Annalise Balasubramanian comes up with best performance in ILCA 6 since 2009 at Youth Sailing Worlds

Annalise Balasubramanian - 2022 Youth Sailing World Championships © Sailing Energy

Annalise Balasubramanian from Toronto, ON, came up with the best Canadian performance in ILCA 6 since 2009 at the 2022 Youth Sailing World Championships, which ended Thursday in The Hague, Netherlands, with a 12th-place finish.

Through the seven races that were held during the competition, the 17-year-old sailor finished four times in the top 15 against 55 other athletes from around the world. She improved on her performance from last year's event in Oman, where she came up with 22nd place.

By finishing 12th, Annalise Balasubramanian recorded the best Canadian performance at this year's competition on an 11-member Canadian team that, as part of the Nations Trophy - which keeps track of each country's overall ranking — took 17th place overall, improving on last year's result by six spots.

At the 2008 and 2009 Youth Sailing World Championships, Isabella Bertold finished just off the podium in fourth position, while Brenda Bowskill took the 15th spot in 2010 and Clara Gravely, who is currently on Sail Canada's Development Squad, came with 14th place in 2017 in China.

The Youth Sailing World Championships are an important stepping stone for sailors heading towards the Canadian Sailing Team and Development Squad. The event has been held annually since 1971 except for the 2020 edition, which was cancelled because of the pandemic. Among the many sailors who have competed in past editions of the Youth Sailing World Championships are Georgia Lewin-LaFrance, Ryan & Andrew Wood, Coralie Vittecoq, Will & Sam Bonin, Ryan Anderson and Clara Gravely, as well as 2020 Tokyo Olympic Canadian Team member Ali ten Hove (in 2012 and 2013).

This year, a total of 450 junior sailors who are 19 years of age or less represented approximately 70 countries from all over the world in the 11 events that were scheduled.

Canadian results at the 2022 Youth Sailing World Championships

ILCA 6 (Laser Radial)

12. Annalise Balasubramanian (Toronto, ON-RCYC & Ontario Sailing Team) 25. Nathan Latka (Toronto, ON-ABYC & Ontario Sailing Team)

29er

21. Colin Gilley & Matt Young (Vancouver, B.C.-RVanYC)

i420

18. Riley Macaulay & Finlay Macaulay (Halifax, N.S.-RNSYS) 20. Ayrton Stein & Henry Simms (Halifax, N.S.-RNSYS)

Kiteboarding

16. Nathan Pearce (North Vancouver, B.C.-RVanYC)

Mixed Nacra 15

14. Dale Smith (Halifax, N.S.-RNSYS) & Noah Adler (Lower Prospect, N.S.-RNSYS)

More information can be found on Sail Canada's website at www.sailing.ca.