I recently discovered many of my early results preserved on a website maintained by New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association. It was fascinating to study these long forgotten races, and it was a reminder of how important sailing was to me as a junior competitor. The experience of browsing through my own past coincided with an exhaustive look into the performances of more than 300 junior sailors as I finalized my 2012 Jobson Junior All-Star selections. Narrowing the field was a Herculean task, but I’m excited to present a new group of talented sailors, all making my list for the first time. So long as these seven sailors keep at it, our sport is in good hands.

Bradley Adam, 17, of East Greenwich, R.I., sails for the Rocky Hill School and the East Greenwich YC. He sails his Club 420 constantly and is always near the front of the East Coast’s biggest fleets. His regular crew is Chas MacBain, but he’s also sailed with Matt Coughlin and Emily Vasiliou. Adam’s 2011 highlights include winning the New Bedford Regatta against 87 boats, the Falmouth Regatta (64 boats), and Marblehead Junior Race Week (57 boats). Adam credits his father for being the most influential person in building his sailing career. He also competes on Rocky Hill’s cross-country team and finds the mental aspect of both his sports to be significant and similar. He hopes to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the fall of 2012 and join the sailing team.

When asked if he had an embarrassing moment he was willing to share, he said, “I was flagged by the on-the-water judges during the Optimist New England Champs a few years ago, and the video ended up on the Internet.”

Zack Downing, 16, is from Encinitas, Calif., and sails out of the San Diego YC. He is a junior at The Bishop’s School, where he competes on the top-ranked sailing team. Like many Southern California sailors before him, Downing cut his teeth in the Naples Sabot. Today, he races a 29er with crew Andrew Cates. They won the 155-boat 29er European Championship. Downing also races Etchells and Melges 24s with his father.

Graham Biehl, who crewed for Stuart McNay in the 470 at the 2008 Olympics, coached Downing and Cates at the European 29er regatta and has been a major help with their development. “Graham is a phenomenal coach,” says Downing. “He taught Andrew and me everything, from how to sail the 29er  to how to perform at a major regatta.” Looking to the future, Downing plans to race in college and campaign a 49er.

Paris Henken, 15, is a member of California’s Coronado YC. Henken and crew Connor Kelter, 16, from Newport Harbor (Calif.) YC, won the 29er Youth Championships last summer. “We’ve sailed together for two years. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am now,” says Henken. Her brother, Hans Henken, crewed for her at the 29er European Championships in Switzerland, where they finished fourth in the Gold Fleet. The brother-sister team also won the 29erXX class at Kiel Week and the German National Championships on Lake Walchensee. She credits several top sailors with helping her development, including Charlie McKee, Chris Rast, Kristen Lane, and her brother Hans. The 2016 Olympic Games will feature a co-ed multihull and women’s skiff disciplines. Henken could be a strong contender in either.

When not sailing, Henken skis competitively. “[The two sports] are comparable when it comes to equipment, mental preparation, and commitment,” she says. “Before a ski race, you make sure your skis are waxed and tuned. You also must know the conditions. Sailing is the same, because your equipment must be tuned correctly for the wind.”

Henken is a high-school sophomore and hasn’t started looking at colleges seriously. “I might like to attend Stanford like my brother or do something different and attend a college on the East Coast. Either way, I really want to sail in college.”