Yacht Racing Life Podcast

Covered in this episode:

* How great it was to return to Valencia / memories of America’s Cup events of old / thronged with UK visitors there to see SailGP

* The local taxi drivers’ opinions on the size of the crowds

* The problems of covering sailing in light winds and the constraints of a broadcast window

* Magnus pitching (again) for a trial of windward starts

* The perfect positioning of the media centre in Valencia – right at the back of the start box

* Light winds didn’t mean poor racing / the benefits of split fleets / the sailors remain ultra competitive

* How impressive the F50’s big rigs are to be able toi race in seven knots of breeze

* Motorised booster jets yet to be tested

* Justin’s experience with Russell Coutts in the press conference

* British Olympic medallist John Gimson gets some wheel time for the Swedish team

* The Spanish sparkled on Saturday and crashed out on Sunday

* How the Italians surprised everyone – including themselves?

* A stellar performance in Sunday’s single fleet race from the Americans

* Backed up by a smash and grab win in the final

* The British were better but not good enough

* The Australians had to settle for second, but will have gone home happy

* Time to make a decision on the Middle East events

* Geneva is up next – will there be any wind?

Covered in this episode:

* What a great venue Sassnitz is – despite the wind holes on Sunday

* Is Giles Scott’s renaissance in SailGP linked to his new job at the US America’s Cup team?

* The Australians had to fight to make the event final – but they dominated once they got there

* The increasing influence of the off-the-water coaches on the on-water plays

* The Australians and Spanish look like certainties to make the Season 6 Grand Final – if there is one – but who might join them?

* Artemis sailed well but missed out on the final – and what about that tight upwind call with the Canadians?

* Why Diego Botín and Florian Trittel probably enjoyed the Monday morning coffee and croissants at the French AC team base more than Quentin Delapierre and Leigh McMillan

* The mystery of the Italians’ continuing underperformance

* What are we going to do about Brazil?

* How much do we appreciate Erik Heil’s refreshingly honest interview answers?

* Has the shine come off the Americans’ season?

* Harry Melges makes his first SailGP appearance – but not on the wheel

* Despite a so-so performance in Sassnitz, the British moved up a place in the overall standings – but can they somehow revive their early season sparkle and mount a challenge for the Season 6 Grand Final (if there is one)

* Magnus shares rumours of both the British SailGP team and the league itself being on the market

* What was the short-lived SailGP email survey all about?

* How long will SailGP wait before making a call on whether the event in Dubai and the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi are going ahead

* Next up is a debut event for Valencia, Spain

I have long been an admirer of Paul’s achievements across the Olympics, America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race, but what has particularly impressed me is his longevity at the very top end of some of yacht racing’s most competitive classes. In 2025 he won his second Star World Championship victory – a remarkable 37 years after his first in 1988. Then, earlier this year, he won the Etchells world title, too.

In what turned out to be a more than 90 minute conversation, Paul talks us through his illustrious sailing career: from his introduction to the sport at age eight, to his early successes, and his inevitable transition to professional sailing.

As well as his AC and around-the-world exploits, he also reflects on his Olympic experiences, including being an alternate in 1984 and competing in the Star class in 2004.

We talk about the physical and mental demands of sailing, his current fitness regimen, the importance of teamwork and strategy in his career, and mull over the evolution and challenges of sailing, and find out why he laments the shift from traditional sailing to more spectacle-driven competitions like SailGP, which prioritize speed and spectacle over strategy and teamwork.

Paul also highlights the camaraderie he enjoys so much in the Star class and mourns the loss of keelboat sailing in the Olympics. We also discuss his role at America One Racing, an initiative focused on youth development and Olympic preparation, with a $5 million annual budget.

All this and much more…

Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley dissect a storming weekend of high-performance sail racing at the Portsmouth, UK SailGP event.

Justin Chisholm is joined once again by fellow British sailing journalist Magnus Wheatley as the duo talk through the action from the two-day Canadian SailGP Grand Prix in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which saw the league’s full thirteen-boat contingent race in split fleets for the first time in a full regatta.

The weather gods looking down on the harbour in Halifax might not have made things easy for SailGP race director Iain Murray and his team, but this weekend’s seventh event of Season 6 produced some great split-fleet racing – and culminated in an exciting four-way event final that saw Diego Botín’s Spanish Los Gallos take their first event win of this season ahead of Artemis (SWE), Explora Journeys Swiss, and the overall season leaders the BONDS Flying Roos.

As well as diving into a few of the team performances that caught our eye, Magnus and Justin also talk through the key moments of the event, and try to work out what the re-shuffled standings at the top of the leaderboard mean for the rest of the season and the run-in to the Season 6 Grand Final this November.

British sailor Alan Roberts has been based in France now for several years as part of his quest to find a financial backer to help him make his dream of participating in the Vendée Globe solo around-the-world race. A talented dinghy sailor with a raft of British national titles to his name – as well as two victories in the prestigious 'champion of champions' Endeavour Trophy – Roberts has also carved out an impressive reputation in the highly competitive French offshore scene in and around its epicentre, Lorient. He made his mark on the Solitaire du Figaro circuit with multiple podium finishes, and has also won the Vivi Trophy for the best international competitor. Since then he has been a regular face on top crewed campaigns on the IMOCA circuit – including last year's second edition of The Ocean Race Europe – and in the world of the monster-sized Ultim multihulls.

Image © Anne Beauge / Biotherm / The Ocean Race   

New York did not deliver the weekend that SailGP was hoping for. No practice racing on Friday due to the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship blocking the craning-in area, only three boats racing on Saturday due to high winds preventing the rest of the fleet being launched, and another major crash on the final fleet race on Sunday that put the on-form American team out of the event final.

Justin and Magnus pore over the events of the weekend – including a much improved performance from Giles Scott's Canadian NorthStar crew, disappointment for Diego Botín's Spanish Los Gallos who were sidelined on Sunday due to technical issues – and break down the action from what turned out to be a great event final where Tom Slingsby's BONDS Flying Roos out smarted Dylan Fletcher's Emirates Team GBR to take their third consecutive regatta win.

Image © Ricardo Pinto / SailGP

Bermuda Delivers for SailGP

Host: Justin Chisholm
Guest: Magnus Wheatley

Episode Summary

Justin and Magnus review SailGP's Bermuda event, widely considered a much-needed reset for the series. With flat water and consistent breeze, Bermuda delivered strong racing — and a dominant performance from the Australian team.

Key Topics

Australia's Dominance Tom Slingsby and the Australian team extended their series lead with a commanding performance. Magnus credits the arrival of Ian Jensen as a transformative signing, freeing Slingsby to focus on tactics and race management. Australia's race six start on Sunday was singled out as a particular masterclass.

Spain's Challenge Spain were the closest rivals to Australia, showing genuine pace and impressive racecraft. Diego Botín and tactician Florian Trittel were praised for excellent layline calls and boat speed. Discussion of whether Spain might choose to keep their current boat rather than take a new one.

Germany Makes the Final A surprise finalist after a strong qualifying series. The team absorbed the loss of Stu Bithell to GBR and integrated Kevin Pepponet from France effectively. Justin and Magnus credit skipper Erik Heil for building a consistent midfield threat.

Great Britain — Better but not 100% GBR recovered from their last-place finish at the previous event to finish fourth, but both hosts note the team doesn't look or sound like their usual selves. Hannah Mills' voice was notably absent from the onboard audio. Still second overall in the championship.

New Zealand's Return The Kiwis are out for the rest of the season standings after their boat was destroyed in a crash (the "repaired" framing in SailGP press releases gets short shrift). Pete Burling is targeting Halifax for a return. Discussion of the development time they've lost and whether a new boat can be brought up to speed quickly.

France's Misfortune Glen Ashby, brought in as a super-sub, suffered a serious leg injury (broken tibia and fibula) crossing the boat on Saturday, putting France out of the event. Both hosts express sympathy — and note that France's two third places on Sunday show where the team's real level is.

Brazil — Crisis deepening? Dead last in the championship. Magnus raises hard questions about Martine Grael's leadership and whether the program is working. Speculation about Paul Goodison's future with the team.

Switzerland Bouncing Back Justin recently interviewed skipper Sebastian Schneider for the YRL website ("The Only Way Is Up"). After a tough start to the season they had a solid Bermuda event, with their sights set on finishing in the top half of the fleet.

USA — A Team Transformed Stormed Saturday but faded on Sunday. Still fourth overall, and both hosts agree the team's commercial operation is the model for SailGP franchises. Magnus reports spotting a major USA SailGP fan activation in Newport, Rhode Island the previous weekend.

SailGP Format Concerns Magnus raises ongoing questions about the repetitive race format — the opening reach, the top-mark carnage — and draws a comparison with Formula One's introduction of sprint races as a response to stagnation. Bermuda delivered good racing, but structural questions remain.

New York Preview The course location has been moved from last year's Governor's Island area. Both hosts expect flukey, unpredictable conditions that could scramble the standings — good news for midfield teams, potentially disruptive for the form book.

Mentioned in This Episode Tom Slingsby, Ian Jensen, Jason Waterhouse, Ryan Reynolds, Diego Botín, Florian Trittel, Dylan Fletcher, Hannah Mills, Stuart Bithell, Pete Burling, Blair Tuke, Glen Ashby, Nathan Outteridge, Ian Percy, Martine Grael, Paul Goodison, Sebastian Schneider, Mike Buckley, Andrew Campbell, Harry Melges, Kevin Pepponet, Kai Lenny, Jimmy Spithill

Links

• Justin's interview with Sebastian Schneider / Switzerland: [YachtRacingLife.com]
• Magnus's Bermuda blog post: [Rule69blog.com]

Justin Chisholm is joined by fellow British sailing pundit Magnus Wheatley to mull over SailGP's first ever event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Tom Slingsby's Australian BONDS Flying Roos made a spectacular return to winning form.

During the episode the pair discuss:

– the Australians' impressively consistent scoreline that saw them finish in the top three in all but one race over the weekend, including four straight wins on the Sunday
– Black Foils skipper Peter Burling's stellar performance in the commentary booth back in London where he proved surprisingly engaging, articulate, and insightful   
– some slick sailing by the Swedish Season 6 newcomers Artemis Racing who made it to their first event final, but had to settle for third
– how the newly-purchased Spanish Los Gallos syndicate continued to impress over the two days to finish second overall
– another credible result for Taylor Canfield's American outfit who finished the Rio event in fourth and maintain their third place in the overall Season 6 rankings
– flashes of promise from both Phil Robertson's Red Bull Italy crew and Nicolai Sehested's Danish ROCKWOOL Racing
– more disappointing results for Giles Scott's Canadian NorthStar crew and from Sébastien Schneiter's Switzerland

Justin Chisholm sits down with British yachtsman Chris Draper to discuss his move to join the America’s Cup defender Emirates Team New Zealand and life inside one of the most successful teams in modern sailing.

Draper, an Olympic 49er bronze medallist and veteran of multiple Cup campaigns, explains why he chose to step away from the America’s Cup after Bermuda and how a renewed passion for the event drew him back in. He talks candidly about relocating his family to Auckland, the decision-making process behind joining the Kiwi team, and why the opportunity proved impossible to turn down.

The conversation offers a rare insight into the inner workings of Team New Zealand, from the depth of knowledge within the organisation to the culture of efficiency and collective purpose that underpins its success. Draper also reflects on his evolving role within the team, combining sailing, performance input and mentoring the next generation of talent.

On the water, Draper shares his perspective on the latest generation of AC75 foiling monohulls, the scale of technological development since the AC72 era, and the realities of sailing these complex, high-speed boats. He also discusses the removal of cyclors, the introduction of new crew roles, and what these changes mean for the dynamics of an America’s Cup team.

Looking ahead, Draper gives his view on where the next Cup will be won and lost, suggesting that tighter performance margins will place greater emphasis on execution, teamwork and racecraft.

This is a interesting, behind-the-scenes look at life inside the defender, and a timely insight into how the Kiwi's latest America’s Cup campaign is evolving.