This week 12 teams were announced to take part in the second Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. The regattas will take place during the 35th America’s Cup from June 12 to 16, followed by the finals scheduled for June 20 to 21.

So what is the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup?

Introduced in 2013 to identify outstanding sailing talent and provide a potential pathway to an America’s Cup career, the teams actually sail the same AC45s used in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series events. It will feature the best youth sailors in the world aged 19 to 25.

Each America’s Cup team has a youth team from the same country they represent, aside from Team BDA, who are affiliated with Oracle Team USA. Oracle are also mentoring the United States youth team.

An extensive trials process took place worldwide to identify the teams that will compete alongside the six teams affiliated to the America’s Cup teams, overseen by Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher, sports directors of the regatta.

More than 20 teams registered for the selection process, and the final six have now been confirmed, making a total fleet of 12 teams to compete in June. The teams who will be competing are: Candidate Sailing Team, Austria; Team BDA, Bermuda; Youth Viking Denmark; Team France Jeune; Next Generation — Team Germany; Land Rover BAR Academy, Great Britain; Kaijin Team Japan; NZL Sailing Team, New Zealand; Spanish Impulse Team, Spain; Artemis Youth Racing, Sweden; Team Tilt, Switzerland; Next Generation USA.

The teams will announce their six-person rosters in May, ahead of qualification when two groups of teams with a maximum of six boats each will sail for a spot in the finals. The top four teams from each group will take part in the eight-boat battle for top honours.

“So far, eight sailors from the 2013 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup have found positions on America’s Cup boats, including Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who were on the Kiwi team that won the first Red Bull Youth America’s Cup,” Hagara said.

“They went on to become Olympic champions and earn positions on Emirates Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup. It’s going to be exciting to see the racing this time around with the added dimension and speed of foiling.”