New Para title for younger sailors

As part of World Sailing’s commitment to increase participation and inclusivity throughout the sport, the inaugural U25 Para Sailing World Championship will take place in The Netherlands on July 19-22, 2022.

Competing in the RS Venture Connect, 15 nations with doublehanded mixed crews no older than 25 years will race in the self-righting keelboat to become the first ever U25 Para Sailing World Champions.

World Sailing, along with national sailing federations, class associations and sailors across the globe, are campaigning to see sailing reinstated for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. The Championship is a new avenue for the growth of the sport as World Sailing continues to build pathways for Para Sailors.

“World Sailing is fully committed to driving the growth and development of Para Sailing and the U25 Para Sailing World Championship is an exciting step forward,” said David Graham, World Sailing CEO. “As part of our growth strategy, we will increase the number of people under 30 who take part in Para Sailing to 20% of our total athletes, as well as grow the number of female sailors.

“This event will help us to achieve these goals. If we are successful in our reinstatement bid for LA28, the sailors competing here may well be the Paralympic stars on the water in Los Angeles and beyond and we look forward to following them in action.”

Prior to the event, World Sailing will be conducting a Paralympic Development Programme (PDP) session on July 16-17. The PDP will include workshops on boat handling and racing skills, rules and regatta management, as well as the opportunity for coaches to gain experience and develop high-performance expertise.

• Event details: https://www.rssailing.club/event-details/?id=284
• Introductory video: https://youtu.be/3OKMBhOjkQM
• For interest from USA sailors, click here.