World Sailing has offered free coaching support at the Youth Match Racing World Championship held in Middelfart, Denmark, with Dayne Sharp acting as the Event Coach. This initiative is aimed at assisting teams that lack their own coaching resources, with approximately one third of competitors typically having regular coaching through yacht clubs or sailing academies.
The proposal to provide an Event Coach emerged from the Youth Match Racing Working Group, recognising the competitive advantage that coached teams often have. Sharp, a professional sailing coach, leads this initiative, providing valuable guidance to less experienced teams during the championship.
“Some of the teams here are not as experienced as those with their own coach, so it has been great to help them with their boat handling and tactical decisions,” Sharp commented. His role includes leading training clinics before the championship and offering ongoing feedback during the races.
Participants have expressed gratitude for the support. Theo Westerlind from Team Sweden noted, “We do not have our own coach, but now we can always ask him about things like sail trim, our decisions on the water, and anything else we need help with. He has been a great support, and we would not have made it to the quarter-finals without him.”
World Sailing Vice President Cory Sertl emphasised the importance of this coaching initiative. “Match racing is one of the strongest pathways into competitive sailing for young people. However, not every national federation can fund a coach to support their teams at international level, so I am very proud that the World Youth Sailing Trust has been able to help athletes from all eleven nations represented compete on equal footing with their peers,” Sertl stated.
For more information, you can visit the event website at Youth Match Racing Worlds 2026 or view results at Match Racing Results.
Event Information
If you’d like to follow the event, here are some useful links:
Event website: https://gosail.dk/youth-match-racing-worlds-2026/
Results: https://www.matchracingresults.com/2026/youth-world-championship/
Official photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gosailworlds2023/albums
Official videos: https://www.youtube.com/@gosail2017/videos
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/gosaildk
Event facts
- Youth Match Racing Worlds 2026 – powered by Bunker One takes place from 21–25 June 2026 in Middelfart, Denmark.
- The event is organised by GoSail in cooperation with Middelfart Sailing Club and other partners.
- Racing takes place directly off the newly renovated Middelfart Marina.
- The marina provides one of the best spectator venues in international match racing.
- Match racing is a sailing discipline where two boats compete head-to-head in tactical duels.
- Denmark has a proud tradition in match racing, highlighted by Jesper Bank’s Olympic gold medal in Sydney in 2000.
@gosaildk #YouthMatchRacing #rpayc
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