HAIKOU, China - The 2017 Youth Sailing World Championships, the 47th edition of the kind, will kick off from Dec 9 to 16 in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, organizers said here on Monday.

As the premier event in youth sailing, more than 400 sailors from over 60 countries and regions are expected to compete on the waters off Hainan Island.

The Youth Worlds was first held in Sweden in 1971.

The most successful youth world champions are Britain's Sally Cuthbert and Poland's Zofia Klepacka, who have won four successive titles in the Laser II and Mistral respectively.