After a hugely successful open trials weekend at the legacy Olympic venue in Portland, Weymouth, the Athena Pathway Program (APP) has begun selection of the first sailors to its Youth Squad. Thirteen sailors make up this first cohort, with the final selection for the AC38 Youth Team still ongoing.
Alongside the announcement of the Youth Squad, Athena Pathway are proud and delighted to reaffirm their partnership with Rolex. “Rolex’s enduring commitment to precision, excellence and achievement makes it a natural partner for the programme’s ambition to redefine the future of high-performance sailing,” said Athena’s multiple Olympic gold medal winner and Founder Ben Ainslie.
“United by shared values and a passion for performance at the highest level, the partnership will support Athena Pathway’s mission to create a sustainable and inclusive pathway for youth and female athletes, while continuing to push the boundaries of innovation and competitive sport.”
Athena Pathway Program’s Youth Squad
- Killian Boag 19, Cowes
- Katy Jenkins 20, Malmesbury
- Finley Dickinson 22, Hayling Island
- Jasmin Williams 22, Falmouth
- Duncan Gregor 22, Hong Kong
- Amelie Hiscocks 18, Portland
- Kai Hockley 20, London
- Ryan Littlechild 23, Sydney
- Finian Morris 19, Weybridge
- Kuba Staite 20, Hayling Island
- Sam Webb 21, Lymington
- Leo Wilkinson 21, Maidenhead
- Sam Dickinson 21, Hayling Island
APP’s Team Principal, Hannah Mills commented, “We had 158 applicants, which was amazing to see. So much depth and breadth across the UK’s sailing talent that’s coming forward… We chose 21 to come to the trials in Weymouth and now we've got a core squad of 13ho we're looking to develop for the Youth America’s Cup in 2027 and beyond. But APP have three core goals for the Youth Squad. In the short term, two Youth Squad sailors will be selected to race with Hannah Mills and a women colleague in the America’s Cup Preliminary regatta in Cagliari in May. “It’s a fast-track program to get a race team ready,” commented Mills.
The medium-term goal will be to extend and develop the Youth Squad, to produce a crew for the Youth America's Cup next summer, in Naples, Italy. “And looking at the longer-term vision, it’s really, really exciting to think about the next generation of talent being nurtured -- both male and female -- for the Youth America’s Cup and the Women’s AC in 2029 and beyond.
The thirteen sailors have been carefully selected to meet all three of these goals and the broader vision of the APP. The introduction of a two-year America’s Cup cycle now means that some of the sailors selected for AC38 in 2027 will still be young enough to qualify as Youth for AC39. It’s an exciting prospect that means that by AC40 there will be sailors available to the Senior Team who have already experienced two America’s Cup cycles.
Now add in the fact that the new race format for the America’s Cup Preliminary Regattas has the Senior America’s Cup teams – packed with superstar sailors – competing alongside the combined Women & Youth teams. It all adds up to an unbelievable prospect for these young sailors.
Youth Squad member Sam Webb commented, “I think my first memory is watching the big cats on San Francisco harbour…” -- that was AC34, an event won by Athena’s Team Principal Ben Ainslie -- “and as I've watched over the years,” continued Webb, “I've become more interested in the technical aspects and the racing.
“I think it's a really exciting time for the Cup, especially as a young person, I'm really excited about the opportunities that are arising at the moment with the Cup happening every two years.”