Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M50

US Sailing Youth National Team qualification reaches mid-point

by US Sailing 7 Mar 09:38 PST
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 youth@ussailing.org or visit here.

Related Articles

Ted Gersen joins Palm Beach Motor Yachts
Expanding Newport, Rhode Island presence with Industry Sales Veteran Continuing its expansion and focus on customer experience, Palm Beach Motor Yachts is excited to announce that yacht sales professional Ted Gersen has joined the company's Newport, Rhode Island team. Posted on 29 Jul
Antares 12 Coupe: a cruiser for all seasons
Asserting its position as a versatile family cruiser Faithful to the Antares line, the Antares 12 Coupe asserts its position as a versatile family cruiser, designed to accompany you on long passages, across all latitudes. Posted on 29 Jul
Airship | Funter Bay to Flynn Cove
Lots of fishing boats out today, as well as a few Dall's porpoises who surfed our bow for a bit We leisured late this morning in Funter Bay and didn't leave until after 11am. Another gorgeous, sunny day! We watched the F1 race and then pulled our anchor and headed out into the mostly glassy Icy Strait toward Flynn Cove. Posted on 29 Jul
Airship | Juneau to Funter Bay
We'll be buddy boating a bit over the next week or more with Dave on Turnagain We'll be buddy boating a bit over the next week or more with Dave on Turnagain, now joined by his brother Kyle. Posted on 28 Jul
Debut of the Picnic Boat 39
A new icon joins the fleet We invented the Picnic Boat. And we've never stopped perfecting it. The new Hinckley Picnic Boat 39 is a masterpiece of timeless design and modern ingenuity. Posted on 27 Jul
Prestige F4.3 - a new model for Cannes
A unique entry into the world of high-end yachting Experience the elegance and refinement of the new generation of the F-Line aboard the PRESTIGE F4.3. The quality of materials, fit and finish, interior and exterior design, functionality. Posted on 25 Jul
Four Winns debuts TH33 and TH38 power catamarans
Engineered to transform boating experiences into refined escapes Engineered to transform boating experiences into refined escapes, the new Four Winns TH33 and TH38 set a new standard for power catamarans of its size as the latest addition to its TH (Twin Hull) Series, launched in 2023. Posted on 24 Jul
Helping boaters steer clear of common mistakes
Veteran Sea Tow® captains share their tips Boating season is already in full throttle, and Sea Tow®, recognized throughout the marine industry as Your Road Service at Sea®, is proud to offer boating tips to avoid some of the most common mistakes seen on the water. Posted on 24 Jul
Airship | Ford's Terror to Wood Spit
We slept in again this morning at Ford's Terror We slept in again this morning at Ford's Terror, and then Taylor made a super yum breakfast taco bar...scrambled eggs, hash browns, Jerry's double-smoked bacon, tomatillo cream sauce, etc.... Posted on 24 Jul
Harris Boats unveils new Sunliner & Sunliner Sport
A bold evolution in Pontoon design Harris Boats, a leader in luxury pontoon craftsmanship and a Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) brand, has announced the launch of the completely redesigned Sunliner and the debut of the dynamic Sunliner Sport. Posted on 23 Jul
Maritimo S SeriesPalm Beach Motor Yachts