Connor Bainbridge of Great Britain, Axel Mazella of France and Max Maeder of Singapore celebrate their medals in the Men's Kite. GETTY IMAGES

Preparations are nearly complete, and the groundwork has already been laid by the next generation of champion sailors ahead of the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships at Lake Garda, one of the most famous tourist lakes in northern Italy. 

The brightest prospects on the planet will showcase their skills from July 13 to 20, competing for glory and medals across 11 events on Italy's largest lake.

Last year, at the Championships in Armação dos Búzios, Brazil, Formula Kite and iQFOiL introduced male and female categories for the first time. Additionally, the Skiff 29er, 420, ILCA 6, and the Mixed Two-Person Multihull, the Nacra 15, will make up the classes and events throughout the week.

Overall, more than 400 sailors will gather at five clubs on the lake, representing a wide array of countries from around the world, including those from the Emerging Nations Program. The prodigious three-time champion from Singapore, Max Maeder, is one of the names sailors hope to emulate this summer, with his Olympic campaign on the horizon after a meteoric rise to stardom.



Just days before the opening of Paris 2024, the Youth Sailing World Championships offer sailors the opportunity to take the next steps towards professionalism and achieve success in the senior category.

As for the competitions and corresponding disciplines, there are stories not to be missed. In Formula Kite, reigning champion Derin Atakan from Turkey will face off again with Argentina's Catalina Turienzo, while a new champion will be crowned in the men's category due to Max Maeder's absence as he fulfills his Olympic duties in Marseille. In the 29er class, Ewa Lewandowska and Krzysztof Krolik arrive with a recent victory at the European Championships, strengthening their position to compete in the male/mixed 29er category.

In iQFOiL, Britain's Darcey Shaw will be aiming for gold after securing bronze last year, benefiting from the absence of reigning champion Kristyna Pinosova from Czechia. France's Noé Garandeau and Slovenia's Val Erzen will also compete again in the men's category. In the 420 class, Greece's Danai Giannouli and Iakovina Kerkezou will try to reclaim their world title, while in the male/mixed category, Lisa Vucetti and Vittorio Bonifacio will represent Italy. The Nacra 15 class will feature twelve teams, including Belgium's Hannelien and Sander Borghijs, and China's Shuaizhen Peng and Xiao Mu Wu. In ILCA 6, Spain's Adriana Castro Nuñez and the Netherlands' Hidde Schraffordt are strong contenders for the podium.