Selection and Entry Guide for the 2021 U.S. Youth Sailing Championship
Introduction: This guide is intended for sailors interested in entering the 2021 U.S. Youth Sailing Championship, to be held on October 8-11, 2021 at Camp Sea Gull, Arapahoe, NC. The 2021 Youth Championship Direct Qualification Regattas document outline the eligibility requirements, equipment and selection process for the 2021 U.S. Youth Championship. The selection section specifies that there are two ways to earn an invitation to compete at the 2021 U.S. Youth Sailing Championship: qualify via Direct Qualification or be accepted via Resume Application. 2021 Direct Qualification events are specified in the 2021 Youth Championship Direct Qualification Regattas document. Please refer to the Notice of Race (NoR) for full event details.
Direct Qualification Events: Up to 114 sailors can earn an invitation to the 2021 U.S. Youth Championship by qualifying via a Direct Qualification Event. Sailors who have qualified via Direct Qualification who choose to accept their spot at the Championship should refer to the NoR for the time period in which they must register for the event.
Resume Application: Sailors who have not qualified through the Direct Qualification process can submit a resume application in order to be considered to receive an invitation for the 2021 U.S. Youth Championship. Sailors are encouraged to be as thorough as possible when filling out the application. The selectors are particularly interested in the description of the training plan. It is recommended to review this Application Guide before beginning and submitting your application.
Applications are reviewed by the team of selectors who serve on the U.S. Youth Championship Selection Committee, under the direction of the chief selector (this is different from the US Youth Championship Committee). Please refer to the NoR for the application timeline.
Upon completing and submitting your application, you will receive an email confirmation that your application has been received. There is no application fee.
Questions are welcome to be submitted to championships@ussailing.org
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Why is the U.S. Youth Championship being held in October this year?
A: Due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many sailors have had limited opportunities to race in 2020. The 2021 Youth Champs has been scheduled for October (rather than the traditional dates in June) to give sailors time to practice and race during the spring and summer of 2021.
Q: When will the Notice of Race and other regatta documents be available?
A: The regatta documents are being prepared by the US Sailing Youth Championship Committee. The intention is to post these documents on the U.S. Youth Championship website by the end of April.
Q: What is the 2021 U.S. Youth Championship regatta format?
A: Up to 200 sailors will be selected to compete in the 2021 Youth Champs. Approximately half will earn selection based on their performance at a “Direct Qualification” regatta (also called “early acceptance” in past years), with the remaining athletes selected by application process. Applications include regatta results, training plan, and an optional coach recommendation.
Q: Why are there two ways to be selected for the U.S. Youth Championship (Direct Qualification and
application)?
A: The purpose of the Direct Qualification regattas is to provide opportunities for sailors to be selected for the U.S. Youth Championship based on their performance at a single highly competitive regatta (i.e. to “sail-in”). The purpose of the application process is to provide an opportunity for sailors to be selected based on their resume of regatta results and training plan. The overall goal is to ensure that the top sailors in each class have ample opportunity to earn selection.
Q: When will the application for the Youth Champs be due?
A: The application deadline will be stated in the Notice of Race. The intention is to accept applications until mid-August, so that sailors can include their summer regatta results in their application.
Q: When will the Direct Qualification regattas take place?
A: The dates and locations of the Direct Qualification regattas will be released along with the Notice of Race. The intention is to include major regattas in each class, taking place between May and August.
Q: Most of the Direct Qualification regattas are outside of my region. Do I have to travel to these
regattas in order to be selected for Youth Champs?
A: No. Sailors who do not attend any Direct Qualification regattas may be selected for Youth Champs via application, based on their performance at local, regional and national regattas. Sailors are encouraged to include as many regattas as they’d like on their application, including regattas sailed in other boat classes, as well as training plan and coach recommendation.
