US Sailing announces 2023 Youth Champs winners

Some of the 2023 U.S. Youth Championship Winners © US Sailing

Winners were announced during an afternoon award ceremony at the 2023 U.S. Youth Championship presented by SouthCoast Wind after four days of sailing on Mount Hope Bay. Over 230 sailors from nine countries descended on the Roger Williams University Campus in Bristol, RI this week at the US Sailing headquarters June 26-30. For 147 of the 230 competitors, 2023 was their first appearance at this regatta.

"This was the largest ever Youth Championship, and we were proud to host it here on Mount Hope Bay," said US Sailing Youth Competition Manager John Pearce. "We had great conditions, plenty of space to set up, and the sailors all seemed to really enjoy the racing. We were very blessed to have New York Yacht Club, Sail Newport, and Bristol Yacht Club as our three on-water partner organizations who provided all the volunteers, race officials, mark boats, and race officials, which made the whole thing run seamlessly."

"This year we also celebrated the 50th year of the Youth Champs," said John Pearce. "Founder and Chairman (1973-1980) of the event Bob Johnstone, along with several folks who sailed in the 1973 Youth Champs, joined us to enjoy the week of sailing and to hand out trophies during our award ceremony. It has been great to see the full circle 50th year come together."

This year, the U.S. Youth Championship serves as the qualifying event for World Sailing's 2023 Youth World Championship. The best performing teams from each class are preliminary nominees to the Youth Worlds Team, pending verification of meeting all requirements of the selection process. Following verification, athletes will have the honor of representing the USA at the globally renowned Youth World Championship December 8-16 in Búzios, Brazil.

Athletes interested in Formula Kite class at the Youth Worlds must submit their sailing resume, a 2023 on and off-water training plan, and application to US Sailing () by September 1, 2023. More details at www.ussailing.org/olympics/selection.

2023 Youth Worlds Team:*

• 29er Mixed - Tyler Lamm (Palm Beach, Fla.) & Andrew Lamm (Palm Beach, Fla.)
• 29er Female - Laura Hamilton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) & Carolina Zager (Miami, Fla.)
• i420 Mixed - Freddie Parkin (Riverside, CT) & Asher Beck (Cos Cob, CT)
• i420 Female - Callie Hammond (Larchmont, NY) & Ava Stevens (Darien, CT)
• ILCA 6 Male - Nicholas Mueller (Whittier, Calif.)
• ILCA 6 Female - Audrey Foley (Miami, Fla.)
• iQFOiL Youth Male - Makani Andrews (Kaneohe, HI)
• iQFOiL Youth Female - Sage Andrews (Kaneohe, HI)
• Nacra 15 - Cody Roe (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) & Brooke Mertz (Parkland, Fla.)

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. 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.

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, New York Yacht Club, Sail Newport, Bristol Yacht Club and the many tireless volunteers who supported this year's U.S. Youth Championship.

Overall Fleet recaps:

29er

It was tight racing in the top of the 29er fleet this week. On Friday, brothers Tyler and Andrew Lamm (Palm Beach, Fla.) overcame a tie with 2022 Youth Worlds representative Ian Nyenhuis (San Diego, Calif.) and teammate Anton Schmid (San Diego, Calif.) to take first place overall, winning the inaugural Trevor Moore Trophy. Laura Hamilton (Miami, Fla.) and Carolina Zager (Miami, Fla.) took third place, as well as the top female team, earning them the opportunity to represent the US in the girls 29er at Youth Worlds.

i420

After this week, 2022 Youth Worlds Gold Medalists Freddie Parkin (Riverside, Conn.) and Asher Beck (Cos Cob, Conn.) will be taking home another gold. Parkin and Beck secured their win in the i420 fleet on Friday, narrowly beating second place finishers Robert Ulmer (LISOT) and Annabel Woodworth (LISOT) and third place Richard and Elle Sykes (LISOT / Riverside, Conn.) in a down-to-the-wire finish, taking home the Manton D. Scott Trophy. The top three teams were each only separated by one point.

ILCA 6

In the ILCA 6, Hamilton Barclay (Houston Yacht Club) sailed an extremely consistent event to take first place, only scoring outside of the top 10 in two of the ten races and taking home the Robert and Anne Conner Trophy. He was followed closely by Nicholas Mueller (Whittier, Calif.). As the top placing eligible sailor, Mueller will get the chance to represent the US at the 2023 Youth Worlds in December. Rounding out the podium was Kai Vurno (Lauderdale Yacht Club), who finished only three points behind Mueller.

Tanner Krygsveld (St. Thomas Yacht Club) was awarded the Smythe Trophy as the top US new youth championship sailor in the largest singlehanded fleet, which was the ILCA 6 fleet at this year's event.

ILCA 7

Sailors in the ILCA 7 fleet were seasoned veterans of Youth Champs. Ben Sheppard (Riverside Yacht Club) was the fleet's clear winner, having won all but one of the ten races, and taking home the Robert L. Johnstone Trophy presented by Johnstone himself. Charlie Gish (Lauderdale Yacht Club / Lake Forest Sailing) came in second, while Henry Scholz (Lake Forest Sailing) rounded out the podium in third.

iQFOiL Youth

2022 US iQFOiL Youth Worlds representative Makani Andrews (Kaneohe, HI) dominated the iQFOiL Youth fleet, winning eight of the 12 races and dropping only a third. In winning the class, Andrews wins The Major Hall Trophy. Rounding out the podium are Garrett January (Clearwater, Fla.) in second, and JP Lattanzi (Kaneohe, HI) in third.

For all the sailors in the iQFOiL fleet, this was their first appearance at the US Youth Championships.

Nacra 15

The Lauderdale Yacht Club squad was on top of the podium in the Nacra 15 fleet. Cody Roe (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Brooke Mertz (Parkland, Fla.) had a banner event, winning nine of the 14 races sailed and taking home the Arthur J. Stevens Trophy. Teammates Connor Mertz (Parkland, Fla.) and KJ Hill (Lauderdale Yacht Club) took second place, four points behind. 2022 US Youth Worlds representative Ian Iles-lee (Tampa, Fla.) and new teammate Sophie Niemann (Red Gear Racing / Lake Geneva Yacht Club) came in third.

"It's exciting! This is our first time at Youth Champs and qualifying for Youth Worlds. Our training mates will be there too, so it'll be a lot of fun," said Roe. "I heard Brazil is a little windy, so I'm going to have to get a little bit bigger!"

The Dave M. Perry Sportsmanship award recipient was also chosen in each class. Sailors were nominated by their fellow competitors, then chosen by the event coaches. Winners displayed acts of sportsmanship, kindness, and the Corinthian spirit throughout the event. Each winner was presented with a Yeti tumbler. Congratulations to: Charlotte McDonald (29er), Esther Ireland (ILCA 6), Stewart McCaleb (ILCA 7), Ted & Katlia Sherman (i420), Tilly Niemann & Tom Seibold (Nacra 15), and JP Lattanzi (iQFOiL Youth).

Full results available here.