William Jones

Biography

William Jones is the skipper of the 49er, a two-handed skiff, with crewmate Evan DePaul. The two first teamed up in the summer of 2015 to race in the 49er FX, before moving into the 49er in 2016. Just a year later, they won gold at the 2017 Junior World Championship held at their home training centre in Kingston, Ontario.

Jones and DePaul laid claim to Canada’s Tokyo 2020 spot in the 49er by being the top Canadian boat at the 2020 World Championships for the class. They improved upon their best ever result at worlds by more than 20 spots, a culmination of their efforts to work on their weaknesses as a lot of small pieces came together.

Early in his career, Jones had raced solo in the C420 and Laser Radial before being attracted to the challenge presented by the skiff class. While attending Queen’s University, he represented the school in multiple regattas, which included a victory with his team at the 2016 Student Yachting world Cup in La Rochelle, France.

A Little More About William

Getting into the Sport: Joined a learn-to-sail program at age 10… Competed in his first regatta in 2008 when he was 13… Began racing in the 49er in 2016 when he was 21… Outside Interests: Graduated from Queen’s University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Applied Science… Enjoys playing squash, skiing, rowing… Odds and Ends: Superstitions include not shaving during a competition and wearing mismatched socks for good luck…