U.S. Youth Worlds Team set to compete in Auckland

by Will Ricketson on 15 Dec 2016 13 members of US Sailing's 2016 Youth Sailing World Championship Team (YWT) will begin racing on Friday at the premier youth event in international sailing. The 2016 Youth Worlds is expected to include 380 sailors from 65 nations and will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from December 14-20.

“Our team and coaches are prepared and ready to begin,” said Leandro Spina (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing's Youth Development Director and Head Coach for the event. “We have been in Auckland for the past three days, and have worked on equipment preparation, team bonding, and getting over jet lag. The regatta organizers have done a fantastic job, and we are excited to get out on the racecourse.'

US Sailing's Olympic Development Program (ODP) took the lead in preparing the Youth Worlds Team for the event, and organized a series of training camps focusing on speed, tuning, and racing. 'We are focused on helping our athletes become well-rounded sailors,' said Spina. 'The work they've put in with ODP coaches, their own coaches and with other top American sailors in their classes over the past few months will help them not only in this regatta, but far into their future racing careers.'

The pressure and pride that comes with representing their country at the Youth Worlds has been a formative experience for many of the world's best sailors since the first edition of the event was held in Angelholm, Sweden in 1971. 'This is the closest experience you can get to an Olympic Games at a young age, and performing well at this regatta is something very positive for our sailors to strive for,' said Spina.

US Sailing’s 2016 Youth World Championship Team:

• Laser Radial (girl’s one person dinghy): Sophia Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
• Laser Radial (boy’s one person dinghy): Carrson Pearce (Manahawkin, N.J.)
• International 420 (girl’s two person dinghy): Kathryn Hall (Haverford, Penn.) and Ashton Borcherding (Greenwich, Conn.)
• International 420 (boy’s two person dinghy): Wiley Rogers (Houston, Texas) and Jack Parkin (Riverside, Conn.)
• 29er (girl's high performance dinghy): Louisa Nordstrom (Osprey, Fla.) and Catherine Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.)
• 29er (boy's high performance dinghy): Ryan Ratliffe (San Diego, Calif.) and Sam Merson (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
• RS:X (girl's windsurfer): No Selection
• RS:X (boy’s windsurfer): Geronimo Nores (Miami Beach, Fla.)
• Nacra 15 (open multihull): Romaine Screve (Kentfield, Calif.) and Ian Brill (San Diego, Calif.)

*Note: No female US RS:X sailor qualified for the 2016 Youth Worlds Team

Spina will serve as Head Coach of the team in Auckland, along with Rio 2016 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team coach Willie McBride (Santa Barbara, Calif.). Two-time US Sailing National Development Coach of the Year Steve Keen (Stamford, Conn.) will also be part of the coaching staff.

For more information about selection process for US Sailing’s 2016 Youth Worlds Team, visit US Sailing website.

More information about the 2016 Youth Worlds, visit the event website.