413 athletes representing 67 countries are set to compete at the 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, taking place December 12-20. The prestigious Youth Worlds competition began in 1971 and has since served as a proving ground for sailing talent on the international stage. The regatta format mirrors the Olympics, bringing together the world’s top youth athletes in male, female, and mixed team categories. Eleven events will take place across six classes: the 29er, 420, ILCA 6, Nacra 15, Formula Kite, and iQFOiL.
Sixteen American athletes ranging in age from 13 to 18 years old will head to Portugal as the US Sailing Youth Worlds Team, including returning Youth Worlds competitors Dylan Tomko and Casey Small in the Nacra 15 Class, who finished 5th at the 2024 Youth Worlds. The team also includes 6 coaches, led by US Sailing’s Youth Performance Manager, Phil Muller. US Sailing’s ODP Director Rosie Chapman will also join the team in Portugal, serving as Nacra 15 Class coach.
“Our team has been working extremely hard at home and abroad in preparation for what they’re about to face in Vilamoura. The south coast of Portugal can produce strong wind and swell, and the emotions these sailors are feeling as they prepare to represent the United States makes this special, rite-of-passage regatta one-of-a-kind,” said Team Leader and US Sailing Youth Performance Manager Phil Muller. “Our teammates are traveling from every corner of the country; Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf, and the MidWest. Stay tuned sportsfans, it’s sure to be a fantastic event!”
2025 US Sailing Youth Worlds Team:
- Kevin Cason (San Diego, CA) & Holland Vierling (San Diego, CA) – 29er Male/Mixed Skiff
- Sophie Niemann (Madison, WI) & Matilda Niemann (Madison, WI) – 29er Female Skiff
- Harrison Gandy (Rye, NY) & JP Panebianco (Huntington Beach, CA) – i420 Male/Mixed Two Person Dinghy
- Elizabeth Xydas (Miami, FL) & Alexandra Kolaya (Coral Gables, FL) – i420 Female Two Person Dinghy
- David Coates (Coconut Grove, FL) – ILCA 6 Male One Person Dinghy
- Louise Martin (Charleston, SC) – ILCA 6 Female One Person Dinghy
- Garrett January (Belleair, FL) – iQFOiL Male Windsurfer
- Graceanna Dixon (Ft Lauderdale, FL) – iQFOiL Female Windsurfer
- Quincy Radkowski (Phoenixville, PA) – Male Formula Kite
- Molly O’Brien (Ocean City, NJ) – Female Formula Kite
- Dylan Tomko (Canyon Lake, TX) & Casey Small (Houston, TX) – Nacra 15 Mixed Two Person Multihull
Coaches:
- Phil Muller – Team Leader / iQFOiL (US Sailing Youth Performance Manager)
- Rosie Chapman – Nacra 15 (US Sailing ODP Director)
- Erik Bowers – ILCA 6
- Giulia Conti – i420
- Antoine Screve – 29er
- Quinn Wilson – Formula Kite
Competition kicks off with a Mixed Youth Team Racing Demonstration Event on December 10th and 11th. This exhibition regatta features ILCA 6 athletes facing off in a nation vs nation 2-on-2 team racing format. The team racing event is spearheaded by the World Sailing Team Racing Committee, with the goal of promoting team racing as a global format with potential to be included in future Olympic Games. USA’s David Coates and Louise Martin will face off against nine other nations for the title.
The Youth Sailing World Championship will begin in earnest with the Opening Ceremony on December 13th followed by five days of racing from December 15-19th.
US Sailing’s Youth Worlds Team athletes earned selection at the 2025 U.S. Youth Championship, competing against over 200 competitors at US Sailing’s annual Youth Championship. The Team recently gathered for the US Youth Team Thanksgiving Training Camp in Miami, Florida, which was the final opportunity for athletes and coaches to prepare for the Youth Worlds.
“This year’s Youth Worlds Team has an impressive amount of young talent, as well as several experienced veterans” said US Sailing Youth Racing Director John Pearce. “It’s a potent combination and I’m excited to see what we can do on the world stage this week. We are thrilled to have American sailors in every event this year, which only the USA, Great Britian, and France can say. And if you include the 2-on-2 team race (which we are excited for given the US’s strong history in team racing), we are the only nation competing in every event.”
At the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championship, the United States concluded the regatta with three podium finishes and six top five finishes. Additionally, the United States finished as the 5th place country in the Nations Trophy, honoring the top countries with the most highly ranked competitors across every discipline.
To follow along:
Youth Sailing World Championships News: https://worldsailingywc.org/competition/
US Sailing Youth Racing Central Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthracingcentral/
US Sailing would like to thank the Sailing Foundation of New York for their generous support of the 2025 US Youth Worlds Team. For more information on the Sailing Foundation of New York visit their website: sfny.org