By Airwaves writer Heather Kerns
The 2025 edition of the U.S. Youth Championship once again brought together America’s top youth sailors across a spectrum of high-performance classes. Organized by US Sailing, the regatta featured elite entries in classes including the International 420, 29er, Nacra 15, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and iQFOiL. After three days of racing hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club the champions were crowned.
Sailors faced a full range of conditions over the weekend, requiring both skill and endurance to stay at the top of the fleet. The top eligible finishers in each Youth Worlds class earned the honor of representing the United States at the 2025 World Sailing Youth Championships in Portugal this December, while the top half of each fleet received automatic invitations to the U.S. Sailing Youth National Team Thanksgiving Camp this November. With more than just national titles at stake, every sailor was clearly leaving it all on the course.
Here’s the RESULTS breakdown by class:
29er Skiff
Nineteen boats competed in the 29er class, where consistency proved key. Kevin Cason and Holland Vierling (San Diego YC) led from start to finish with a steady scoreline and just 21 net points after nine races. Teammates Annie Sitzmann and Anton Schmid (SDYC / Sail1Design) followed close behind with 26 points, while Braden Ozarski and Bennett Simpson (SDYC / HPYS) rounded out an all-San Diego YC podium.
ILCA 6
A competitive fleet of 64 boats completed three races in the ILCA 6 division. Local sailors dominated the results, with David Coates (Lauderdale YC) taking the win and Jake Homberger (LYC) securing second after a tiebreaker with Nathan Pine (South Carolina YC). Arabella Duer was the top female finisher in the fleet.
ILCA 7
Four races were sailed in the ILCA 7s, where Will Rucker (CYC-SC) and Beck Brill (KBYC / CRYC) distanced themselves from the pack to finish with 8 and 10 points, respectively. Christopher Draper claimed third with 22 points. Notably, Zachary Brown (Barclay Sailing / Lakewood YC) posted an impressive series—finishing fifth despite carrying a UFD starting penalty.
International 420
The 28-boat I 420 fleet saw tight racing throughout the top group. Elizabeth Xydas and Alexandra (Coco) Kolaya (Maximus Sailing) claimed victory with 15 net points over five races. Close behind were Harrison Gandy and JP Panebianco (18 points) and Wills Gandy and Reid Smith (19 points), making for one of the most competitive podiums of the event.
Nacra 15
In the multihull fleet, 10 Nacra 15s took to the water. Dylan Tomko and Casey Small delivered a commanding performance—winning every race but two, with their drop being a third. Lauderdale YC teams Orlando Botha and Sara Shumanis and Isabel Veiga and Benjamin White completed the podium in second and third.
iQ Foil
Nine sailors competed in the iQ FOiL fleet, where Garrett January led with a consistent and dominant scoreline of 6 net points. Makani Andrews wasn’t far behind with 8 points, while Graceanna Dixon placed third overall and earned top female honors.
Congratulations to all of the podium finishers and every sailor who competed at this year’s event. Across three days of competitive racing and changing conditions, the fleets showed impressive skill and resilience. Anyone who’s been part of the youth one-design circuit knows how important this event is. It is truly a culmination of hard work from sailors, coaches, and parents alike. Special congratulations to the sailors who have earned their spot at Youth Worlds!
Photo credits to Lexi Pline at U.S. Sailing.
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