Following the announcement that sailing would be making its debut at the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games, Australian Sailing is pleased to share the most recent updates on the event and how sailors can get involved.

The 2027 Games will be held on the Mellieħa Bay on the northeast coast of the main island of Malta from 29 October to 4 November, providing an exciting new opportunity for Australia’s young sailors to represent their country in a multi-sport Games environment.

The sailing events to be contested at Malta 2027 have been confirmed by the Commonwealth Youth Games organisers and will comprise competition in the Optimist and ILCA 4 classes across four individual events:

• Men’s Optimist
• Women’s Optimist
• Men’s ILCA 4
• Women’s ILCA 4

These events will be contested across two age eligibility categories. The Optimist events are for sailors aged 14-15 years, while the ILCA 4 events are for sailors aged 14-17 years (ages as of 31 December 2027).

The final number of Australian sailors to be nominated for the Games will be determined through the athlete allocation process managed by Commonwealth Games Australia. Subject to final allocation, Australia expects to nominate up to one sailor in each event.

Australian Sailing is currently working with Commonwealth Games Australia to finalise the Nomination and Selection Criteria for the sailing team, which are expected to be published later this year.

While the final selection policy has not yet been confirmed, interested parties should be aware that the 2027 Australian Optimist Championships at Royal Brighton Yacht Club (2-9 January 2027) and the 2027 Australian ILCA 4 Championships at Sandringham Yacht Club (1-8 January 2027) are expected to be the selection events for the nomination process. These National Championship events will provide the primary performance reference points for sailors seeking nomination, with final details to be confirmed once the Nomination & Selection Criteria are published.

Australian Sailing looks forward to working with Commonwealth Games Australia, class associations, clubs, coaches and sailors as preparations for the Games progress. A dedicated Malta 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games webpage will be established on the Australian Sailing website as further information becomes available, with updates also shared through our social media channels.