CANADA WINS 2026 YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!
Posted By:
Carly Starck
Posted On: 2026-07-03T19:33:00Z
Team Canada Takes Gold at the 2026 Youth World Championships!
That's a wrap on four days of racing on Lake Tuusula, Finland! Sixteen teams from eight countries battled shifty winds and inconsistent breeze to close out the 2026 Youth World Championships, and Team Canada brought it home.
Sailing out of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Rory Walsh sailed with Andre and Gustave Deseau to take the win with 14 points. Huge congrats to the whole team! Fantastic sailing by all competitors, and thank you to our hosts!!!
"Rory Walsh (RVanYC) and Andre and Gustave Deseau (WYVC) just wrapped up a week of racing on Lake Tuusula in Finland for the Lightning Youth World Championship. After four days of close and intense racing, the team won the event with a solid last day. This is the first time a British Columbia Canadian team has won the event, and Canada hasn't won the event since 2012. The Youth World Champions are bringing the trophy home to live at Royal Vancouver for the next two years!
The racing on the small lake of Tuusula proved to be challenging. Conditions changed from day to day, demanding a sharp mind and eyes. The first day was the most consistent, letting boats from either side of the upwind come out at the top, creating tight fleets on the downwind legs with lots of passing lanes. Winds ranging from 10-15 knots let the race committee get three races in on the first day. For the rest of the regatta, the wind was very geographical but changed direction every day. The boys played the shifts well, learning the venue fast and working their way through the fleet.
A massive thanks from the team goes to the Finnish Lightning Class for organizing and hosting an amazingly well-run event, to the Lightning Class for welcoming us into the community, and to Luke, Michael, and Matt back home for getting us started in the Lightning Class. There was so much support in getting the team started in the class." - Guastave & Team
From the Class President...
“The 2026 Lightning Youth World Championship held June 22-26 on Lake Tuusula, Finland was a smashing success. Sixteen (16) teams representing eight (8) countries battled it out in 8 races over 4 days of sailing.
It was great to see so many sailors enjoying each other’s company off the water, whether it was during meals or playing games, or visiting Helsinki. At the same time, competition on the water was tight. Great racing!
An event of this magnitude can only happen with the leadership and support of a small village. The Finnish Lightning Fleet, led by Sanni, Sakke, Erik, Kimmo and many other volunteers, worked for months lining up borrowed boat, working with local city officials on providing free housing, feeding the sailors 3 meals daily, racing, games, ceremonies, the list goes on. It was first class.
To have 8 countries represented in Finland was outstanding. I was particularly impressed with their effort to attract sailors from Lithuania and Latvia. Hopefully the regatta will be a springboard to more country participation in Europe.” - David Starck
Competitor Perspective: An ode to Youth Worlds
"Youth Worlds have been some of the best experiences of my life. I have had the opportunity to travel to Chile and Finland to sail Lightnings with people my age. Through these events, I have met new friends from all over the world while also building closer connections with people I already knew.
One of my favorite memories from Finland was the night we all went into the city together. We got to experience Helsinki as a group, and there were so many smiles and laughs throughout the night. I think there were around twenty of us walking around the city. Another really amazing part of this regatta is that the organizers always make sure the competitors stay together. In Finland, everyone stayed in cabins that were close to one another, which made it super easy to meet new people and spend time together outside of sailing.
The sailing on Lake Tuusula was very difficult because of the shifty conditions. Throughout the regatta, the competitors had multiple opportunities to talk with local sailors to better understand the wind. From the locals, we learned about wind effects in the area and other details that a wind app simply cannot tell you.
I am so sad that this was my last Youth Worlds event, but I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of it. I would recommend this regatta to anyone in a heartbeat." - Reese Levinson
Congratulations to Greek sailors 14197, Grigorios Kozanitis, Markos Kozanitis, and Themistoklis Iatrou, for being awarded this year's Shipshape Award. Congratulations to Lucio Moscati on being awarded the Tom Allen Sportsmanship Award. Sailors like you make the fleet a better place!
Thank you to the sailors, volunteers, and organizers for a fantastic event.
Top 3 - Youth World Championships
Lucio - Sportsmanship