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

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 today at 5:19 am
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Five
Episode Five - Shane Subichin, The Boat Works - is now up and running Watch along as we speak with Shane Subichin, GM at The Boat Works about his life from tinnies on Sydney Harbour to leading the team at the premier refit and maintenance yard on the Gold Coast. Posted on 6 Jun
New Formula 360 Crossover Bowrider
An exciting new generation of Formula dayboats has arrived An exciting new generation of Formula dayboats has arrived with the upcoming debut of the all-new Formula 360 Crossover Bowrider. Posted on 5 Jun
Michael Rybovich & Sons construction updates
Progress on hulls from 84', 62' down to 42' New construction updates of 70' S/F Hull # 9, 42' S/F hull #10, 75' S/F hull #11, 84' S/F - Hull # 12. Posted on 5 Jun
A very clear video for overhead casting
Stop fly casting 10-2 and start using this method for longer casts Lyall and Nathan have spoken to me often of how to advance beyond the clock face 10-2 using the terms translation before rotation. Posted on 4 Jun
Valhalla 55 Sport Yacht - Ready to ride
Making her highly anticipated debut in Atlantic City The Valhalla 55 Sport Yacht makes her highly anticipated debut in Atlantic City, New Jersey – and it's more than a new model. Posted on 4 Jun
NOAA reduces Atlantic bluefin tuna retention limit
The adjusted limits will take effect June 3, 2025 and extend through December 31, 2025 On May 29, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced adjustments to the Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limits for recreational anglers. Posted on 3 Jun
Delegation urges state control of red snapper
Expressing "strong support for a state-led framework to ensure science-based stewardship" South Carolina's congressional delegation, led by Congressman Russell Fry and joined by U.S. Senators, formally urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to transfer management of the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery to the states. Posted on 2 Jun
Bayliss Boatworks new construction updates
Big Deal's final touches are coming together beautifully Gearing up for her christening later this month, Big Deal's final touches are coming together beautifully. Posted on 2 Jun
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Four
Episode Four - Mark Elkington, The Yacht Sales Co. - is now up and running Watch along as we speak with Mark Elkington from The Yacht Sales Co. about his transition from a West Australian crayfisherman to a global sales and support organisation par excellence. Posted on 30 May
Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERPalm Beach Motor Yachts