SDAT 11th India International Youth Sailing Championship 2026 set to sail in Chennai

Chennai will once again take centre stage on the international sailing calendar as the SDAT 11th India International Youth Sailing Championship (IIR) 2026 gets underway from January 4-10 at Chennai Port.

India’s longest-running international youth sailing regatta will feature 117 sailors from 13 countries, 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).

Organised under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India (YAI) and the Asian Sailing Federation, and hosted by the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association (TNSA) with the support of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), the event reinforces Chennai’s reputation as the country’s premier sailing destination.

The championship was officially launched at a press conference in Chennai attended by Dr Atulya Misra, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, and Thiru J Meganatha Reddy, IAS, Member Secretary, SDAT, along with senior sailing officials and leading athletes.

Speaking at the launch, the dignitaries highlighted Tamil Nadu’s growing dominance in sailing and the state government’s continued investment in water sports. Two new Sailing Centres of Excellence at Marina Beach, Chennai, and Ramanathapuram were announced under SDAT’s TN Olympic Water Sports Vision, aimed at nurturing future Olympic talent.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Misra and Thiru Meganatha Reddy highlighted Tamil Nadu’s dominance in sailing and reiterated the Government’s commitment to water sports development. They announced the establishment of two state-of-the-art Sailing Centres of Excellence at Marina Beach and at Ramanathapuram under SDAT’s Tamil Nadu Olympic Water Sports Vision.

TNSA emphasised the regatta’s international legacy as a vital development platform for under-18 sailors. Over the years, IIR alumni have gone on to achieve global success, including Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Isaac McHardy, two-time Olympian and U23 49er World Champion Sean Waddilove, U23 49er silver medallist Paddy Crosbie and renowned Irish Optimist coach Peter Fagan.

Veteran Irish sailing coach Thomas Chaix, associated with the regatta since 2011, said, “IIR is something different, a lifelong memory and a special chapter in a sailor’s journey — and a great excuse for coaches to reunite with friends.”

All races will be streamed live worldwide on the official YouTube channels @IndiaInternationalRegatta and @SportsTamilNadu (SDAT’s youtube channel).