Quick Answer:
Canadian para sailor Tracy Schmitt is campaigning to compete at the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portugal with one goal—to become the World’s #1 female sailor with a disability. ALL AT SEA is leading a $25,000 fundraising campaign to help get her there.

An Athlete Who Redefined What I Thought Was Possible

Every now and then, you meet someone who completely redefines what is possible.

Tracy Schmitt did that for me.

I first met Tracy in 2014 at the Clagett Regatta in Newport, Rhode Island. I was there with John Foster—six-time Olympian and my co-founder of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paralympic Sailing Team—cheering on our sailors.

Tracy was already known as “Unstoppable Tracy,” and within five minutes of meeting her, I understood why.

Born without legs and without hands, Tracy has spent her life proving that limitations exist only if we accept them. She is a Canadian Disability Hall of Fame inductee, a bronze medalist in para-alpine skiing, and a World Para Sailing competitor. Remarkably, she has achieved nearly all of this with very little outside financial support.

Beyond sport, Tracy has inspired audiences in more than 40 countries with her extraordinary story. This past April, she was named Top Motivational Speaker of the Decade by the International Association of Top Professionals.

Chasing a World Championship

From October 1–11, 2026, Tracy will compete in the World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Marina de Portimão, Portugal.

She isn’t going simply to compete.

She is going to win.

Her goal is to return home as the World’s #1 female sailor with a disability.

Her teammate aboard the RS Venture Connect is Igor Momot, a talented sailor who reads the wind and the boat almost instinctively and matches Tracy’s determination tack for tack.

Guiding them is Olympian John Foster, who immediately agreed to coach Tracy’s campaign to Portugal.

This is a team that simply doesn’t believe in quitting.

How ALL AT SEA Readers Can Help

Like a close-knit cruising community, ALL AT SEA readers have always looked after one another.

Today, I’m asking you to help one of our own.

As Tracy’s lead sponsor and campaign organizer, I know our readers understand what it takes to get a crew to the starting line. Whether you’re a sailor, cruiser, charter guest, marine professional, or one of those proud “boatyard rats,” you know that competing on the world stage requires commitment, preparation, and resources.

Our campaign has a goal of $25,000.

Every dollar goes directly toward getting Tracy and Igor to Portugal fully prepared to compete.

Funds will help cover:

• Championship entry fees
• Travel to key pre-World Championship regattas
• Boat and equipment expenses
• Adaptive sailing equipment
• Championship registration
• Accommodations and logistics in Portimão

Please Donate and Share

➡️ DONATE HERE: https://gofund.me/a34b11898

If Tracy’s story inspires you, please consider making a donation.

Just as importantly, help spread the word.

Share the campaign with your yacht club, marina, dock neighbors, family, and friends. Mention it over sundowners at the club bar. The one person who could make all the difference for Tracy may be just one conversation away.

Every contribution—large or small—helps move this campaign closer to the starting line in Portugal.

Let’s Help Make History

For more than a decade, I’ve watched Tracy turn the impossible into the possible.

Now, let’s help her turn Portugal into a podium finish.

Please donate today:

https://gofund.me/a34b11898

Capt. Jan Robinson has written for ALL AT SEA since 2005.