...little bit of our history.

The U.S. Youth Sailing Championship is the premiere youth sailing event in the country for sailors under age 20. The event started in 1973 as an open championship. It grew quickly in popularity and size. This required then-USYRU to limit the number of entries. Currently, applications are submitted and participants are selected based on their sailing resumes by the US Youth Championship Committee. Double- and single-handed fleets are sailed in Club 420s and Lasers.

In 1997, the event was renamed the USA Junior Olympic National Sailing Championship, and became the pinnacle of the new Junior Olympic Sailing Program. The next year a developmental fleet of 10 Olympic class 470s were added for competitors up to age 21. The following year 10 Europe dinghies were invited. A boardsailing fleet was included from 1983 to 1996. The event was uncoupled from the Junior Olympic Program in 2002 when the name was changed back to US Youth Championship.

In 2003, a new Olympic Development Regatta for ages 19-24 will debut. The 470 and Europe divisions will be dropped from the Youth Championship and added to this new event. It will be an open event and will include most Olympic class boats. The first Olympic Development Regatta will be held in Newport, RI in June 2003.

The Robert L. Johnstone Trophy for the singlehanded division recognizes the pioneering in community sailing and popularizing of one-design sailing for which Bob Johnstone is known. Bob was the creator of the Youth Championship and was the first committee chairman.

The Manton D. Scott Trophy (doublehanded) is named in honor of an aspiring Olympic sailor whose life was cut short prematurely -- he was electrocuted when the mast of his boat made contact with an overhead powerline. The Major Hall Trophy for boardsailing honors the long-time US Boardsailing Team coach. The David M. Perry Sportsmanship Trophy was dedicated in 1989. Sailors in each fleet are selected for this award by a vote of their peers. Dave Perry is a former committee chairman (1985-1989).

The only four-time winner of a Youth Championship trophy is Scott Haladay (Gulf Breeze, FL) in the Boardsailing Heavyweight Division (1991-94). Mike Goyan (Long Beach, CA) won the doublehanded trophy three times with three different skippers (1982-83, ‘85). Bill Hardesty (San Diego, CA) has the distinction of winning both the singlehanded (twice, 1993-94) and doublehanded trophies (1992). Kevin Hall (Ventura, CA) won both the singlehanded (1986) and the doublehanded as crew (1987). Andrew Campbell (San Diego, CA) is a two-time winner in the singlehanded division (2000-01).