Over 190 youth sailors vied for US Sailing’s premier youth championship trophies, and the right to represent the United States at the Youth Sailing World Championship, over Columbus Day weekend. The U.S. Youth Championship hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach, CA featured 29er, Formula Kite, International 420, ILCA 6 and iQFOiL boat classes, while the Buzzelli Nacra 15 North American Championship hosted by Sarasota Youth Sailing in Sarasota, FL featured the Nacra 15 class. Both events were impacted by Hurricanes on the Pacific and Gulf Coast respectively but adapted to the weather and held excellent regattas.
The U.S. Youth Championship, also known as the “Youth Champs”, tested the sailors on and off the water, with large swells and constantly changing winds. Friday featured classic Long Beach conditions of 15+ knot winds and wavy seas, with each class getting in a full day of racing to kick off the event. As stormy weather approached, Saturday’s wind fluctuated wildly from 0-25 knots and all compass directions, making racing impossible despite the Race Committee’s persistent efforts. Sunday brought large swells and moderate winds, with great racing in a very challenging sea-state testing the sailors technical skills and finesse. Monday’s final day featured lighter, shifty winds and periodic rain showers, making for challenging final races. Principal Race Officer Jeff Johnson and Course Race Officers Becky Ashburn and Randy Smith were steadfast despite the many curveballs from Mother Nature.
Meanwhile, on shore the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club did a masterful job adapting to a series of weather-related road and beach closures, allowing the regatta to continue despite minimal vehicle access and no boat storage on the beach. “Event Co-Chairs Ed Feo and Mike Van Dyke, along with ABYC Club Manager Susannah Pyatt, Waterfront Director Brooke Jolly and a dedicated crew of staff and volunteers pivoted many time throughout the long weekend to keep the event on track” said John Pearce, US Sailing Youth Racing Director. “On behalf of US Sailing, I want to thank the entire ABYC community for their dedication and spirit, contributing to one of the most successful and memorable regattas in US Youth Championship history. Our thoughts are with the Long Beach residents who’s homes have been damaged by the ocean.”
“It was a privilege to host the top youth sailors from around the US for four competitive days in quite varying conditions” said Event Co-Chair and ABYC Commodore Ed Feo. “We had to deal with hurricane-generated waves resulting in damage to property and the closure of the only road leading to ABYC— and the challenge of ferrying by small boats 300-plus sailors, coaches, volunteers and spectators every day from across the bay. What impressed me was the extent to which everyone adapted to the circumstances and worked together to make this a memorable and successful event.”
On the racecourse the Vakaros Racesense system was utilized for the ILCA 6 and i420 classes, eliminating general recalls and allowing more races to be sailed when the weather conditions were favorable. “This pilot of the Racesense automated race management system has helped gather data and feedback from sailors, parents, coaches and race officials on how to best capitalize on this technology in the future” said Pearce. “The fact that we were able to start races without any general recalls, and that boats can quickly restart and get back into the race, is pretty cool.”
2026 was also the first time that the Formula Kite class has raced in the Youth Champs, with four kiters racing at speeds of over 20 knots on the same racecourse as the LA2028 Games. Molly Obrien showed impressive speed and skill, winning the first-ever Formula Kite title at the Youth Champs.
Meanwhile, in Sarasota, FL the Nacra 15 North American Championship drew 14 teams to compete for the Arthur D. Stephens US Youth Multihull Championship Trophy. The regatta started with a great day of racing on Saturday, with 12-20 knots of wind and five races completed. Sunday ushered in storms, keeping sailors on land until mid-afternoon, and only one race completed. Monday’s wind was 9-14 knots with three races completed and the team of Dylan Tomko and Casey Small completing a dominant performance, winning every race for a “picket fence” scoreline.
After a weekend of patience, perseverance, and tight racing, champions were crowned on Monday. More than just national titles were on the line: the top eligible team in each class earned selection to represent the United States at the 2026 World Sailing Youth World Championships in Portugal this December, while the top half of each fleet will receive automatic invitations to the U.S. Sailing Youth National Team Thanksgiving Camp this November.
“”The places you go and the friendships you make are the real trophies in our sport” said sailing legend Dave Perry at the US Youth Championship awards ceremony.
2026 US Youth Championship Photos by Simone Staff
2026 U.S. Youth Championship Results:
29er for the Trevor Moore Trophy
- Braden Ozarski & Bennett Simpson (Youth Worlds Qualified 29er Male/Mixed)
- Matilda Niemann & Maribelle Barelli (Youth Worlds Qualified 29er Girls)
- Kevin Cason & Sean Kaseburg
Formula Kite Class
- Molly Obrien (Youth Worlds Qualified Kite Girls)
- Quincy Radkowski (Youth Worlds Qualified Kite Boys)
- Holland Vierling
iQFOiL for the Major Hall Trophy
- Garrett January (Youth Worlds Qualified iQFOiL Boys)
- Jack Shi
- Daniel Solodchenko
Echo Lin (Youth Worlds Qualified iQFOiL Girls)
I420 for the Manton D. Scott Memorial Trophy
- Arturo Zizold & Alessandro Baldassari (Youth Worlds Qualified 420 Male/Mixed)
- Harrison Gandy & JP Panebianco
- Sophie Alexopoulos & Ana Gazoni (Youth Worlds Qualified 420 Girls)
ILCA 6 for the Robert and Ann Conner Trophy
- David Coates (Youth Worlds Qualified ILCA 6 Boys)
- Alexander Montagu
- Jackson Wilcox
- Sander Block
- Pablo Munoz Montes
Sydney Small (Youth Worlds Qualified ILCA 6 Girls)
Special Awards:
Rookie of the Year Awards:
- Pablo Munoz Montes – Smythe Trophy (top singlehanded sailor at their 1st Youth Champs)
- Will Seery & Sophia Panusheva – Bemis Trophy (top doublehanded team at their 1st Youth Champs)
Dave Perry Sportsmanship Award:
- 29er: Tommy Zaydon
- Formula Kite: Zhihong Jet Ting
- ILCA 6: Taylor Escola
- I420: Klaikangwon Pibulpanijkarn
- IQFOiL: Lars Williams
Buzzelli Nacra 15 North American Championship Results:
- Dylan Tomko & Casey Small (Nacra 15 Youth Worlds Qualified)
- Coco Claypoole & Mack Johnson
- Benjamin White & Amaya Mcdermott