HOW TO FOLLOW THE YOUTH SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 47th edition of the Youth Sailing World Championships will be held in Sanya, China from 9-16 December 2017 with more than 380 sailors from 62 nations competing on Chinese waters.
Sailors will be welcomed on Saturday 9 December as they receive their supplied equipment from the event suppliers - Boy's and Girl's 29er (Ovington), Boy's and Girl's 420 (Nautivela), Boy's and Girl's Laser Radial (Laser Performance/Maclaren), Open Nacra 15 (Nacra Sailing) and Boy's and Girl's RS:X (Neil Pryde).
The Opening Ceremony on Sunday 10 December will officially open the event with the evening incorporating the synonymous mixing of the waters and athletes' parade.
Racing commences on Monday 11 December and runs through to Friday 15 December where nine new Youth World Champions will be crowned. Take a read of the 420 Class runners and riders preview.
Find out how to follow and engage with the event:
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing's social networks and get involved in the conversation using #youthworlds #yswcsanya
Facebook
World Sailing's Youth Worlds Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/YouthWorlds/ - will bring you daily imagery, video and live sailor interviews.
Instagram
Like and comment on the best World Sailing images on the @worldsailingofficial Instagram account and be sure to watch out for exclusive behind the scenes features on Instagram Stories.
Twitter
The best place for live updates from the Youth Worlds, the @youthworlds twitter account will deliver coverage from across the racing areas throughout the duration of the championships.
Snapchat
Follow the stories from Sanya by searching for World Sailing at worldsailing.
WATCH
Daily highlights and feature videos will be available on World Sailing's YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/worldsailingtv.
ENTRIES
Check out who's entered the 2017 Youth Worlds here - http://www.worldsailingywc.org/entries/index.php
RESULTS
Results will be available from Monday 11 December here - http://www.worldsailingywc.org/results/2017_sanya_china.php
PRESS RELEASES
World Sailing will be releasing international press releases after racing throughout the duration of 2017 Youth Worlds. All the latest news and reports will be available to read here - http://www.sailing.org/news/youth-worlds.php.
ABOUT THE YOUTH WORLDS
The Youth Sailing World Championship was first held in Angelholm, Sweden in 1971 where 16 nations competed for the inaugural titles in the two-person dinghies, 420 and Flipper.
As the regatta evolved further classes were added to bring the best young sailing talent across the world together in one place and in 1984 the Mistral windsurfer was added to the list of events with Knut Budig (GER) taking the first gold medal in San Diego, California.
Open to sailors aged 19 and under the 47th version of the Youth Worlds heads to the Sanya, China from 9-16 December as the stars of the future are born once again.
Past notable winners include American's Cup skippers, Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL); Olympic medallists, Ben Ainslie (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Alessandra Sensini (ITA), Iain Percy (GBR) and Elise Rechichi (AUS); Volvo Ocean Race sailors like Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and Richard Clarke (CAN). The most successful Youth World Champions are Great Britain's Sally Cuthbert and Poland's Zofia Klepacka having won four successive titles in the Laser II and Mistral respectively.
Italy is the current holder of the Nations Trophy, awarded annually to the top performing nation at the Youth Worlds. The Nations Trophy was first introduced in 1991 and in 1999 became the Volvo Trophy until 2010. France is the most successful nation through the history of the Championship, winning the Nations Trophy on a record eleven occasions and holding a record 76 medals: 28 gold, 30 silver and 18 bronze.