005
2ND MAIMI OLYMPIC CLASSES REGATTA: 2002, 2003, 2006
2ND U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: 2003

In March 2005 I dislocated my shoulder very severely and required surgery to repair the damage. The rehabilitation for this operation required three months of physiotherapy and restricted me from any sailing.  During this time I worked very hard to recover quickly and to work on the mental aspects of sailing with a sports psychologist.  Following the rehabilitation period I sailed in the Laser class (a smaller boat compared to the Finn) for one month and finished second at the Canadian Championships. I felt it would be a good move to sail the Finn world championships after this result in the Laser. At the Finn Worlds I earned a bronze medal and have had no problems with my shoulder since.

I believe that Olympic campaigns test an individual in all the ways that are important in life. I am responsible for all of my financial planning, logistics of moving myself and my equipment around the world in a timely fashion, preparing for events to obtain the best possible results and working with people (both those working with me as well as my fellow competitors). In addition to the above mentioned things I also enjoy the challenge of sailing both mentally and physically and the pride of winning for Canada, my supporters and my family.