KYC Regatta Reports

2025-08 Will Keilty wins historic three-peat - Canadian Optimist Nationals

Under sunny skies, shifting winds and monster swells from Hurricane Erin, the 2025 Canadian Optimist Dinghy Championships unfolded this past week at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Hosted by RNSYS and the Canadian Optimist Dinghy Association, the regatta drew a vibrant community of Canadian sailors, coaches, volunteers and families to the water-front of Halifax's Northwest Arm.

Amid fleet racing, team racing and the debut of real-time MetaSail tracking in Canada, the week became a showcase of skill, grit and camaraderie. Of particular note was Will Keilty, whose three-peat in Fleet Racing and Team Racing sets a new high bar for Canadian youth sailing.

History Made, and Bright Future

Already a two-time champion, Will Keilty sailed to his third Canadian national Optimist title in Halifax—a new milestone in North American Optimist Sailing. At just 11, he became North America's youngest ever national champion back in 2022 when he won in Lunenburg over 130 competitors and helped RNSYS secure the Canadian national team-racing trophy that year. He repeated the win again in 2023 in West Vancouver. He lost his title to teammate Jacob JingBo Tu in 2024 in Hudson, QC, and now in 2025, has regained the title to complete a hat-trick that cements his place firmly in Canadian sailing history.

Will's remarkable performance of 12 net points over 12 races reflects maturity and composure across challenging conditions. His position as the first ever three-time national Optimist champion highlights not only his natural talent, but also the consistency and mental strength to lead the next wave of Canadian international youth sailors. His performance comes on the heels of winning Canada's first ever gold fleet race at the 2025Opti Worlds in Slovenia and recording the best Canadian result since 1982.