India International Youth Sailing Championship Set for Chennai from Jan 4 to 10
117 sailors from 13 countries to compete across five elite youth classes at Chennai Port
Chennai, Jan 2: The 11th edition of the India International Youth Sailing Championship (IIR) 2026, India’s longest running international youth sailing regatta, was officially launched in Chennai on Thursday. The championship will take place from January 4 to 10 at Chennai Port, featuring 117 sailors from 13 nations competing across five elite youth classes 420, 29er (Boys & Girls Skiff), ILCA 4 (Boys & Girls Dinghy), Optimist (Boys & Girls), and iQFOiL Youth Windsurfing (Boys & Girls).
The launch event was attended by Dr. Atulya Misra, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu; Thiru J. Meganatha Reddy, IAS, Member Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT); Thiru R. Ashok Thakkar, Vice President, Yachting Association of India (YAI) & TNSA; and prominent sailors including Olympian K.C. Ganapathy and national medallists S. Jayalakshmi and Vantava R.
Dr. Misra and Thiru Meganatha Reddy highlighted Tamil Nadu’s dominance in sailing and reaffirmed the state government’s support by announcing two new Centres of Excellence for sailing one at Marina Beach, Chennai, and another in Ramanathapuram as part of SDAT’s TN Olympic Water Sports vision.
The championship has produced international stars, including Isaac McHardy (New Zealand, Paris 2024 Olympic Silver Medallist) and Irish champions Sean Waddilove and Paddy Crosbie, reflecting IIR’s prestige as a stepping stone for U-18 sailors. Irish coach Thomas Chaix, a long-time participant, described the event as “a lifelong memory and a special chapter in a sailor’s journey.”
All races will be streamed live globally on the official YouTube channels, allowing fans worldwide to follow the action in real time.
