US Youth Champs set for North Carolina

For more than forty years, the U.S. Youth Championship has been US Sailing’s pinnacle youth regatta, featuring the nation’s top young competitors racing in high-performance classes. After having to cancel in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 2021 edition is set for October 9-11 in Arapahoe, NC.

Held at Camp Sea Gull and Seafarer, 156 sailors, 19-years-old and younger, will contest the regatta in the 29er, International 420, ILCA 7 (Standard), ILCA 6 (Radial), and Nacra 15.

2019 Youth Sailing Champion in the Laser Radial, Chapman Petersen, will return to defend his Youth Championship title. “We haven’t had a national event in many months, so I expect to see some brand new names at the top of the Radial fleet. It’s always exciting to see who has been putting in work since the last event.”

Additionally, the event will have six coaches who will support the regatta’s mission to facilitate education and development opportunities.

This year’s US Sailing Fleet Coaches are:
• Richard Feeny, Youth Champs Head Coach, US Sailing
• Mitch Brindley, Head Coach, Old Dominion University
• Robbie Daniel, Head Coach, Red Gear Racing
• Dane Wilson, US Sailing Team athlete, 49er Class
• Ward Cromwell, Head Coach, College of Charleston
• John Pearce, Sport Development Director, US Sailing

Normally held in the spring, due to the pandemic, and with a number of regattas being postponed in early 2021, the US Youth Championship Committee wanted to provide more time for sailors to practice and compete ahead of the event.

“We are excited to see a lot of new faces at this year’s Youth Champs after having to cancel the regatta last year,” says John Pearce, US Sailing Sport Development Director. “The ILCA 6 fleet is particularly strong after so many sailors gravitated to singlehanded sailing during the pandemic, and overall we are looking forward to capping off 2021 with a great regatta.”

Event information – Race details – Results

Source: US Sailing