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 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