FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GDYNIA, Poland (July 14, 2019) – Tomorrow, the world’s best youth sailors will begin racing at the pinnacle youth sailing competition, the 2019 Hempel Youth Sailing World Championships. In Gdynia, Poland, more than 400 sailors representing 66 nations will compete across nine youth disciplines. The events include Boy’s and Girl’s 29er, 420, RS:X, and Laser Radial, as well as the Mixed Nacra 15 class.
Of the 14 athletes representing the United States, 11 will be making their Youth World Championship debut. Returning sailors include Dominique Stater (Miami, Fla.), Berta Puig (Miami, Fla.) and Bella Casaretto (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Stater will be making her third appearance in the RS:X Girls fleet, while last year’s silver medalists, Casaretto and Puig, will be competing in the 29er Girls fleet for the second and third time, respectively.
2019 U.S. Youth World Championship Team:
- Laser Radial Boys: Connor Nelson (Tampa, Fla.)
- Laser Radial Girls: Grace Austin (Greenwich, Conn.)
- 420 Girls: Maddie Hawkins (Edgewater, Md.) and Yumi Yoshiyasu (Houston, Texas)
- 420 Boys: Oliver Hurwitz (New York, N.Y.) and Ethan Froelich (Austin, Texas)
- Nacra 15: Jack Sutter (Benicia, Calif.) and Charlotte Versavel (Palo Alto, Calif.)
- 29er Boys: Stephan Baker (Miami, Fla.) and Oliver Duncan (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
- 29er Girls: Berta Puig (Miami, Fla.) and Bella Casaretto (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
- RS:X Boys: Alexander Temko (Palm Harbor, Fla.)
- RS:X Girls: Dominique Stater (Miami, Fla.)
Note: Each U.S. athlete earned a berth on the team in accordance with US Sailing’s athlete selection procedures.
After winning five medals – the most won by a single nation – at last year’s event, the U.S. looks forward to ushering in the next generation of sailors. “We’re excited to introduce this new group of talented sailors to the Youth Worlds,” said US Sailing’s Olympic Development Director, Leandro Spina. “We’re proud to be a part of these young athletes’ journey and help create their pathway to success in high-performance racing.”
Racing will commence on Monday, July 15 and run through to Friday, July 19. At which point, nine new Hempel Youth World Champions will be crowned.
Learn more about the 2019 U.S. Youth World Championship Team, and the 2019 Hempel Youth World Championships.
Information and Coverage
- Results
- Event Website
- Entry List
- Photography courtesy of World Sailing – free for editorial use; Download password: WSimages
- To get involved in the conversation on social media, follow @ussailingteam and use #YouthWorlds19
US Sailing Media Contact:
Brittney Manning, olympiccommunications@ussailing.org, +1 (401) 487-4787
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About the US Sailing Team
The US Sailing Team is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. US Sailing names the top Olympic class athletes to the team annually, through both event qualification and at the discretion of team leadership. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing, and communications support. US Sailing Team sponsors include partners Kilroy Realty, Helly Hansen, Harken, McLube, Groupe Beneteau, and Marlow Ropes. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics.