Jacob Chaplin-Saunders

Jacob Saunders (born April 15, 1992) is a Canadian sailor. Along with his partner (and brother) Graeme Saunders, he competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 470 event, finishing in 22nd place. He represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics together with Oliver Bone of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, finishing in 17th place in the men's 470 event. He started his early training and career with the Chester Yacht Club, competing as Jacob Chaplin-Saunders.

Early life and youth career Saunders started sailing in the junior sailing program at Chester Yacht Club in 2002, along with his brother. He began competitive sailing at the age of 11, in the Optimist and 420 classes, and won two national titles in each.

International career

Jacob started teaming up with his older brother Graeme in 2009. At the world championships a few weeks later, they finished in 32nd place for the second straight year.

After a three-year hiatus from sailing to finish his engineering degree, Jacob was approached by his former coach and former Olympian Oliver Bone, and started training with him in the fall of 2019. After lockdown was lifted, they resumed training for nine to ten hours a week, sailing out of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in Halifax. They were coached for the Tokyo Olympics by Paralympic triple medallist Paul Tingley. Saunders and Bone finished in 17th place at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021.

Honours and education The Saunders brothers received Sail Canada's Nathan Cowan Memorial Award for Developing Sailors in 2012, and the Marvin McDill Memorial Award for the Canadian Sailing Team's Rookie of the Year in 2013.