The event had been scheduled to take place from December 12 to 19 in Salvador.

World Sailing's Board and the Brazilian Sailing Confederation agreed to cancel the event in anticipation of global travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was also taken to ensure the health and well-being of athletes, coaches, parents, officials and suppliers, World Sailing said.

This year's World Championships would have been the 50th edition of the youth sailing competition, which was first held in Sweden in 1971.

The competition has been held annually since, with 2020 set to mark the first time the event has not been staged during a calendar year.

World Sailing said it was discussing with the Brazilian Sailing Confederation about the possibility of hosting the event in the country at the earliest opportunity.

Next year's Youth Sailing World Championships will take place at The Hague in the Netherlands during July.

Numerous World Sailing events have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis, which has forced both postponements and cancellation of several events across sport.

More than 4.4 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

More than 298,000 deaths have been reported to date.