Team USA for Youth Sailing Worlds

US Sailing has named the 14 US Youth Team athletes who will represent USA at the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships. The 53rd edition of the premier event in international youth sailing will take place July 13-20 in Lake Garda, Italy.

“I can’t imagine a more iconic European venue for this year’s event,” remarked Phil Muller, US Sailing Youth Performance Manager and Head Coach. “The Youth World Championships is the pinnacle regatta on our annual calendar. To me, it is the ultimate display of sailing skill, national pride and international competition.”

Open to athletes under age 19, US Youth Team athletes were selected based on the results of a single qualification regatta for each class: Nacra 15 Midwinter’s East Championship hosted by Lauderdale Yacht Club (FL), iQFOiL Ring of Fire Championship hosted by Kaneohe Yacht Club (HI), and ILCA, 29er, i420 Midwinters West Championship hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (CA).

The USA will be sending representatives for 9 of the 11 events at the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships.

2024 US Youth Team:

• Male Windsurfer – iQFOiL Youth
Makani Andrews (Kaneohe, HI)*
• Female Windsurfer – iQFOiL Youth
Sage Andrews (Kaneohe, HI)*
• Male One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Jake Homberger (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
• Female One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Isabella Mendoza Cabezas (Miami, FL)
• Male/Mixed Skiff – 29er
Fynn Olsen & Pierce Olsen (Miami Beach, FL)
• Female Skiff – 29er
Annie Sitzmann & Molly Bonham (Severna Park, MD / Annapolis, MD)
• Male/Mixed Two Person Dinghy – i420
Freddie Parkin* & Estella Morris (Riverside, CT / Larchmont, NY)
• Female Two Person Dinghy – i420
Ava McAliley & Michelle Kaneti (Miami, FL / Mamaroneck, NY)
• Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 15
Dylan Tomko & Casey Small (Canyon Lake, TX / Houston, TX)

*Denotes returning 2023 Youth Worlds Team Member

The USA will not have representatives for the Male and Female Kite events.

2024 Youth Worlds Regatta Coaches are Phil Muller (iQFOiL, Team Leader), Sophia Reineke (ILCA 6), Paris Henken (29er), Steve Keen (i420), and Rosie Chapman (Nacra 15).

“The Youth Worlds is a life-changing and defining event for every athlete who earns their spot on Team USA,” said Muller. “Americans are bold competitors and this year’s team is made of athletes who have proven the caliber of their skill at home and abroad. We look forward to coming together as a team and representing our country.”

Team members will participate in training blocks alongside training partners who earned an invitation based on their results at qualifying regattas. The 2024 US Youth Championship on June 22-25 in Bristol, RI will be a final opportunity for team members to hone their skills prior to the Worlds.

John Pearce, US Sailing Youth Competition Manager added, “We were thrilled to see the tight competition at each of the qualifier regattas for this year’s US Youth Team. Across the country, the skill level is high and athletes are pushing each other to improve. To all youth sailors striving to be their best, we have one message: keep going, and we are here to support you. We are excited to see you at US Sailing events this year!”

Event details: https://worldsailingywc.org/

The Youth Sailing World Championships are open to young sailing stars up to the age of 19, around 1600 young sailors from over 75 countries will aim to follow in the footsteps of Olympic champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, and Nathan Outteridge, as well as current World, European and Asian Formula Kite champion Max Maeder, himself a three-time champion at the Youth Sailing World Championships.

Source: US Sailing