Sail Canada introduces its team for the 2021 Youth Sailing World Championships

The 49th edition of the Youth Sailing World Championships will see over 400 sailors from 66 nations. Gdynia, Poland is hosting the 2019 Youth Worlds from 13-20 July 2019 © Robert Hajduk / World Sailing

Sail Canada is pleased to introduce its 13-member team who will represent the country at the 2021 Youth Sailing World Championships to be held in Al Mussanah, Oman, December 11-18, 2021.

Throughout the competition, with races running from Monday, December 13, until Friday, December 17, 12 events will take place, including female and male Windsurfing, ILCA 6 (Laser Radial), 29er (skiff) and Kiteboarding, as well as female and mixed/male i420 (two-person Dinghy) and mixed Nacra 15 (two-person multihull). Canada will be represented in all events, except for Windsurfing and female Kiteboarding.

All the Canadian athletes will be competing at the Youth Sailing World Championships for the first time. They have been selected based on their performances at the Sail Canada Youth Championships and other qualifying events held over the summer and fall.

The 2021 Youth Sailing World Championships will also be a family affair for the Canadian team as three siblings from the same family will take part in this international event: Jackson, Riley and Finlay Macaulay from Halifax, N.S. Riley and Finlay, the youngest sisters, will compete together in the female i420 class.

Following is the list of Canadian team members set to compete at the 2021 Youth Sailing World Championships:

ILCA 6 (Laser Radial)

Annalise Balasubramanian - Female ILCA 6 (Toronto, ON-RCYC & Ontario Sailing Team)
Nathan Latka - Male ILCA 6 (Toronto, ON-ABYC & Ontario Sailing Team)

29er

Grace Poole - Female 29er (Victoria, BC-RVYC)
Jessica Hirschbold - Female 29er (Victoria, BC-RVYC)
Jackson Macaulay - Male 29er (Halifax, NS-RNSYS)
Andreas Steinitz - Male 29er (Carrying Place, ON-RNSYS)

i420

Riley Macaulay - Female i420 (Halifax, NS-RNSYS)
Finlay Macaulay - Female i420 (Halifax, NS-RNSYS)
Luke Strickland - Male i420 (Ottawa, ON-Nepean Sailing Club)
Christian Voyer - Male i420 (Ottawa, ON-Nepean Sailing Club)

Mixed Nacra

Maya Heidenreich - Mixed Nacra (Halifax, NS-RNSYS)
Noah Adler - Mixed Nacra (Lower Prospect, NS-RNSYS)

Kiteboarding

Tayne Steven - Male Kiteboarding (Rossland, BC, Interior Kiteboarding and Windsurfing Society)

The Canadian athletes will be accompanied by Team Leader Lisa Ross (NS), Sail Canada's Development Squad Coach, as well as coaches Chris Hewson (ON) from the Ontario Sailing Team and Steve McBride (BC) from the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

The Youth Sailing World Championships, which have been held annually since 1971 except for the 2020 edition that was cancelled because of the pandemic, are an important stepping stone towards the Canadian Sailing Team and Development squad. Among its many alumni members who have competed at a Youth Sailing World Championships are Georgia Lewin-LaFrance, Ryan & Andrew Wood, Coralie Vittecoq, Will & Sam Bonin, Ryan Anderson and Clara Gravely, as well as 2020 Tokyo Olympic Canadian Team member Ali ten Hove in 2012 and 2013.

More information can be found on Sail Canada's website at www.sailing.ca.