Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

US Sailing Youth National Team qualification reaches mid-point

by US Sailing 7 Mar 17:38 UTC
June ILCA 6 Camp New Bedford © Lexi Pline / US Sailing

As March begins, qualification for the US Sailing Youth National Team is well under way. Over half of the 72 sailors who will qualify for the Youth National Team in 2025 have now earned their spot on the team based on top finishes at class association Midwinter Championships.

The US Sailing Youth National Team is a new initiative to recognize and expand support the top American youth sailors sailing in the international youth classes: 29er, i420, Nacra 15, ILCA 6, iQFOiL, and Formula Kite. The Youth National Team is the entry point to the performance pathway connecting youth, Olympic Development, and US Sailing Teams.

Qualified Youth National Team sailors are invited to class-specific training camps this spring and early summer in preparation for international events this July and August. With the 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships in December 2025, the summer block will be an important marker to identify where individual sailors are developmentally and lay the groundwork toward Youth Worlds selection in the fall.

"Our goal is to bring the top youth sailors in the US together as one team, to train in collaborative settings and compete for the USA. The training schedule and deliverables for each sailor are bespoke, and based on the unique needs of each class, it's sailors, and future development of vital skills," says Phil Muller, US Sailing Youth Performance Manager and Head Coach of the US Youth Team. "We are thrilled for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of young athletes, as well as their coaches, clubs, and supporters at home."

Youth National Team Qualifier News

January kicked off with the first Youth Team qualifier, and the sole qualifier event for the Nacra 15 class, at the Lauderdale Olympic Classes Regatta hosted by Lauderdale Yacht Club. Fort Lauderdale's characteristic ocean conditions challenged the youth sailors in this high-performance catamaran class.

In February, the first qualifier events for the 29er and i420 classes took place over President's Day weekend. The 29er Midwinters East, hosted by Clearwater Community Sailing Center, attracted 22 teams from across North America. Notably, female teams took the top two positions in the open competition, with 2024 Youth Worlds Bronze Medalists Annie Sitzmann/Molly Bonham finishing just behind the siblings Olympia Barelli/Maribelle Barelli. At the i420 Midwinters East, hosted by Miami Yacht Club, 23 teams enjoyed good breeze and big waves on the Atlantic Ocean off Miami Beach. Finally, in late February the ILCA Midwinters East hosted by St Petersburg Yacht Club drew 150 athletes in the ILCA 6 class, the largest of the midwinter qualifying events thus far.

In the Formula Kite and iQFOiL Classes, Youth National Team athletes will be selected based on resume application, which is available on the US Youth Team webpage (Resume applications are due March 15, 2025). American athletes Graceanna Dixon (iQFOiL) and Henry Vare (Formula Kite) participated in the 2025 Mayan Windfest in Cancun, Mexico, taking advantage of strong competition from across the Americas to get valuable international racing experience. In the iQFOiL Fleet, many athletes recently competed in the 2025 iQFOiL Midwinters, which also served as the qualifier for the Junior Pan Am Games coming up this summer.

The final qualifier for the Youth National Team in the 29er, i420 and ILCA 6 classes will be at the Midwinters West Championship, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach, CA on March 21-23, 2025. For full selection criteria details for the US Sailing Youth National Team, please refer to the selection criteria posted on the US Sailing Selections webpage.

2025 US Sailing Youth National Qualified Athletes

Congratulations to the athletes who have qualified so far for the 2025 US Sailing Youth National Team!

29er:

  • Olympia Barelli / Maribelle Barelli, San Diego Yacht Club
  • Annie Sitzmann / Molly Bonham, Skiff+
  • Sean Kaseburg / Wesley LaRue, San Diego Yacht Club
  • Wylder Smith / Wyatt Lipp, Skiff+

International 420:

  • Richard Sykes / Reid Packard, LISOT/Riverside Yacht Club/Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club
  • Harrison Gandy / Sara Komaroff, LISOT/Larchmont Yacht Club/Coral Reef Yacht Club
  • Helena Borcherding / Genevieve Schmidt, LISOT/Belle Haven Yacht Club/US Sailing Center Martin County
  • Annie Ulmer / Marin Redmond, Maximus Sailing/LYC

ILCA 6:

  • Jake Homberger, Lauderdale Yacht Club
  • James Pine, South Carolina Yacht Club
  • David Coates, Lauderdale Yacht Club
  • Nathan Pine, South Carolina Yacht Club
  • Jason Folvig, Lauderdale Yacht Club
  • Kayla Benesch, Key Biscayne Yacht Club/Coral Reef Yacht Club
  • Louise Martin, Carolina Yacht Club SC
  • Siena Nichols, Balboa Yacht Club
  • Arabella Duer, South Carolina Yacht Club
  • Nissa Berman, Tucci Racing

For more information on the US Sailing Youth National Team and US Sailing's other racing programs, contact or visit here.

Related Articles

Fishing: Patterning brown bass
Post-spawn through summer smallies Whitewater Fishing B.A.S.S. tournament pro, Alex Redwine, talks fishing the transition period Posted on 26 Jun
2025 Bahamas Fly-fishing Tournament Series
Anglers to compete across some of The Bahamas' top bonefishing spots The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation announced the launch of Bonefishing Tournament Series that will showcase diverse pristine flats across four islands - Grand Bahama, Andros, Eleuthera and the championship round will be held in Exuma Posted on 20 Jun
Mote leads seagrass restoration initiative
Florida legislature establishes the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative Seagrasses play a crucial role in the health and resilience of Florida's coastal ecosystems. They provide nursery habitats for keystone species and stabilize shorelines and sediments. Posted on 20 Jun
Maritimo M50 Flybridge & S60 Sedan Video
We speak to Maritimo's Neil McCabe & Phil Candler We talked to Neil McCabe, Maritimo's Design Office Manager, and Phil Candler, Maritimo's General Manager Operations, to find out more about the M50 Flybridge and S60 Sedan during the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Posted on 17 Jun
“I'm living my dad's dream”
Carl made sure to provide young Kyle the chance to be a seasoned pond hopper Carl Cortiana is about to turn 70, but he still remembers the days four decades ago when he'd cast a practice plug across the living room floor and his toddler son, Kyle, now a highly accomplished Vexus pro on the MLF Toyota Series. Posted on 14 Jun
Stories From The Salt - Ep.6
Insights from PENN's top anglers Whether you're a passionate saltwater angler who eagerly dedicates every spare moment to being out on the water, or you simply enjoy watching the techniques and experiences of others, we invite you to anchor up and learn some valuable insights Posted on 14 Jun
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Six
Episode Six is now live - Are boat shows still relevant? Episode Six - asks the question, 'Are boat shows still Relevant?' We also offer some thoughts on changes and updates. The final episode of Series One is now live Posted on 13 Jun
Scania, Viking showcase renewable diesel
Mack Attack shows outstanding efficiency without compromise in performance of Scania V8 Engines Scania, one of the world's leading manufacturers of engines, announced today the successful demonstration of the performance and viability of renewable marine diesel fuel in a Viking 48 Convertible powered by twin Scania 1,150 HP DI16-liter V8 engines. Posted on 10 Jun
Sportfishing industry applauds decision by NOAA
Elimination of proposed South Atlantic bottomfishing closure The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries withdrew the proposed bottomfishing closure from Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic. Posted on 10 Jun
Marine Auctions: June online auctions
Bidding to open on Friday 20th June The Bidding for the June Online Auction will commence on Thursday 20th June and will end on Thursday 26th June at 2pm AEST. Posted on 7 Jun
Maritimo M75Palm Beach Motor Yachts