Yacht Racing Life Podcast

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.

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 ocean-going multihull.

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 move into high-performance foiling racing; its key role in developing new sailing talent, and plans to expand into new territories, like Saudi Arabia. 
Image © Ian Roman / WMRT