Sail Canada Youth Fest and Youth Championships 2026 - Preview
by Sail Canada 10 Aug 20:15 UTC
August 12-15, 2026
Sail Canada Youth Fest and Youth Championships (Club 420) © Sail Canada
Over 280 sailors from across the country will gather in Kingston this week for the Sail Canada Youth Fest and Youth Championships (Club 420) as part of CORK International.
The sailors will be competing in an Olympic atmosphere with many activities planned for the 50th anniversary of the Montreal 1976 Games, including the sailing competition in Kingston.
Both sailing events will be hosted by CORK/Sail Kingston.
The Youth Fest competition, focusing on participation, training, development and fun for U21 sailors, will include participants in the 29er as well as the ILCA 4, 6 and 7 classes.
That competition will be held as part of the Sail Canada 2026 Youth Championships (Club 420), which will showcase more than 150 sailors.
Sailors and coaches will also benefit from training opportunities while receiving support from Canada's top sailing coaches and officials, including Sail Canada's Olympic Development Coordinator, Kyle Martin.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games
This year's edition of the Sail Canada Youth Fest and Youth Championships (Club 420) will be special because it will take place while Kingston is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Olympic sailing competition that it hosted as part of the Montreal 1976 Games.
Throughout the week, numerous events will be held to celebrate that anniversary:
- Tuesday, August 11: Torch parade in Kingston, including the Opening Ceremonies for Sail Canada Youth Fest and Youth Championships (Club 420) as part of CORK International, in Confederation Park, starting at 6:30pm
- Wednesday, August 12: Movie night outside of Portsmouth
- Thursday, August 13: Heritage Tour about the Montreal 1976 Games in Kingston
- Friday, August 14: The Olympians' Regatta
- Friday, August 14: Sail Canada 2026 Celebration of Sailing: Kingston 1976 Games Legacy
- Saturday, August 15: Community Exhibition at Portsmouth
More details about each of these events are available here.
The Sail Canada 2026 Youth Fest and Youth Championships (Club 420) events are part of a series of eight Sail Canada National and Regional Championships to be held this summer. These competitions provide an opportunity for sailors to train and compete with high-level sailors in their region, in addition to serving as talent identification opportunities for regional and provincial sailing teams, as development and mentoring opportunities for coaches, as well as training and development opportunities for officials and volunteers.
Helly Hansen is the proud prize sponsor for the 2026 Sail Canada Championships.
The Sail Canada Championships are funded - in part - by the Government of Canada.