BRISTOL, RI (April 16, 2026) – US Sailing is pleased to announce the 2026 US Sailing Youth National Team (USYNT), made up of 61* athletes from across the country. Now in it’s second year, the Youth National Team was announced in December 2024 as part of the larger pathway that bridges Youth to Olympic Development and onto the US Sailing Team and is comprised of athletes age 19 and under that qualified in the 29er, i420, Nacra 15, ILCA 6, iQFOiL, and Formula Kite.
Through the Youth National Team, athletes receive training and competition support guided by US Sailing, including training camps, performance resources, and coaching at select World Championship regattas.
Youth National Team sailors will gather at the National Team Training Camp in June at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI in preparation for international events this July and August. Additional USYNT training camps are scheduled for September in San Francisco, CA and November in Miami, FL. With the 2026 Youth Sailing World Championships in December 2026, each training camp is an important marker to identify where individual sailors are developmentally and lay the groundwork for success at the Youth Worlds and beyond.
“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” 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.”
Up to 16 athletes will go on to qualify for the US Sailing Youth Worlds Team that will represent the US at the Youth Sailing World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal December 11-19, 2026.
While the Youth Worlds Team has been around for many years, the Youth National Team was created to encompass a broader pool of nationally recognized talent beyond the 16 that qualify for the Youth World Championship.
“The Youth National Team recognizes and supports the best youth sailors in the country, and 2025 was a very successful inaugural year for the Team. We want to give the sailors a clear goal based on objective results and the opportunity to train with the best sailors in the country under the guidance of the best coaches and performance professionals” said John Pearce, US Sailing Youth Racing Director. “Our goal is to support the development of the best sailors in the world, and to build a strong team culture that helps them develop into great people.”
*The final USYNT qualifying regattas for the iQFOiL and Formula Kite classes will be this summer in Long Beach, CA.
- Formula Kite – Long Beach OCR Sailing Grand Slam – July 13-16 at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club
- IQFOiL – iQFOiL North American Championship – July 25-27 at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club