Youth sailors gather for U.S. Youth Championship presented by SouthCoast Wind

Youth sailors gather for U.S. Youth Championship presented by SouthCoast Wind © US Sailing

Over 270 sailors from nine countries descend on the Roger Williams University Campus in Bristol, RI this week for the U.S. Youth Championship presented by SouthCoast Wind, hosted at the US Sailing headquarters June 26-30.

For 147 of the 270 competitors, 2023 will be their first appearance at the U.S. Youth Championship.

The U.S. Youth Sailing Championship was started in 1973 at the Sheridan Shore Yacht Club in Wilmette, IL. The top youth sailors from around the country were sent invitations to attend the event in Lasers and 470s in mid-June. Over fifty years later, U.S. Youth Championship remains US Sailing's pinnacle youth regatta, featuring the nation's top competitors under 20 racing in seven performance boat classes.

The stakes are high at this year's Youth Champs, as it serves as the qualifying event for World Sailing's 2023 Youth World Championship. The best performing eligible teams from each class will earn the honor of representing the USA at the globally renowned Youth World Championship.

And for the first time in its history, the 2023 Youth Champs is an "open" event, with no application or invitation process required to be eligible - allowing any youth sailor in the US the chance to compete for a spot at Youth Worlds.

Several accomplished youth sailors will be on the starting line at the 2023 Youth Champs. Freddie Parkin and Asher Beck, sailing in the i420 class, are last year's i420 Youth Worlds Gold Medalists. The pair hail from Connecticut and train with the elite Long Island Sound Youth Sailing Team (LISOT). Last year's Youth Champs winners in the 29er fleet, brothers Tyler and Andrew Lamm, are back again hoping to defend their title and secure a berth to the Youth Worlds over Noah Nyenhuis, two-time Youth Worlds 29er representative back for potentially his third and final Youth Worlds.

Six classes will be competing at this year's Youth Championship:

• Doublehanded Dinghy: International 420
• Doublehanded Skiff: 29er
• Singlehanded Dinghy: ILCA 6
• Singlehanded Dinghy: ILCA 7
• Windsurfing: iQFOiL Youth
• Multihull: Nacra 15

To capture all the action, US Sailing will be broadcasting live from Youth Champs from 12pm-4:30pm each day. Catch the livestream here

All competitors will receive a unique regatta shirt thanks to Gill, Official Technical Apparel Partner of US Sailing and the US Sailing Team.

US Sailing is grateful to partners SouthCoast Wind, Gill, Professional Boats, and New England Ropes, as well as host Roger Williams University, participants and parents, and the many tireless volunteers who will make this event happen.

See results here