Chris Cook

Chris Cook was born in Peterborough in 1974 and grew up in Whitby where he attended F.M.Heard and Leslie McFarlane Public Schools and Henry Street High School. He began to sail at the Whitby Yacht Club when he was 8 and started to race competitively when he was 15. The first race he won was the Ontario High School Championship in 1992.

He has been a member of the Canadian Sailing Team since 1997 and has numerous achievements in sailing including five top ten finishes in his Finn Class at the Open Finn Gold Cup (6th in 2001, 3rd in 2005, 9th in 2006, 7th in 2007, and 6th in 2008).

Chris also finished 1st at the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2009 North American Championship, was the Canadian Yachting Association Male Athlete of the Year in 2001, 2nd at the Canadian Olympic trials for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and Canadian Rolex Sailor of the Year in 2005. In 2005 Chris achieved a world ranking of 2nd in the Finn Class.

In 2003 Chris qualified for the 2003 Pan Am Games in the Laser Class but relinquished his place to a fellow team member to focus his training in the Finn Class.

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Chris represented Canada and sailed to a 5th overall position in the Finn class. In a special ceremony, the Town of Whitby presented Chris with a medal in recognition of his Olympic efforts.

In 2011 Chris returned to sailing after 3 years out of the sport. After winning won a bronze at a World Cup event in Spain Chris was on track for his second Olympics but was edged out by his upcoming protégée and fellow team member for the single position available at the games.

Chris is a graduate of the University of Toronto and remains active in the sailing community as a coach working with Sail Canada. Currently residing in Toronto with his wife and young family Chris is working toward developing sailing in Canada as a sport for everyone.