2021 U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship - Preview

Teams practicing on Wednesday, June 23 at the 2021 U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Rochester Yacht Club (N.Y.) © Holly Huston

The thrill and excitement of match racing will be on full display this weekend in Rochester, N.Y. as the U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup will be hosted by the Rochester Yacht Club. Racing begins Friday, June 25 and concludes Sunday, June 27.

Celebrating its 11th annual running, this invitational event for 16 to 20 year olds has served as an outstanding training ground for U.S. youth sailors who are passionate about match racing and focused on competing at the next level.

Eight teams of four, consisting of at least one female and one male crew per boat, will be racing the Sonar. Coaching and instruction will play a major role in these sailors' experience. Five-time U.S. Match Racing Champion, Dave Perry, will lead an Advanced Match Racing Clinic on Wednesday and Thursday, June 23 and 24, ably assisted by match racing expert Peter Bailey.

"I'm really excited to work with the 32 sailors competing this week at the U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship," said Perry. "They are the best youth match racers in the country and will soon be competing at the college level and for the U.S. Open and Women's Match Racing Championships."

Originally known as the Rose Cup, this event was founded by members of the Balboa Yacht Club and the Newport Balboa Sailing & Seamanship Association (NBSSA), and was started as an invitational youth match race event in 2010. The mission is to promote youth match racing in the U.S. and improve the skills of racers from around the country in national and international competition. In 2015, US Sailing elevated the Rose Cup to an official US Sailing National Championship.

The top finishing skipper will receive an invitation to the 2021 Governor's Cup on July 26-31, 2021 at the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, California. The second place skipper will receive an invitation to the 2021 Oakcliff Halloween Invitational on October 30-31, 2021 in Match 40's.

Racing information

• The racing area will be on Lake Ontario just beyond the breakwaters of the Rochester Harbor.
• The event will consist of the following stages: Stage 1 - a round robin Stage; 2 - Quarter Final/Semi Final/Final knockout series and Consolation races