It all started with a casual conversation in Pornichet, France, between the former chairman of the Match Racing Committee Henry Menin (USA) and Gerard Bosse (FRA). They talked about how difficult it has been for younger racers to get experience and move up the ranks up onto the Tour.

On December 28, 2010, the Match Racing Committee created a Task Force, called the Youth MR Development Task Force, with the objective of coming up with a proposal to develop youth match racing and a world championship.

Jane Correia (BER) was named chair of the Task Force. Members were Annie Lush (GBR) and Yana Dobzhitskaya (RUS). The Task Force consulted frequently with Harold Bennet (NZL), Dave Perry (USA), Cathy MacAleavey (IRL) from the Youth and Development Committee) and Liz Baylis (USA).

In November 2011, Yana Dobzhitskaya became the chair of the Task Force, and its members included Dave Perry, Harold Bennett, Annie Lush, Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN), Walter Cavalucci (ITA) and Jakob Gustafsson (SWE).

In 2012, the following Mission Statement of the Task Force was adopted: To foster the development of match racing among older youth and young adult sailors (target ages 16-22) around the world to help keep them developing and active in the sport by providing a pathway into organized adult match racing, and helping them learn skills that will be useful to them and to fellow sailors during their sailing lives.

An informal match racing event was held on the reserve day at the 2012 Youth World Championship in Dublin, Ireland, and the sailors enjoyed it.

In August 2012 the Match Racing Committee submitted a proposal for an Youth Match Racing World Championship.

The reasons given for the submission was:

There are an increasing number of national, continental and regional youth match racing championships. A World Youth Match Racing Championship is needed to bring together the best youth match racers from around the world who are competing in this discipline. The authorization of the World Youth Match Racing Championship as a World Sailing event which will help to develop match racing among youth sailors around the world, to recognize their skills in match racing and to keep them active and developing in match racing by providing a pathway into organized adult match racing, and helping them learn skill that will be useful to them and to fellow sailors during their sailing lives.

The submission was passed to Council who understood that match racing is popular worldwide and increasing annually.

The event was born.