USA to be at Youth Match Racing Worlds

The Harken 2020 Youth Match Racing World Championship will be held February 25-March 1 in Auckland, New Zealand. Twelve teams from ten different nations will compete for the coveted World title that is raced for once a year, with the host nation alternating between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The nations competing include; South Africa, Great Britain, Australia, United States of America, France, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Russia and New Zealand. Confirmed skippers to date include; Sonja Stock (RSA), Ted Blowers (GBR), James Hodgson (AUS), Jack Parkin (USA), Aureilian Pierroz (FRA), Emil Kjaer (DEN), Platon Stupker (RUS), Ludovic Mori (ITA), and Marius Westerlind (SWE).

Australia currently hold the title after Tom Grimes’ team from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia won a very light wind and shortened event in Ekaterinburg, Russia earlier this year.

The annual Harken Youth International Match Racing Cup will take place the week prior at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, with the top two New Zealand finishers locking in their place for the Worlds. This regatta is also a great warm up for some of the international teams coming down, with a few signing up already and limited space available for more.

Racing will be completed in the RNZYS’ fleet of ten Elliott 7 Keelboats which are primarily used by the Squadron’s Mastercard Youth Training Programme, and for all match racing events hosted by the RNZYS.

This is a World Sailing event and will consist of four days of match racing including a Round Robin stage, Semi Finals, Petit Final and Final, with the winning team being crowned the HARKEN 2020 Youth Match Racing World Champion. All competitors shall be under 23 years old on December 31, 2020 (i.e., born after December 31, 1997).

Harold Bennett will be the Race Officer for the regatta, and all racing will take place on the Waitemata Harbour right outside the RNZYS, providing a perfect close up view for spectators.

More information can be found here: www.rnzys.org.nz/rnzys-events/2020-youth-worlds/

Source: Andrew Delves, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron