The Australian Sailing Team (AST) has released its Selection Guidelines for the 2027 World Sailing Championships and the LA 2028 Olympic Sailing Test Event, to be held in 2027 with Expressions of Interest (EOI) now open for eligible athletes.  

For the first time, the World Sailing Championships will be delivered across two separate regattas. The one-person Olympic events will take place in Fortaleza, Brazil in January 2027, while the two-person events will be held in Gdynia, Poland in July 2027.  

Whilst World Sailing has circulated the dates for these Championships, there is some potential for alterations following the 2026 Test Events in both Fortaleza and Gdynia. Any updates will be communicated by the AST utilising a public announcement(s) and via team socials. 

These championships represent the first opportunity for nations to qualify quota places for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Due to the limited athlete quotas allocated to each nation, a formal selection policy is required to determine which athletes will represent Australia.  

“The World Sailing Championships are a defining moment in the Olympic cycle,” said AST High Performance Director Iain Brambell.  

“Our responsibility is to select athletes who are performing at the highest level that gives Australia the best possible chance to secure 2028 Olympic Games quota places and best positions the team for podium success in LA 2028 . These guidelines set clear expectations around performance while also allowing us to make informed selection decisions.”  

In addition to the World Sailing Championships policy, the AST has also released the Selection Guidelines for the LA 2028 Olympic Test Event. The Olympic Test Event, which will be held in 2027 is expected to be conducted across the two Olympic sailing venues in Long Beach and San Pedro, providing athletes with an opportunity to compete at the LA 2028 Olympic Games sites.  

The Selection Guidelines were drafted by the AST management in consultation with National Squad coaches and were provided to the AST Athlete Leadership Group for review and feedback as part of the guidelines' development process.  

Each of the Selection Guidelines contain a copy of the IOC's recently published LA2028 Qualification System for Sailing. This qualification system includes event dates and locations that are still to be confirmed (i.e. Continental Qualification regattas, etc.) and therefore updates to this document will be communicated by the AST utilising a public announcement(s) and via team socials.

These guidelines form part of the AST’s preparation for LA 2028, where the program strives for consistent medal race performances, with the ultimate aim of winning Olympic gold medals at LA 2028 and future Olympic Games.  

The Selection Guidelines, the Expression of Interest forms and any updates are published on the AST website and can be found here. Athletes seeking consideration for selection must submit an Expression of Interest by the published deadline dates.