Yacht Racing Life Podcast

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 Sa...

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 car...

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 po...

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 the...

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,...

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 eve...

Justin Chisholm’s guest is Sebastien Sainson – design director of the French Gitana Team, that recently launched the latest generation Maxi Edmund de Rothschild Ultim trimaran – Gitana 18. After a guided tour of this truly spectacular boat on the dock outside the Gitana team base in Lorient Justin sat down with Sebastien to find out more about the innovation that has gone into this remarkable ocea...

On the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast I'm joined by James Pleasance – executive director of the World Match Racing Tour to discuss the history, evolution, and future of one of sailing's most iconic competitions. During our chat we examine: how the tour has managed to constantly adapt over its more than 20-year history; how it has somehow stayed relevant – despite the America's Cup...

On the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast Justin Chisholm is joined once again by fellow British yachting journalist Magnus Wheatley to chew over the goings on at the third event of SailGP Season 6, which took place in Sydney, Australia over the past weekend. The racing may not have been as adrenaline-fuelled as the previous two events, but despite the uncharacteristic drifting condit...

On the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast I'm joined by Danish SailGP skipper Nicolai Sehested from the ROCKWOOL Racing Team for a catch-up on the Danish team's journey since joining SailGP back in 2020 at the start of the international circuit's second season.  The pair discuss how SailGP has evolved over that period and touch on the performance upgrades the sailors have experienced...

Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley discuss the recent SailGP regatta in Auckland, New Zealand, which was marred by a serious collision between the Kiwi and French teams. They delve into the implications of the crash, safety concerns in the league, and the need for changes in race formats. The hosts analyze team performances, including the Americans, French, Australians, Italians, and the Spanish,...

Guest presenter Matt Sheahan from the PlanetSail website catches up with British ocean racing yachtswoman Dee Caffari just over a week since she and the all-women crew aboard The Famous Project CIC 103-foot long trimaran completed a tortuous nonstop lap of the planet. The Famous Project crew made it around in just under 58 days and although that’s well outside the new 40 day record just set by Tho...

In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast, host Justin Chisholm speaks with navigator Will Oxley about his recent experience racing the foil-assisted superyacht Raven in a transatlantic race. They discuss the design and features of the boat, the challenges faced during the race, the crew's considerable around-the-world experience, and the significance of their achievements. Oxley shares ins...

In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast, British sailing journalists Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley dive into the thrilling opening event of SailGP Season 6 which took place in Perth, Australia over the weekend.  During their chat the pair break down the racing action from the event’s two days of wild and windy conditions and highlight the standout performances from overall winners E...

Successful dinghy sailor Phil Kennard shares his journey from Olympic campaigning to his roles in Formula One and the PGA Tour, before returning to the world of sailing with SailGP as CEO of the Canadian team NorthStar.

In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast, hosts Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley discuss the final SailGP event of the season held in Abu Dhabi. They analyze the challenges faced by the sailors during the racing, particularly the light wind conditions, and highlight the technological advancements that have allowed for racing in such conditions.  The conversation shifts to team performan...

Justin Chisholm's guest this time is British triple-Olympic medallist Ian Percy, CEO of Artemis Technologies and the newly announced Swedish Artemis SailGP team – which will be skippered by Nathan Outteridge in Season 6 of the global high-performance circuit. During their chat the pair discuss Iain's role at Artemis Technologies, the reasons for Artemis joining SailGP, his thoughts on the relative...

Justin Chisholm's guest is British dinghy sailor Andrew Mills, a past Olympic campaigner in the Finn class who recently won the International OK World Championship after topping a fleet of 212 boats during a week-long series on Lake Garda, Italy. Anyone looking for tips on how to put together a major championship campaign of their own, will find plenty of interest in what is discussed during the i...

I sit down with USA SailGP team boss Mike Buckley for a frank and open chat about his experience of leading a team in SailGP, including: the importance of resilience and thick skin; the team’s challenges on the water; the impact of bringing in new sailors; the fundamental difference between America’s Cup and SailGP teams; and his plans for the team’s medium and long-term future.

In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast Justin Chisholm is joined by the Rule69Blog’s Magnus Wheatley to unpack a light-air weekend of racing at the SailGP event in Cádiz, Spain . Justin was on site for practice and day one before watching Sunday’s action on replay. The verdict: a picturesque venue and big crowds, yet a regatta that often turned into starting practice in marginal breeze a...

Justin Chisholm sits down with Vicky Low, CEO of The Magenta Project , to unpack how a volunteer-driven idea born out of the Team SCA all-women campaign in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 has evolved into one of the sport’s most effective engines for getting more women into sailing. From Team SCA to a Global Movement Magenta began when the Team SCA squad realised that, post-campaign, very few of the...

On the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Podcast Justin Chisholm quizzes Australian Olympian, two-time America’s Cup winner, and current wind-powered land speed record holder Glenn Ashby about his role as rig designer for the Ferrari Hypersail project.

Justin and Magnus Wheatley give an honest appraisal of a tricky weekend in Geneva: beautiful setting, ultra-light winds, and racing that was “mostly non-foiling”—at times dull for viewers and deeply frustrating for the crews. The bright spot was Germany’s breakthrough: the team reached their first event final and converted it into a maiden SailGP win. After finishes of 9-7-5 on day one, they surge...

In the latest Yacht Racing Life Podcast , host Justin Chisholm and regular guest Magnus Wheatley dissect the SailGP regatta held in Saint-Tropez, a weekend dominated by tricky conditions, new technical challenges, and some standout performances. The French event saw Mistral winds wiped out Friday’s practice and cancel Sunday’s racing, leaving Saturday’s four races to decide the outcome. The Britis...

The America’s Cup has entered a bold new era with the release of the Protocol for the 38th edition, and it’s nothing short of revolutionary. A new governing body — the America’s Cup Partnership — will run the event, promising continuity, a two-year cycle, and more transparency than ever before. Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record Athena Racing have given up traditional pow...