Racing at the 2019 Hempel Youth Sailing World Championships kick off in Poland today, with Australian Sailing’s Youth Sailing Team ready to contest the pinnacle event for young sailors.

Selected from performances across class and youth championships last summer and with a strong mix of returning Youth World Championships sailors and newcomers, the team has put in intensive training hours to tackle the best young sailors in the world this week.

Poland's sailing capital, Gdynia, will come alive from today with 409 sailors from 66 nations to race across nine youth events including the Boy's and Girl's divisions of the 29er, 420, RS:X and Laser Radial as well as the Mixed Multihull, the Nacra 15.

2018 Youth Sailing World Championships in the Laser Radial Zac Littlewood (WA) spearheads the 14-person team, with Australia represented in all events.

“Last year I got a bronze medal, so I’m going back this year to make the bronze into a gold. That’s the aim this year and I’m really proud to represent my country in doing so,” Littlewood said, who will line-up in a fleet of 57 boats today.

Madeline O’Shea (NSW) will sail the girl’s Laser Radial with 47 boats entered.

Australia’s Youth Olympic sailor Will Cooley (NSW) who came seventh at last year’s Youth Olympic Games also returns to the team and will contest the Nacra 15 with crew Bec Hancock (NSW). The 21-boat mixed Nacra 15 fleet will see a fleet packed full of 2018 Youth Olympians.

In the Girls 29er, Tasmanians Alice Buchanan and Dervla Duggan also return for another Youth World Championships to race the world’s best in the 25 boats fleet.

In the Boy's 29er, a fleet of 28 will race on Polish waters, including Max Paul and Archie Cropley from Middle Harbour Yacht Club. It will be Max Paul’s last year in the youth classes, while 16-year old Archie Cropley still has a couple years ahead of him.

Queenslander Hamish Swain, who has only been sailing the RS:X for just over 12 months, will be contesting his first World Championships, while Amelia Quinlan (NSW) returns to sail the RS:X at the Youth Worlds and is taking confidence from her experience at Corpus Christi in Texas last year.

“I am sure the racing will be tough, but I am going into it with a lot more confidence, in all wind strengths and with the 2018 Corpus Christi Youth Worlds under my belt.”

Victorian twins Matilda and Lily Richardson also return to the team and will race the Girl's 420 fleet, which comprises 24 teams. Last year’s winners aged out, so a new name will be engraved on the famous RYA Trophy.

Thirty boats will line up in the Boy's 420 fleet, including Australia’s Ryan Littlechild and Jack Ferguson (NSW) who will be contesting their first Youth Worlds. There will be new medallists with no returning 2018 podium finishers in the fleet.

The official arrival day was on Saturday 13 July, where the teams were able to collect their equipment from Ovington Boats (29er), Nautivela (420), Laser Performance / Maclaren (Laser Radial) and Nacra Sailing (Nacra 15). The RS:X racers are all bringing their own equipment for 2019.

Yesterday, the 2019 Hempel Youth Sailing World Sailing Championships officially opened with the Port of Gdynia baking in sunshine and with the 409 sailors from 66 nations taking to the city beach for the opening ceremony of the Hempel Youth Sailing World Championship. The Polish city will be hosting the event for the first time since 2004.

As is tradition at the Hempel Youth Worlds, celebrating its 49^th edition, each nation brought a flask of water from their home nation for the symbolic mixing of the waters ceremony, which brings all of the waters of the world together to embody sportsmanship, team spirit and unity.

Racing commences today, Monday 15 July at 11:00 a.m. local time (7:00 p.m. AEST) and a single race on Friday 19 July will bring the 2019 edition of the Hempel Youth Sailing World Championships to a close.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Australian Sailing Youth Website

Daily Updates will be posted on the Australian Youth Sailing Website here: https://www.sailingyouth.org.au/home/

See the full team line-up here: https://www.sailingyouth.org.au/youth-worlds/2019-australian-youth-team/

EVENT WEBSITE

Find updates and results on the event website - http://worldsailingywc.org/

ENTRIES

Click here to view the entry list in full.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow @AustSailYouth on Facebook and Instagram

Follow the event on World Sailing's social networks and get involved in the conversation using #YouthWorlds19

Facebook - http://facebook.com/youthworlds

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/

Twitter - @youthworlds

See the 2019 Australian Sailing Youth Team here:

Athletes

Team Leader and Laser/Nacra Coach

Matt Jerwood

420 Coach

Carrie Smith

29er Coach

Harry Morton