Youth Worlds Opening Ceremony set for this evening

The Opening Ceremony for the 48th annual Youth Sailing World Championship is set for tonight. All 382 sailors from 66 nations will participate in the ceremony.

The ceremony will take place at the American Bank Center on the shoreline of Corpus Christi Bay. The sailors will assemble and march into the building much like the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. A member of each team will carry a sign and flag showing their nation and the parade will be led by a mariachi band and members of the Ballet Folklorico.
 
The sailors will be greeted by dignitaries such as Mayor Joseph McComb of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Yacht Club Commodore Craig Henderson, the World Sailing Youth Events Sub-committee Chair Cory Sertl, Todd McGuire, a Program Director for 11th Hour Racing, and Dr. Larry McKinney, the Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute and a science advisor for Sailors for the Sea.
 
Dr. McKinney will introduce special guest Dr. Sylvia Earle, who’ll address the sailors on the importance of sustainability initiatives. Sustainability is the overriding theme of this year’s Youth Worlds where no plastic is allowed and cups and plates are compostable.
 
Commodore Henderson will announce each country during the “mixing of the waters” where a representative of each team will walk to the stage as their country is announced and pour the water into a communal bowl.
 
Sertl will officially open the ceremony by raising the World Sailing flag.

How to Follow

ENTRIES
Full entries are available here – http://www.worldsailingywc.org/entries/corpus_christi_entries.php

WATCH
Daily highlights will be available on the World Sailing TV YouTube Channel here – https://www.youtube.com/worldsailingtv.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #YSWC18 and #YouthWorlds.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/youthworlds
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @youthworlds

PRESS RELEASES
All World Sailing international press releases throughout the duration of the Youth Sailing World Championships, including the latest news and reports, are available to read here – http://www.worldsailingywc.org/news/index.php.

About the Youth Worlds

The Youth Worlds was first held in Sweden in 1971. The 2018 Youth Sailing World Championships will be the 48th edition of the championship.

As the regatta evolved further classes were added to bring the best young sailing talent across the world together in one place and in 1984 the Mistral windsurfer was added to the list of events with Knut Budig (GER) taking the first gold medal in San Diego, California.

Past notable winners include American’s Cup skippers, Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL); Olympic medallists, Nathan Outteridge (AUS), Iain Jensen (AUS), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Amelie Lux (GER), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Iain Percy (GBR), Alessandra Sensini (ITA), Elise Rechichi (AUS) and Tessa Parkinson (AUS); Volvo Ocean Race sailors like Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and Richard Clarke (CAN).