For more than half a century, the Youth Sailing World Championships have been the pinnacle of youth sailing performance, providing the global stage for future sailing stars to shine and becoming a major stepping stone for many world and Olympic champions.

The Youth Sailing World Championships attracts the best youth sailors from around the world and follows a similar format to Olympic sailing where all sailors compete on a level playing field across all events. In total, 11 events will be sailed in male, female and mixed categories, with the events open to sailors aged above the age of 12 years and under the age of 19 years on 31 December 2025.

Quanhai Li, World Sailing President, said, “The Youth Sailing World Championships have long-been one of the most important events in the World Sailing calendar and an important showcase for emerging talent and future legends of the sport. We are delighted to award the 54th edition of the championships to such an impressive host venue and ambitious Organising Committee which will further World Sailing’s commitment to inclusion, equality and sustainability and lead to a truly memorable championship.”

David Graham, World Sailing CEO, added, “The Youth Sailing World Championship represents the future of our sport, and to be able to witness such high levels of performance year after year is a privilege. We have seen the event grow from 16 nations at the very first edition in 1971 to what it has become today where this year over 400 sailors from 70 countries took part, and we look forward to another incredible championship in Portugal in 2025.”