Sailing competitions at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto will be held from July 12 to 19 at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club's ferry station and parking lot on the mainland side of the harbour.[1][2] Spectator viewing areas were available for free on Sugar Beach and the surrounding boardwalk.[3] A total of ten events were contested (two for men, three for women and five mixed gender events).[2]
Originally nine medal events were scheduled to be contested at the games, but a tenth medal event (the women's 49erFX) was added to the program. This was done to get the event to have more gender equality.[4]
All ten classes contested a series of opening races and conclude with a medal race which consisted of the top 50% of the boats (with a five boat minimum). All boats competed in a twelve series opening race, except the RS:X and 49erFX (which competed in a sixteen race opening series). The first six days saw all boats compete in two races each except the RS:X and 49erFX, which competed in three races on the first four days of racing. The last two days of competition saw five medal races each.[7]
A total of 140 sailors and 85 boats qualified to compete at the games. A nation may enter a maximum of one boat in each of the ten events and a maximum of eighteen athletes. Each event had different qualifying events that began in 2013.[8] However, on December 22, 2014 the Pan American Sailing Federation announced the total quota was raised to 148 athletes and 93 boats (with the laser and laser standard events each receiving an additional four boats). This was done because the event became an Olympic qualifier.[5]
