Top young guns

News of next weeks prestigious US Sailing Youth Championships

After training and competing in regattas all summer long, the time has come for the top 60 youth sailors in the U.S. to show off their sailing skills at the competitive US Sailing Junior Singlehanded and Doublehanded Championships.

Both the U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship, sailed in Club 420s for the Bemis Trophy, and the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship, sailed in Lasers for the Smythe Trophy will be hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach, Calif.

The events take place August 9th and continuing through the 12th. Demonstrating its strong commitment to youth sailing, Vanguard Sailboats is providing brand-new boats for both events. In conjunction with the U.S. Junior Singlehanded and Doublehanded Championships, the U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship will be held in Corona Del Mar, Calif.

In order for these young sailors to compete in the National Championships they had to sail in local and regional regattas to qualify. Only 60 sailors are able to qualify, 20 competitors for the Singlehanded Championship (20 boats); and 40 competitors for the Doublehanded Championship (20 boats). The young sailors come from all over the U.S. including Hawaii for the prestigious event.

Previous winners of these Championships have gone on to become world-famous sailors, competing in the Olympic Games, World Championships, the America's Cup, and many more. Kevin Hall, currently on the US Sailing Team and a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team, won the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship in 1985 and 1986. Mikee Anderson-Mitterling won the U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship in 2000 and is now a member of the US Sailing Team in the Men's 470.