#YOUTH SAILING – The Dublin Bay 2012 Youth world sailing championships sponsored by Four Star Pizza looks set to break the record for the most numbers of countries attending. The full list of 33 countries entered into the regatta so far is at the end of this post.
To date 102 nations have competed at previous ISAF Youth Worlds and that number is set to grow at Dublin Bay 2012 after Georgia, Madagascar and Qatar reserved equipment for the regatta.
Alongside the new trio, the Youth Worlds is set to welcome back Macedonian sailors, who have only made one appearance, which came in 2010 as well as Tunisian sailors whose single Youth Worlds appearance came in 2001.
The 2012 Youth Worlds will take place on Dublin Bay, based at Dun Laoghaire.
The horse-shoe shaped bay, open to the east and approximately six miles cross, allows for fair racing. The winds are predominantly driven by the North Atlantic weather systems passing over the country resulting in a prevailing south westerly breeze giving a range of sailing conditions. Dublin Bay is subject to tide and although the speed of the current is not excessive it is often of tactical importance. The size of the bay is capable of accommodating large fleets and multiple courses.
The Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) will host the 2012 championship in association with its neighbouring clubs, the National Yacht Club (NYC) and the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC).
Open to competitors aged under 19 in the year of the championship (i.e. for Ireland, under 19 on 31 December 2012) in the events and equipment listed below (all supplied), the Youth Worlds occupies a unique place in the sailing calendar. Simply getting to the championship is a major achievement for most as entry is limited to one boat per nation, per event, meaning sailors first having to win through their national qualification series.
Countries entered in to Dublin Bay 2012 to date:
1 Australia
2 Belgium
3 Bermuda
4 Brazil
5 Chile
6 Colombia
7 Croatia
8 Czech Republic
9 Denmark
10 France
11 Georgia
12 Great Britain
13 Ireland
14 Isarael
15 Italy
16 Japan
17 Korea
18 Lithuania
19 Macedonia
20 Madgascar
21 Malaysia
22 Netherland Antilles
23 New Zealand
24 Peru
25 Poland
26 Portugal
27 Qatar
28 South Africa
29 Spain
30 Switzerland
31 Thailand
32 Tunusia
33 United States
