World’s best young sailors headed to Lake Garda

Hundreds of the world’s best young sailors will descend on Lake Garda for the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships, held from 13-20 July 2024.

World Sailing has partnered with several Italian clubs located on the lake, each with a wealth of tournament experience, to deliver a spectacular showcase of the next generation of champion sailors. The clubs of Fraglia della Vela Riva, Lega Navale Italiana Riva del Garda, Circolo Vela Arco, Circolo Surf Torbole, Circolo Vela Torbole and Fraglia Vela Malcesine will share the events.

In total, 11 events will be sailed, including the Male and Female divisions of the 29er Skiff, 420 Two Person Dinghy, ILCA 6 One Person Dinghy along with the Mixed Two Person Multihull, the Nacra 15. Last year saw the introduction of Male and Female categories in Kiteboarding Formula Kite, and Male and Female Windsurfing Youth iQFOiL.

Open to young sailing stars up to the age of 19, around 1600 young sailors from over 75 countries will aim to follow in the footsteps of Olympic champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, and Nathan Outteridge, as well as current World, European and Asian Formula Kite champion Max Maeder, himself a three-time champion at the Youth Sailing World Championships.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and borders the regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige. Blessed with inspiring scenery, clean waters and constant winds – known as Peler and Ora – coming from the north in the morning and the south in the afternoon – it is a great venue for sailing and windsurfing.

The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday 13 July, with a practice race the following day and competitive racing getting underway on Monday 15 July.

The 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships will be organised in partnership with the Italian Ministro per lo Sport, Ministero del Turismo, Ministero dell’Ambiente, Ministro per le Politiche del Mare, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Regione Veneto, Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI), Sport e Salute, and the Federazione Italiana Vela.