The 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships are under way in Vilamoura, Portugal, with competitive racing beginning today (Monday 15 December) after several days of practice sessions on the Algarve coast.
More than 400 sailors from up to 70 countries have gathered for the 54th edition of the event, which runs from December 12 to 20 and remains the most important proving ground in international youth sailing. Racing is live streamed on World Sailing TV’s YouTube channel throughout the week.
For Kiwi sailing followers, the Youth Worlds are always worth watching. This regatta has a long record of identifying sailors who go on to Olympic medals, America’s Cup campaigns, SailGP teams, and professional offshore careers.
A proven pathway to the top
First held in 1971 with just 16 nations, the Youth Sailing World Championships have grown into a truly global contest. Last year’s regatta at Lake Garda featured sailors from more than 70 countries, reflecting the depth and reach of the modern youth pathway.
New Zealand has played a significant role in that history. Kiwi sailors have won a total of 55 medals at the Youth Worlds, including 17 gold, 20 silver, and 18 bronze, dating back to the inaugural event in Sweden. The 2018 team delivered one of New Zealand’s strongest performances, winning a record-equalling four medals in Corpus Christi.
The roll call of past Kiwi medallists reads like a who’s who of elite sailing. Russell Coutts, Chris Dickson, Dean Barker, Alex Maloney, Blair Tuke, and Stuart Bannatyne all passed through the Youth Worlds on their way to Olympic podiums, America’s Cup helms, and Volvo Ocean Race campaigns.
Internationally, the same pattern holds. Robert Scheidt followed his 1991 Laser win with two Olympic golds and eight senior world titles, while Ben Ainslie’s 1995 Youth Worlds victory was an early step toward four Olympic gold medals.
France remain the most successful nation overall, with 76 medals and 11 Nations Trophy wins since its introduction in 1991. Italy have dominated more recently and arrive in Vilamoura chasing a third straight Nations Trophy.
Classes and format
The Youth Sailing World Championships mirror the Olympic sailing structure, bringing male, female, and mixed fleets together across six classes and 11 events.
The classes racing this week are ILCA 6, 420, 29er, Nacra 15, iQFOiL Youth, and Formula Kite. Sailors must be over 12 and under 19 years of age as of 31 December 2025 to be eligible.
Racing is scheduled to start at midday local time from Monday through Thursday, with an earlier start on Friday 19 December when the final races are sailed ahead of the evening prizegiving.
ILCA 6
The ILCA 6 fleets will contest nine races, with two races per day over the opening four days and a single final race on Friday.
In the women’s fleet, Ukraine’s Alina Shapovalova returns after finishing fifth at last year’s Youth Worlds and second at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships earlier this year. Argentina’s Delfina Kuttel finished fourth at the 2024 Youth Worlds, while Azerbaijan is represented for the first time by Fidan Aghazada.
New Zealand’s Chloe Turner arrives as one of the form sailors in the fleet after claiming the global under-17 title earlier this year. Turner has twice topped the women’s fleet at the New Zealand ILCA nationals and has been selected for the New Zealand Youth Team on three occasions.
The men’s fleet is led by Italy’s Alessandro Cirinei, the reigning Youth Boys World Champion and current ILCA 6 Men’s World Champion after his victory in Kiel in June. Croatia’s Josip Tafra and Argentina’s Joaquin Galvan, both podium finishers at the Youth Worlds, are joined by Australia’s Healy Ryan, the 2024 under-17 European champion.
New Zealand’s Tom Pilkington, the 2025 New Zealand ILCA youth national champion, also lines up after finishing fourth overall at the 2024 Governor’s Cup.
| Chloe Turner Murrays Bay Sailing Club, Auckland Turner is one of New Zealand’s standout prospects at this regatta, arriving as the reigning under-17 world champion. She has twice topped the women’s fleet at the New Zealand ILCA nationals and has been selected for the New Zealand Youth Team on three occasions. |
| Tom Pilkington Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Auckland Pilkington comes into the Youth Worlds as the 2025 New Zealand ILCA youth national champion. He also placed fourth overall at the 2024 Governor’s Cup, adding offshore regatta experience to his campaign. |
420
The 420 fleets will also contest nine races and benefit from recent racing on the same waters during the Youth Portugal Grand Prix earlier this month.
Brazil’s Said Royo and Bernardo Oliveira arrive as clear favourites after winning both the Open European and World Championships this year. Greece’s Sokratis Chamarias and Iason Xypas, World Championship silver medallists, will be looking to turn the tables.
In the women’s fleet, Spain’s Neus Fernandez Darder and Martina Gomila Darder have already claimed World Championship gold and Junior European silver in 2025. Greece’s Georgia Faviou and Amalia Papanikita remain their closest rivals.
New Zealand’s Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson arrive with strong recent form after finishing second at the Vilamoura Grand Prix, placing them firmly among the contenders. They are joined by fellow Kiwis Cam Brown and Oli Stone, adding further depth to the New Zealand presence.
| Tessa Clinton Wakatere Boating Club, Auckland, helm Clinton is one of the most experienced Youth Worlds campaigners in the team, having won Youth Trials three times and claimed both 29er and 420 national titles in the same season. |
| Amelia Higson Kohimarama Yacht Club, Auckland, crew Higson qualified for the Youth Team after a strong domestic season, including victory at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland and three consecutive regattas as top girl in the Starling class. |
| Cam Brown Wakatere Boating Club, Auckland, helm Brown has multiple national titles to his name and has previously represented New Zealand at Youth Worlds, with race wins recorded overseas. |
| Oli Stone Kohimarama Yacht Club, Auckland, crew Stone finished 16th at the 2025 420 Open World Championships and is a two-time New Zealand P Class national champion, and third at the 2024 29er Youth Trials. |
29er
The 29er fleets will contest 13 races, with three races per day through to Thursday.
Poland’s Alicja Dampc returns as defending champion, now sailing with Antonina Puchowska. The pair have already secured both World and European titles in 2025. Italy’s Bianca Marchesini and Lucia Finato finished second at the Worlds and are again in the mix.
The fleet includes five sister pairings, underlining how strong the family pipeline remains in youth skiff sailing.
New Zealand is represented by a strong group including Bella Jenkins, Jess Handley, Will Leech, and William Mason, with Leech adding South Island representation after placing second at Kiel Week earlier this year.
| Bella Jenkins Kohimarama Yacht Club, Auckland, helm Jenkins has been selected for the New Zealand Youth Team in both 2024 and 2025. She is a three-time New Zealand P Class girls’ champion and a three-time Interdominion Schools Teams Racing winner with Westlake Girls High School. |
| Jess Handley Murrays Bay Sailing Club, Auckland, crew Handley is a two-time Youth Trials winner across the 420 and 29er and is the current New Zealand 29er national girls’ champion. |
| Will Leech Charteris Bay Yacht Club, Christchurch, helm Leech brings South Island representation to the team. He placed second at Kiel Week in the Euro Cup 8 fleet and is a two-time New Zealand youth champion and a two-time Optimist national champion. |
| William Mason Wakatere Boating Club, Auckland, crew Mason has won back-to-back Optimist and Starling national titles, followed by consecutive 29er national championships, and placed second at Kiel Week. |
Nacra 15
The foiling Nacra 15 fleet follows the same 13-race schedule as the 29er.
Italy’s Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy return as defending champions after winning gold at last year’s Youth Worlds and backing it up with World Championship victory earlier this season. France’s Emilie Mansouri and Marius Praud finished second at that event and will be pushing hard to close the gap.
Spain’s Pepe Garcia Grindille and Aina Rivas bring strong Olympic lineage, with coaching support from Toni Rivas, part of Spain’s Tornado gold medal programme at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
iQFOiL
The iQFOiL windsurfers face one of the most demanding schedules of the regatta, with 18 races planned across the week.
Australia’s Rory Meehan leads the men’s fleet after winning the Youth and Junior World Championships and racing consistently in senior gold fleets this year. Turkey’s Artun Senol and Italy’s Mattia Saoncella, both podium finishers at the Youth and Junior Worlds, are also in the hunt.
In the women’s fleet, Italy’s Medea Falcioni arrives as reigning Youth and Junior World Champion, while Turkey’s Nurhayat Güven brings recent podium form from Brest.
New Zealand’s challenge is led by Ben Rist and Daniella Wooldridge, both of whom arrive with valuable European racing experience.
| Ben Rist Manly Sailing Club, Auckland Rist arrives after winning Sail Melbourne and the 2025 New Zealand Youth Championships. He also finished 17th at the iQFOiL Games in Torbole, Italy. |
| Daniella Wooldridge Wakatere Boating Club, Auckland Wooldridge previously competed at the Youth Worlds in the 420 before switching to iQFOiL. She won the 2025 New Zealand Youth Trials after racing at the Youth and Junior Worlds in 2024. |
Formula Kite
The Formula Kite fleets will also contest 18 races.
The women’s fleet includes 13-year-old American Molly O’Brien, alongside Poland’s Karolina Jankowska and Turkey’s Derin Deniz Sorguc, both top-four finishers at this year’s Youth Worlds.
Switzerland’s Gian Andrea Stragiotti headlines the men’s fleet after silver at the Youth Worlds and back-to-back under-19 European titles. Israel’s Carmel Avisar, a bronze medallist, is also among the leading contenders.
New Zealand is represented by Toby Wigglesworth, who brings crossover experience from both sailing and kiteboarding.
| Toby Wigglesworth Manly Sailing Club, Auckland Wigglesworth brings crossover experience from sailing and kiteboarding, with recent results including a win at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland and third at the New Zealand kitefoil nationals. |
Sustainability in focus
Sustainability remains central to the Youth Worlds. Vilamoura Sailing is powered entirely by solar energy, with a strong push to eliminate single-use plastics through refill stations and reusable containers.
The regatta also prioritises digital communication to reduce paper use and employs electric robotic marks and support craft where possible. Event materials have been designed for reuse at future championships.
How to follow the racing
All racing is live streamed on World Sailing TV’s YouTube channel, with daily updates available throughout the regatta.
For New Zealanders watching from home, the Youth Sailing World Championships remain one of the clearest windows into where the sport is heading next. Full event information and results are available at worldsailingywc.org.
