U.S. Youth Worlds team roster announced

US Sailing has named 14 athletes to its 2017 Youth Sailing World Championship Team. The premier event in international youth sailing, the Youth Worlds is expected to include competitors from over 70 nations. The event is set to be held in Sanya, Hainan Island, China, from December 9-16. The 47th edition of the Youth Worlds is open to sailors under age 19, and each U.S. athlete earned a berth on the team during a two-event selection series.

"I am very excited with our roster for this year's Youth Worlds Team," said Leandro Spina (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing's Olympic Development Director. "Each member of this year's team earned a spot while participating in the most competitive Youth Worlds qualifier system that we've ever had. Here in the U.S., high-performance youth racing classes now have more depth in terms of both numbers and quality than was the case even a short time ago. US Sailing's Olympic Development Program (ODP) has had a part to play in this growth, but it has really been a national effort with many different organizations and leaders involved. With the two-event selection system that we used to determine most of our roster spots for the Youth Worlds, some berths were won on the last leg of the last race of the final qualifier regatta. These sailors have all truly earned it, and it proves that the standard of sailing is rising in the U.S., both at the local and national levels."

With the athlete selection process now complete, the 2017 Youth Worlds Team will continue to train extensively both on an individual basis and as a group in the lead up to December. US Sailing ODP Training Camps and Travel Teams, scheduled to be held at locations across the country and at regatta venues around the world, will play key roles in the final preparation of the team.

US Sailing's 2017 Youth Worlds Team features a talented and proven group of athletes competing in nine different classes. Laser Radial athlete Joseph Hou (Newport Beach, Calif.) won both Youth Worlds qualifiers, and earned the title of U.S. Youth Champion by a 17-point margin earlier this summer. Regular ODP training camp participant Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) won the women's division at Youth Champs and also clearly separated herself from the pack in the Youth Worlds selection series.

Nacra 15 helm Mark Brunsvold (Sarasota, Fla.) came close to making the podium during his first Youth Worlds multihull appearance in Langkawi, Malaysia two years ago, and returns to the event with a new teammate in Dylan Heinz (Sarasota, Fla.) and some unfinished business. The 29er team of Neil Marcellini (Lafayette, Calif.) and Ian Brill (San Diego, Calif.) won a hard-fought battle to earn selection, with the U.S. Youth champs title coming down to the final race. Brill won a silver medal in 2016 at the Youth Worlds in the Nacra 15 with Romain Screve (Kentfield, Calif.) who has since moved into the Olympic-level 49er class. The female 29er team of Berta Puig (Key Biscayne, Fla.) and Charlotte Mack (Palm City, Fla.) are also widely regarded as emerging talents, and their development can be seen as an indicator of the success of US Sailing's ODP girls skiff program.

420 athletes Carmen Cowles (Larchmont, N.Y.) and Emma Cowles (Larchmont, N.Y.) continue to uphold the strong recent showings of Tri-State Area 420 teams, and Sanya will be the first Youth Worlds for both sisters. Thomas Rice (Garden City, N.J.) and Trevor Bornarth (Stuart, Fla.) undoubtedly have the talent to contend for a medal on the big stage, and will have a shot at extending the current two-year American winning streak in the boys 420 event at the Youth Worlds.

Miami continues to shine as hotbed of youth windsurfing training, and Youth Worlds RS:X athletes Steven Cramer (Miami Beach, Fla.) and Dominique Stater (Washington, D.C) conduct much of their training in south Florida. Cramer won the 2016 Youth Champs, and in 2017 qualified for gold fleet at the Olympic-Level RS:X World Championships.

"It is very encouraging for the US Sailing Team to see a Youth Worlds Team roster come together with this level of talent and experience," said Malcolm Page (Newport, R.I.) the Chief of U.S. Olympic Sailing. "I met many of these athletes recently at the Youth Champs in Corpus Christi, and was impressed with their focus, dedication, and ambition. It is a huge honour to represent your country at this event, and we all wish our Youth Worlds team the best in China."

Event website: www.worldsailingywc.org

2017 US Sailing Youth World Championship Team:

Laser Radial (Boy): Joseph Hou (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Laser Radial Girls: Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas)
420 Girls: Carmen Cowles (Larchmont, N.Y.) and Emma Cowles (Larchmont, N.Y.)
420 Boys: Thomas Rice (Garden City, N.J.) and Trevor Bornarth (Stuart, Fla.)
Nacra 15: Mark Brunsvold (Sarasota, Fla.) and Dylan Heinz (Sarasota, Fla.)
29er Boys: Neil Marcellini (Lafayette, Calif.) and Ian Brill (San Diego, Calif.)
29er Girls: Berta Puig (Key Biscayne, Fla.) and Charlotte Mack (Palm City, Fla.)
RS:X Boys: Steven Cramer (Miami Beach, Fla.)
RS:X Girls: Dominique Stater (Bethesda, Md.)