Youth Worlds Entry Deadline 15 April

Less than a week remains before the registration deadline for the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship on Tuesday 15 April.

Over 250 young sailors from 60 nations are expected at the 38th edition of the ISAF Youth World Championship, which will be hosted by Århus, Denmark from 10-19 July. HRH Crown Prince Frederik is the Royal Patron of the championship.

Entry forms must be completed by ISAF Member National Authorities and returned to the Organizing Committee no later than Tuesday 15 April. Accommodation and equipment are guaranteed only to teams submitting an entry form and the championship fee by the 15 April 2008 deadline.

Click here for full details on registration and to download the entry form. 

Denmark will host the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship for the first time in 2008 and the host city Århus, located on the Jutland peninsula, could hardly be more suited to the task. The Bay of Århus should provide ideal sailing conditions, with wind speeds in July averaging 11 knots and temperatures in the range of 20-25°C. The city is Denmark’s second largest and contains a wealth of educational institutions, which contribute to a very cosmopolitan, youthful and dynamic atmosphere (it has the lowest average age of any city in the country). Over the past 10 years the city has also become well-known as a host venue for major sporting events, including the 2006 World Gymnastic Championships.

Event director Thomas Capitani NIELSEN, says this year’s competitors can expect a warm welcome from the city, “The whole city of Århus is looking forward to welcoming the world’s elite youth sailors. Right now almost everybody is involved with the preparations: the Mayor’s office is planning the welcoming reception at the City Hall; the local yacht clubs are preparing the race area and dinghy park; the catering crew is preparing nutritious and healthy meals, the organizing committee is planning all the exciting, social events; and even HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is involved in planning his welcoming speech.”

The Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship not only provides the top young sailors from around the world with a chance to shine on the international stage – it also gives the sailing world a sneak preview of its future stars. Competitors from past ISAF Youth World Championships have gone on to hit the heights in every aspect of the diverse world of sailing. Just a couple of today’s superstars who include a Youth World medal in their trophy cabinet are three-time America’s Cup winning skipper Russell COUTTS (NZL), double Olympic Champions Ben AINSLIE (GBR) and Robert SCHEIDT (BRA) and Volvo Ocean Race winner Richard CLARKE (CAN). (Click here for more on famous faces from the Youth Worlds.)

Seven events will be contested at the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship (listed below). Alongside the individual events, the prestigious Volvo Trophy, currently held by Australia, will be awarded to the top performing nation at the championship.

The seven events at the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship:

Boy’s One Person Dinghy – Laser
Girl’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Boy’s Two Person Dinghy – 29er
Girl’s Two Person Dinghy – 29er
Boy’s Windsurfer – Neil Pryde RS:X with 8.5m rig
Girl’s Windsurfer – Neil Pryde RS:X with 8.5m rig
Open Multihull – Sirena SL16

Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship – www.youthworlds2008.org/ 
ISAF Youth Worlds microsite – www.sailing.org/youthworlds