This month, another two part podcast sees Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup powerhouse Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona as they prepare to Challenge for the 37th America's Cup.As the only team to have ever launched a successful challenge to the America's Cup at first attempt, they're also the only European team to have ever won it, but for over a decade Swiss America's Cup syndicate Alinghi have been waiting, watching, following developments.  And now, they are back, relaunched as Alinghi Red Bull Racing, and already well established in the host city of Barcelona.  In this month's podcast, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson visits the Swiss team and talks to several key players, to hear just what it is about AC37 that has rekindled interest, and to look at how one of the most successful Cup teams of the modern era is launching a bid to reclaim the illusive silver ware.In Part One Robertson chats to principal helm, Arnaud Psarofaghis and to Sailing team manager Pierre Yves Jorand, then in this, the second part of the podcast, she kicks things off with Yves Detrey, Alinghi team veteran and winner of the Cup with the Swiss syndicate in 2003 and 2007.  The pair share memories of the Cup wins, in a conversation that takes in the immensity of those Cup victories at home in Switzerland, as well as the challenges to overcome in the new Cup arena. Robertson also talks AC75 design with America's Cup naval architect Adolfo Carrau from Botin Partners, the design house of choice for Alinghi Red Bull Racing.  Driving the design team for American Magic in the last Cup, Carrau's discussion on the evolution of the second generation AC75s will leave the listeners impatient for a glimpse of the new boats.  This edition is then wrapped up with team board member Brad Butterworth, a key component of the Swiss syndicate since the earliest days of campaigning.  Butterworth, as ever, has interesting views on key aspects of this Cup cycle, including the nationality rule, the other Challengers, and collaboration with Formula One teams.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.comSupport the show

This month, another two part podcast sees Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup powerhouse Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona as they prepare to Challenge for the 37th America's Cup. As the only team to have ever launched a successful challenge to the America's Cup at first attempt, they're also the only European team to have ever won it, but for over a decade Swiss America's Cup syndicate Alinghi have been waiting, watching, following developments.  And now, they are back, relaunched as Alinghi Red Bull Racing, and already well established in the host city of Barcelona.  In this month's podcast, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson visits the Swiss team and talks to several key players, to hear just what it is about AC37 that has rekindled interest, and to look at how one of the most successful Cup teams of the modern era is launching a bid to reclaim the illusive silver ware. In Part One Robertson chats to principal helm, Arnaud Psarofaghis and to Sailing team manager Pierre Yves Jorand, then in this, the second part of the podcast, she kicks things off with Yves Detrey, Alinghi team veteran and winner of the Cup with the Swiss syndicate in 2003 and 2007.  The pair share memories of the Cup wins, in a conversation that takes in the immensity of those Cup victories at home in Switzerland, as well as the challenges to overcome in the new Cup arena. Robertson also talks AC75 design with America's Cup naval architect Adolfo Carrau from Botin Partners, the design house of choice for Alinghi Red Bull Racing.  Driving the design team for American Magic in the last Cup, Carrau's discussion on the evolution of the second generation AC75s will leave the listeners impatient for a glimpse of the new boats.  This edition is then wrapped up with team board member Brad Butterworth, a key component of the Swiss syndicate since the earliest days of campaigning.  Butterworth, as ever, has interesting views on key aspects of this Cup cycle, including the nationality rule, the other Challengers, and collaboration with Formula One teams. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep12 - Alinghi Red Bull Racing Part 2

This month, Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup powerhouse Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona as they prepare to Challenge for the 37th America's Cup.They're the only team to have ever launched a successful challenge to the America's Cup at first attempt, and the only European team to have ever won it, but for over a decade Swiss America's Cup syndicate Alinghi have been waiting, watching, following developments.  And now, they are back, relaunched as Alinghi Red Bull Racing, and already well established in the host city of Barcelona.  In this month's podcast, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson visits the Swiss team and talks to several key players, to hear just what it is about AC37 that has rekindled interest, and to look at how one of the most successful Cup teams of the modern era is launching a bid to reclaim the illusive silver ware.Robertson starts the two part podcast with the team's principle helm, Arnaud Psarofaghis.  No stranger to racing fast foiling yachts, Psarofaghis is visibly excited at the development process of a Cup campaign, as the pair discuss the way the team have learned to sail their first generation AC75...:"When you are on the boat, you start to accelerate, 12 knots, 14 knots, 15 knots, and it's incredible because the boat is big, noisy, it's quite a brutal environment, and I remember the first time we got to take off speed and suddenly there is a moment of silence.  Nothing is happening...you feel like it's a dinghy...you have that moment of joy for ten seconds, and then you come back to reality!"Sailing team manager Pierre Yves Jorand then discusses the challenges ahead for the team, as well as revealing the process that saw Alinghi owner Ernest Bertarelli re-enter the America's Cup arena...:"We were listening, we were watching the America's Cup, we were reading the protocols and Ernesto (Bertarelli) always said that once the protocol will be right, we'll be back. A couple of years ago he mentioned the America's Cup is like climbing Everest, and to be successful you need a good forecast.  And for us the weather forecast is the protocol, and this time, the protocol seems to be fair, and we decided to come back.  We are super excited to be back."In Part 2 of this edition, Robertson talks to Yves Detrey, Alinghi team veteran and winner of the Cup with the Swiss syndicate in 2003 and 2007, she talks AC75 design with America's Cup naval architect Adolfo Carrau from Botin Partners, the design house of choice for Alinghi Red Bull Racing.  and she wraps things up with team board member Brad Butterworth, a key component of the Swiss syndicate since the earliest days of campaigning.  This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.comSupport the show

This month, Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup powerhouse Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona as they prepare to Challenge for the 37th America's Cup. They're the only team to have ever launched a successful challenge to the America's Cup at first attempt, and the only European team to have ever won it, but for over a decade Swiss America's Cup syndicate Alinghi have been waiting, watching, following developments.  And now, they are back, relaunched as Alinghi Red Bull Racing, and already well established in the host city of Barcelona.  In this month's podcast, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson visits the Swiss team and talks to several key players, to hear just what it is about AC37 that has rekindled interest, and to look at how one of the most successful Cup teams of the modern era is launching a bid to reclaim the illusive silver ware. Robertson starts the two part podcast with the team's principle helm, Arnaud Psarofaghis.  No stranger to racing fast foiling yachts, Psarofaghis is visibly excited at the development process of a Cup campaign, as the pair discuss the way the team have learned to sail their first generation AC75...: "When you are on the boat, you start to accelerate, 12 knots, 14 knots, 15 knots, and it's incredible because the boat is big, noisy, it's quite a brutal environment, and I remember the first time we got to take off speed and suddenly there is a moment of silence.  Nothing is happening...you feel like it's a dinghy...you have that moment of joy for ten seconds, and then you come back to reality!" Sailing team manager Pierre Yves Jorand then discusses the challenges ahead for the team, as well as revealing the process that saw Alinghi owner Ernest Bertarelli re-enter the America's Cup arena...: "We were listening, we were watching the America's Cup, we were reading the protocols and Ernesto (Bertarelli) always said that once the protocol will be right, we'll be back. A couple of years ago he mentioned the America's Cup is like climbing Everest, and to be successful you need a good forecast.  And for us the weather forecast is the protocol, and this time, the protocol seems to be fair, and we decided to come back.  We are super excited to be back." In Part 2 of this edition, Robertson talks to Yves Detrey, Alinghi team veteran and winner of the Cup with the Swiss syndicate in 2003 and 2007, she talks AC75 design with America's Cup naval architect Adolfo Carrau from Botin Partners, the design house of choice for Alinghi Red Bull Racing.  and she wraps things up with team board member Brad Butterworth, a key component of the Swiss syndicate since the earliest days of campaigning.  This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep11 - Alinghi Red Bull Racing Part 1

Dean Barker

This month, Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast hosts one of the sport's most recognisable talents as New Zealand's Dean Barker talks to double Olympic gold medallist Robertson about a career spent chasing the illusive America's Cup.From his formative years growing up in Takapuna, Auckland, Barker was soon sailing at a high level, and was inspired in no small part by the likes of Russell Coutts and the generation of remarkably talented New Zealand sailors making their presence felt on the global stage.  Barker discusses these early days through to the moment when Russell Coutts asked him to helm the final match of Team New Zealand's successful Cup Defence against Luna Rossa in New Zealand...:"It was quite incredible, it was something that I will never ever forget, just having the chance to be a part of it was pretty special....but to be on the boat when we crossed the finish line...it was a huge weight off the shoulders...it was the first time I had touched the Cup and it was the start of a pursuit of trying to do that again."From that Cup win, Dean Barker would spend two decades chasing the illusive trophy, in a career that would see him gain a reputation as one of the most clinical match racers in the sport.Robertson and Barker discuss many of the key campaigns that have punctuated his career, including his appearance at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and his Match Racing world title.  They wrap up this, the first of two parts, as Dean discusses what his Olympic appearance meant to him personally, and how tough it was to qualify amongst the rich pool of sailing talent from his native New Zealand.In Part 2 the pair inevitably go on to reflect on the remarkable events of San Francisco 2013, a Cup that saw Emirates Team New Zealand concede eight losses in a row against eventual winners Oracle Team USA.  The build up to the 2013 Cup was a remarkable period of development that had seen Barker's Team New Zealand innovate in the extreme, the end result, the fast, powerful fully foiling AC72 that stunned sailing fans across the globe. before also discussing the campaign with American Magic, at home in Auckland, along with a cautionary tale of his fight with colon cancer throughout the build up to that Cup.  This edition of the podcast is another fascinating look into the life of one of the sport of sailing's biggest names, Barker's honesty and sincerity adding significantly to stories from a long and remarkable career.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com.Support the show

This month, Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast hosts one of the sport's most recognisable talents as New Zealand's Dean Barker talks to double Olympic gold medallist Robertson about a career spent chasing the illusive America's Cup. From his formative years growing up in Takapuna, Auckland, Barker was soon sailing at a high level, and was inspired in no small part by the likes of Russell Coutts and the generation of remarkably talented New Zealand sailors making their presence felt on the global stage.  Barker discusses these early days through to the moment when Russell Coutts asked him to helm the final match of Team New Zealand's successful Cup Defence against Luna Rossa in New Zealand...: "It was quite incredible, it was something that I will never ever forget, just having the chance to be a part of it was pretty special....but to be on the boat when we crossed the finish line...it was a huge weight off the shoulders...it was the first time I had touched the Cup and it was the start of a pursuit of trying to do that again." From that Cup win, Dean Barker would spend two decades chasing the illusive trophy, in a career that would see him gain a reputation as one of the most clinical match racers in the sport. Robertson and Barker discuss many of the key campaigns that have punctuated his career, including his appearance at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and his Match Racing world title.  They wrap up this, the first of two parts, as Dean discusses what his Olympic appearance meant to him personally, and how tough it was to qualify amongst the rich pool of sailing talent from his native New Zealand. In Part 2 the pair inevitably go on to reflect on the remarkable events of San Francisco 2013, a Cup that saw Emirates Team New Zealand concede eight losses in a row against eventual winners Oracle Team USA.  The build up to the 2013 Cup was a remarkable period of development that had seen Barker's Team New Zealand innovate in the extreme, the end result, the fast, powerful fully foiling AC72 that stunned sailing fans across the globe. before also discussing the campaign with American Magic, at home in Auckland, along with a cautionary tale of his fight with colon cancer throughout the build up to that Cup.  This edition of the podcast is another fascinating look into the life of one of the sport of sailing's biggest names, Barker's honesty and sincerity adding significantly to stories from a long and remarkable career. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep9 - Dean Barker Part 1

Part 2 of this month's podcast that sees Shirley Robertson talk to one of the sport's most recognisable talents, as New Zealand's Dean Barker reflects on a career spent chasing the illusive America's Cup.In Part 1 the pair discuss his formative years growing up in Takapuna, Auckland, and coming to the attention of Russell Coutts, the helm of a New Zealand team that would go on to successfully challenge and then successfully defend the America's Cup.Part two of the podcast kicks off with chat about the marathon Challenger Series in 2007 which saw Barker helm Team New Zealand to twenty seven wins from thirty two matches, to reach another America's Cup match.  Barker and Robertson then go on to reflect on the remarkable events of San Francisco 2013, a Cup that saw Emirates Team New Zealand concede eight losses in a row against eventual winners Oracle Team USA.  The build up to the 2013 Cup was a remarkable period of development that had seen Barker's Team New Zealand innovate in the extreme, the end result, the fast, powerful fully foiling AC72 that stunned sailing fans across the globe...:"To say the boats were under control would be a massive over statement, they were so hard to manage on that reach across from the start to the turning mark off St Francis Yacht Club...the speeds and the power and everything, and how out of control you felt at times...you're thinking if it goes wrong here, we're going to be picking up pieces off the waterfront here in San Francisco!"The result of the 35th America's Cup is well documented, and is much talked about from many of the protagonists here on Robertson's podcast, but the effect of the very public loss on Dean Barker has been profound, a fact that he discusses with Robertson as he looks back on what was a difficult time.Bringing his career up to the present day, Barker also discusses the campaign with American Magic, at home in Auckland, along with a cautionary tale of his fight with colon cancer throughout the build up to that Cup.  This edition of the podcast is another fascinating look into the life of one of the sport of sailing's biggest names, Barker's honesty and sincerity adding significantly to stories from a long and remarkable career.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com.Support the show

Part 2 of this month's podcast that sees Shirley Robertson talk to one of the sport's most recognisable talents, as New Zealand's Dean Barker reflects on a career spent chasing the illusive America's Cup. In Part 1 the pair discuss his formative years growing up in Takapuna, Auckland, and coming to the attention of Russell Coutts, the helm of a New Zealand team that would go on to successfully challenge and then successfully defend the America's Cup. Part two of the podcast kicks off with chat about the marathon Challenger Series in 2007 which saw Barker helm Team New Zealand to twenty seven wins from thirty two matches, to reach another America's Cup match.  Barker and Robertson then go on to reflect on the remarkable events of San Francisco 2013, a Cup that saw Emirates Team New Zealand concede eight losses in a row against eventual winners Oracle Team USA.  The build up to the 2013 Cup was a remarkable period of development that had seen Barker's Team New Zealand innovate in the extreme, the end result, the fast, powerful fully foiling AC72 that stunned sailing fans across the globe...: "To say the boats were under control would be a massive over statement, they were so hard to manage on that reach across from the start to the turning mark off St Francis Yacht Club...the speeds and the power and everything, and how out of control you felt at times...you're thinking if it goes wrong here, we're going to be picking up pieces off the waterfront here in San Francisco!" The result of the 35th America's Cup is well documented, and is much talked about from many of the protagonists here on Robertson's podcast, but the effect of the very public loss on Dean Barker has been profound, a fact that he discusses with Robertson as he looks back on what was a difficult time. Bringing his career up to the present day, Barker also discusses the campaign with American Magic, at home in Auckland, along with a cautionary tale of his fight with colon cancer throughout the build up to that Cup.  This edition of the podcast is another fascinating look into the life of one of the sport of sailing's biggest names, Barker's honesty and sincerity adding significantly to stories from a long and remarkable career. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep10 - Dean Barker Part 2

Alex Thomson

Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues with Part 2  of the fascinating chat with one of offshore sailing's most active campaigners,  a sailor who's career spans two decades at the highest level of the sport and includes a record equaling five Vendee Globe starts.  Alex Thomson, widely known for his Vendee campaigns sailing a series of iconic Hugo Boss IMOCA, has done much to raise awareness of offshore sailing and with his team, has been responsible for some of the most innovative developments the monohull  IMOCA Class has ever seen.Part 1 of  of Thomson's discussion with Robertson takes in Thomson's remarkable career path, time spent sailing with Sir Robin Knox Johnston and his early Vendee Globe campaigns.In this edition, Thomson talks all about the progression in design and build of the IMOCA Class, the now foiling monohull class that he and his team have been key protagonists in developing over the past twenty years of racing.  The duo also cover Thomson's remaining attempts to win the Vendee Globe, and of course discuss the series of sailing stunts that have netted Thomson millions of views on YouTube, taking in the evolution of the idea, the execution of the stunts themselves and Thomson's desire to bring new audiences to his offshore campaigns are all talked through in this revealing chat...:"Hugo Boss had done a trick shot video with Martin Kymer, the German golfer, and put it on the internet and they told us they had fifty thousand views....and I went back to the team and said 'we've got to come up with an idea, put it on the internet and get more than fifty thousand views'...so we got a couple of suits...shot it....and we put it on the internet and...a million views in a week!."This is a fascinating insight into the career of a man that has spent over two decades chasing a dream to win one of offshore sailing's biggest accolades, he's gone against convention, pushed boundaries of design, and suffered some well publicised failures, but most interestingly in this chat with Robertson, Alex Thomson also suggests that when it comes to trying to win the Vendee Globe, he's not quite done yet.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show

Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues with Part 2  of the fascinating chat with one of offshore sailing's most active campaigners,  a sailor who's career spans two decades at the highest level of the sport and includes a record equaling five Vendee Globe starts.  Alex Thomson, widely known for his Vendee campaigns sailing a series of iconic Hugo Boss IMOCA, has done much to raise awareness of offshore sailing and with his team, has been responsible for some of the most innovative developments the monohull  IMOCA Class has ever seen. Part 1 of  of Thomson's discussion with Robertson takes in Thomson's remarkable career path, time spent sailing with Sir Robin Knox Johnston and his early Vendee Globe campaigns. In this edition, Thomson talks all about the progression in design and build of the IMOCA Class, the now foiling monohull class that he and his team have been key protagonists in developing over the past twenty years of racing.  The duo also cover Thomson's remaining attempts to win the Vendee Globe, and of course discuss the series of sailing stunts that have netted Thomson millions of views on YouTube, taking in the evolution of the idea, the execution of the stunts themselves and Thomson's desire to bring new audiences to his offshore campaigns are all talked through in this revealing chat...: "Hugo Boss had done a trick shot video with Martin Kymer, the German golfer, and put it on the internet and they told us they had fifty thousand views....and I went back to the team and said 'we've got to come up with an idea, put it on the internet and get more than fifty thousand views'...so we got a couple of suits...shot it....and we put it on the internet and...a million views in a week!." This is a fascinating insight into the career of a man that has spent over two decades chasing a dream to win one of offshore sailing's biggest accolades, he's gone against convention, pushed boundaries of design, and suffered some well publicised failures, but most interestingly in this chat with Robertson, Alex Thomson also suggests that when it comes to trying to win the Vendee Globe, he's not quite done yet. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep8 - Alex Thomson Part 2

Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues this month with one of offshore sailing's most active campaigners,  a sailor who's career spans two decades at the highest level of the sport and includes a record equaling five Vendee Globe starts.  Alex Thomson, widely known for his Vendee campaigns sailing a series of iconic Hugo Boss IMOCA, has done much to raise awareness of offshore sailing and with his team, has been responsible for some of the most innovative developments the monohull  IMOCA Class has ever seen.Obviously, much of Thomson's discussion in this two part podcast centres around his various Vendee Globe campaigns, but in this first episode there's much discussion about Thomson's early career path, time spent sailing with Sir Robin Knox Johnston and the result of his time spent with British business tycoon Sir Keith Mills...:"We met at Shoreham airport, we flew to Brest, and he bought me a boat for 1.1million Euros....That level of belief, in me, at that time, was difficult to comprehend really."Thomson is candid about his first campaign, as he is throughout the chat with Robertson, and reveals much about how, along with Sir Keith Mills, they brought Hugo Boss into what would go on to become one of the longest sponsorship partnerships in the sport.Thomson has also had an eventful career that's involved a series of very high profile sinkings and race retirements, not least when keel damage to the original Hugo Boss famously left him floundering deep in the South Atlantic.  But the drama doesn't end with keel damage.Having discussed the cause of a very public falling out with fellow British offshore sailor Mike Golding, "...the next day in the Sunday Times, Mike called me a jumped up little prick!", Thomson discusses how, with his keel dangling uselessly from the hull, the only chance of rescue was of course, with Mike Golding, who pulled off a daring rescue with catastrophic circumstances...:"I was on the boat for about three hours...the wind hit, the boat leaned over, and his mast just collapsed, Mike is standing in the cockpit with his mouth open, and I'm now feeling guilty...I said to Mike, 'I am so sorry..."In the second part of this podcast the chat about Thomson's Vendee campaigns continues, , but there's much discussion about his series of daring stunts that have netted him over 10million views on YouTube alone.  Support the show

Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues this month with one of offshore sailing's most active campaigners,  a sailor who's career spans two decades at the highest level of the sport and includes a record equaling five Vendee Globe starts.  Alex Thomson, widely known for his Vendee campaigns sailing a series of iconic Hugo Boss IMOCA, has done much to raise awareness of offshore sailing and with his team, has been responsible for some of the most innovative developments the monohull  IMOCA Class has ever seen. Obviously, much of Thomson's discussion in this two part podcast centres around his various Vendee Globe campaigns, but in this first episode there's much discussion about Thomson's early career path, time spent sailing with Sir Robin Knox Johnston and the result of his time spent with British business tycoon Sir Keith Mills...: "We met at Shoreham airport, we flew to Brest, and he bought me a boat for 1.1million Euros....That level of belief, in me, at that time, was difficult to comprehend really." Thomson is candid about his first campaign, as he is throughout the chat with Robertson, and reveals much about how, along with Sir Keith Mills, they brought Hugo Boss into what would go on to become one of the longest sponsorship partnerships in the sport. Thomson has also had an eventful career that's involved a series of very high profile sinkings and race retirements, not least when keel damage to the original Hugo Boss famously left him floundering deep in the South Atlantic.  But the drama doesn't end with keel damage. Having discussed the cause of a very public falling out with fellow British offshore sailor Mike Golding, "...the next day in the Sunday Times, Mike called me a jumped up little prick!", Thomson discusses how, with his keel dangling uselessly from the hull, the only chance of rescue was of course, with Mike Golding, who pulled off a daring rescue with catastrophic circumstances...: "I was on the boat for about three hours...the wind hit, the boat leaned over, and his mast just collapsed, Mike is standing in the cockpit with his mouth open, and I'm now feeling guilty...I said to Mike, 'I am so sorry..." In the second part of this podcast the chat about Thomson's Vendee campaigns continues, , but there's much discussion about his series of daring stunts that have netted him over 10million views on YouTube alone.  <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep7 - Alex Thomson Part 1

This month's edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast comes from the Spanish port of Alicante, long time home to the Ocean Race, as the fourteenth edition of this famous round the world adventure gets underway with a dramatic new look.On what is the fiftieth anniversary of what was originally called the Whitbread Round The World Race, then became famous as the Volvo Ocean Race and is now being sailed as simply The Ocean Race, Shirley Robertson presents her podcast from the start of the thirty two thousand nautical mile odyssey.  In this edition she talks to skippers and crew members from each of the five foiling IMOCA entrants, and catches up with Ocean Race Co-President, Johan Salen, to talk thorough the class changes, and the future of the Race.Now being sailed in the IMOCA class, the superfast foiling monohulls more familiar to Vendee Globe fans, much of the dockside chat was over sailing these solo-orientated speed machines with a crew, and how sailing from the almost fully covered cockpits was a huge departure for this race.The format of this new look Ocean Race is covered in Episode 1 of this two part edition - in this episode, British offshore sailor Will Harris, sailing the Race with Boris Herrmann's "Team Malizia" explains amongst other things, the challenge of sailing from the fully covered cockpit of the new designs of IMOCA...:"We're always looking at the sensors and the numbers because when you're inside these boats that's really all you've got to go off, it's how these boats are sailed now, it's not so much about what you feel in the helm, or what you feel by looking at the sails."This edition of The Ocean Race is a fascinating new era, and the discussions within the podcast certainly reflect that.  Revealing the decisions made to move the Race forward, Episode 2 continues with Robertson's talk with Co-President of the Race, Johan Salen, which makes for interesting listening,  Robertson also talks to  IMOCA regular, Route du Rhum winner Paul Meilhat, skippering 'Biotherm'.  This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show

This month's edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast comes from the Spanish port of Alicante, long time home to the Ocean Race, as the fourteenth edition of this famous round the world adventure gets underway with a dramatic new look. On what is the fiftieth anniversary of what was originally called the Whitbread Round The World Race, then became famous as the Volvo Ocean Race and is now being sailed as simply The Ocean Race, Shirley Robertson presents her podcast from the start of the thirty two thousand nautical mile odyssey.  In this edition she talks to skippers and crew members from each of the five foiling IMOCA entrants, and catches up with Ocean Race Co-President, Johan Salen, to talk thorough the class changes, and the future of the Race. Now being sailed in the IMOCA class, the superfast foiling monohulls more familiar to Vendee Globe fans, much of the dockside chat was over sailing these solo-orientated speed machines with a crew, and how sailing from the almost fully covered cockpits was a huge departure for this race. The format of this new look Ocean Race is covered in Episode 1 of this two part edition - in this episode, British offshore sailor Will Harris, sailing the Race with Boris Herrmann's "Team Malizia" explains amongst other things, the challenge of sailing from the fully covered cockpit of the new designs of IMOCA...: "We're always looking at the sensors and the numbers because when you're inside these boats that's really all you've got to go off, it's how these boats are sailed now, it's not so much about what you feel in the helm, or what you feel by looking at the sails." This edition of The Ocean Race is a fascinating new era, and the discussions within the podcast certainly reflect that.  Revealing the decisions made to move the Race forward, Episode 2 continues with Robertson's talk with Co-President of the Race, Johan Salen, which makes for interesting listening,  Robertson also talks to  IMOCA regular, Route du Rhum winner Paul Meilhat, skippering 'Biotherm'.   This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep6 - The Ocean Race Part 2

This month's edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast comes from the Spanish port of Alicante, long time home to the Ocean Race, as the fourteenth edition of this famous round the world adventure gets underway with a dramatic new look.On what is the fiftieth anniversary of what was originally called the Whitbread Round The World Race, then became famous as the Volvo Ocean Race and is now being sailed as simply The Ocean Race, Shirley Robertson presents her podcast from the start of the thirty two thousand nautical mile odyssey.  In this edition she talks to skippers and crew members from each of the five foiling IMOCA entrants, and catches up with Ocean Race Co-President, Johan Salen, to talk thorough the class changes, and the future of the Race.Now being sailed in the IMOCA class, the superfast foiling monohulls more familiar to Vendee Globe fans, much of the dockside chat was over sailing these solo-orientated speed machines with a crew, and how sailing from the almost fully covered cockpits was a huge departure for this race.In Part 1 of this two part podcast, Robertson talks all things Ocean Race with three of the five IMOCA teams taking on the challenge, including Charlie Enright of '11th Hour Racing'....:"It almost requires a more natural sailor, because you are trying to do it with less feedback, if that makes sense, so it's more seat of the pants, it's more feeling, it's really unique to be sailing inside and down below."From 'Holcim PRB', French offshore skipper Kevin Escoffier is also in PArt 1..: "You have to discover new ways of feeling it, the vibration, the sounds of the foils...anybody who has sailed a dinghy will know, if they close their eyes, they will feel the boat."Part 1 also includes guest appearances from  The Ocean Race race village with one time winner of the Volvo Ocean Race,  Ian Walker, and Team SCA Volvo skipper Sam Davies.  Episode 1 then wraps up with two time Ocean Race sailor Annie Lush of 'Guyot environnment'  discussing the differences between this edition of the race and her two previous editions.This edition of The Ocean Race is a fascinating new era - in Part 2 of this podcast,  Robertson talks with Co-President of the Race, Johan Salen, two time Volvo Ocean Race sailor Annie Lush, British offshore sailor Will Harris of Team Malizia and to IMOCA regular, Route du Rhum winner Paul Meilhat, skippering 'Biotherm'. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show

This month's edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast comes from the Spanish port of Alicante, long time home to the Ocean Race, as the fourteenth edition of this famous round the world adventure gets underway with a dramatic new look. On what is the fiftieth anniversary of what was originally called the Whitbread Round The World Race, then became famous as the Volvo Ocean Race and is now being sailed as simply The Ocean Race, Shirley Robertson presents her podcast from the start of the thirty two thousand nautical mile odyssey.  In this edition she talks to skippers and crew members from each of the five foiling IMOCA entrants, and catches up with Ocean Race Co-President, Johan Salen, to talk thorough the class changes, and the future of the Race. Now being sailed in the IMOCA class, the superfast foiling monohulls more familiar to Vendee Globe fans, much of the dockside chat was over sailing these solo-orientated speed machines with a crew, and how sailing from the almost fully covered cockpits was a huge departure for this race. In Part 1 of this two part podcast, Robertson talks all things Ocean Race with three of the five IMOCA teams taking on the challenge, including Charlie Enright of '11th Hour Racing'....: "It almost requires a more natural sailor, because you are trying to do it with less feedback, if that makes sense, so it's more seat of the pants, it's more feeling, it's really unique to be sailing inside and down below." From 'Holcim PRB', French offshore skipper Kevin Escoffier is also in PArt 1..:  "You have to discover new ways of feeling it, the vibration, the sounds of the foils...anybody who has sailed a dinghy will know, if they close their eyes, they will feel the boat." Part 1 also includes guest appearances from  The Ocean Race race village with one time winner of the Volvo Ocean Race,  Ian Walker, and Team SCA Volvo skipper Sam Davies.  Episode 1 then wraps up with two time Ocean Race sailor Annie Lush of 'Guyot environnment'  discussing the differences between this edition of the race and her two previous editions. This edition of The Ocean Race is a fascinating new era - in Part 2 of this podcast,  Robertson talks with Co-President of the Race, Johan Salen, two time Volvo Ocean Race sailor Annie Lush, British offshore sailor Will Harris of Team Malizia and to IMOCA regular, Route du Rhum winner Paul Meilhat, skippering 'Biotherm'.  This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep5 - The Ocean Race Part 1

Tom Slingsby

This is the second part of a two part interview with one of the most decorated sailors of the modern era, as multiple Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson finally sits down with one of sailing's contemporary greats,, multiple World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby.In the wonderfully diverse sport of competitive sailing there can be few athletes whose accolades are as wide ranging as Sydney born Australian Tom Slingsby.  At just thirty eight years of age, he boasts an unprecedented roll call of success that includes an Olympic Gold medal, an America's Cup win, two Moth World Titles, two SailGP titles, multiple Laser world championship wins, he's even won line honours in both the Sydney to Hobart and Middle Sea Races.In Part One of this podcast Robertson and Slingsby discuss the Aussie's early career, so Part 2 here picks up as Slingsby is about to play a pivotal role in one of modern sailing's most fabled of regattas - the 2013 America's Cup.Regular podcast listeners will have heard the 2013 story from many of the key players from that San Francisco Cup, but this telling is perhaps the most revealing.  Slingsby's memories of the comeback are recalled from the perspective of the then rookie young America's Cup sailor somewhat overawedby his surroundings and the characters around him. His memories of the initial losses and the awkward meetings that followed are insightful and revealing, a must-listen to all fans of the modern Cup era..."I was getting yelled at by Russell Coutts, and I still remember sitting there thinking 'I can't believe I'm sitting there with these legends, Grant Simmer, Jimmy (Spithill), Ben Ainslie,  Russell Coutts', I remember I was really in awe!"What follows is a fascinating discussion on the dramatic turnaround of 2013, who made what decisions, and how the match was finally won.From the America's Cup to Sail GP, the displacement Laser dinghy to the foiling Moth, Slingsby's talent has seen him become one of the most applauded sailors of his generation.  Getting a glimpse inside the mind of the man that's created such success makes for a truly fascinating two part podcast and is a must listen for any modern day sailing fan.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show

This is the second part of a two part interview with one of the most decorated sailors of the modern era, as multiple Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson finally sits down with one of sailing's contemporary greats,, multiple World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby. In the wonderfully diverse sport of competitive sailing there can be few athletes whose accolades are as wide ranging as Sydney born Australian Tom Slingsby.  At just thirty eight years of age, he boasts an unprecedented roll call of success that includes an Olympic Gold medal, an America's Cup win, two Moth World Titles, two SailGP titles, multiple Laser world championship wins, he's even won line honours in both the Sydney to Hobart and Middle Sea <a href="http://Races.In" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Races.In</a> Part One of this podcast Robertson and Slingsby discuss the Aussie's early career, so Part 2 here picks up as Slingsby is about to play a pivotal role in one of modern sailing's most fabled of regattas - the 2013 America's Cup. Regular podcast listeners will have heard the 2013 story from many of the key players from that San Francisco Cup, but this telling is perhaps the most revealing.  Slingsby's memories of the comeback are recalled from the perspective of the then rookie young America's Cup sailor somewhat overawedby his surroundings and the characters around him. His memories of the initial losses and the awkward meetings that followed are insightful and revealing, a must-listen to all fans of the modern Cup era... "I was getting yelled at by Russell Coutts, and I still remember sitting there thinking 'I can't believe I'm sitting there with these legends, Grant Simmer, Jimmy (Spithill), Ben Ainslie,  Russell Coutts', I remember I was really in awe!" What follows is a fascinating discussion on the dramatic turnaround of 2013, who made what decisions, and how the match was finally won. From the America's Cup to Sail GP, the displacement Laser dinghy to the foiling Moth, Slingsby's talent has seen him become one of the most applauded sailors of his generation.  Getting a glimpse inside the mind of the man that's created such success makes for a truly fascinating two part podcast and is a must listen for any modern day sailing fan. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep4 - Tom Slingsby Part 2

Series Four of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues in fascinating fashion as the multiple Olympic Gold Medallist finally sits down with one of modern sailing's most decorated athletes, multiple World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby.In the wonderfully diverse sport of competitive sailing there can be few athletes whose accolades are as wide ranging as Sydney born Australian Tom Slingsby.  At just thirty eight years of age, he boasts an unprecedented roll call of success that includes an Olympic Gold medal, an America's Cup win, two Moth World Titles, two SailGP titles, multiple Laser world championship wins, he's even won line honours in both the Sydney to Hobart and Middle Sea Races. It's an incredibly diverse list of titles, all stemming from one resolution made as a fifteen year old boy watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics...:"I was down there (at Bradleys Head) everyday, and just seeing the Olympic arena, I just, in that moment, watching that final where Michael Blackburn took bronze and Ben Ainslie match raced Robert Scheidt to gold, I said right then and there that I want to be a part of this arena."That moment was the catalyst to a remarkable, and still ongoing career.  But it wasn't always easy.  Slingsby's honest and candid account involves deep disappointment and harsh lessons at the 2008 Olympics, before moving on to detail the extraordinary lengths he went to, along with coach Micheal Blackburn to make sure he would prevail at the London Games of 2012.This is the first part of a  fascinating two part interview, in which Slingsby gives the listener a sometimes intimate account of life as a successful twenty first century professional sailor.From the decision not to defend his Olympic title, Robertson and Slingsby move on to his America's Cup career, and the much discussed 2013 San Francisco Cup which saw Slingsby help Team Oracle USA to the remarkable, and much documented comeback against Emirates Team New Zealand.Regular podcast listeners will have heard the story from many of the key players from that 2013 Cup, but this telling is perhaps the most revealing.  Slingsby's memories of the comeback are recalled from the perspective of the then rookie young America's Cup sailor somewhat overawed by his surroundings and the characters around him. His memories of the initial losses and the awkward meetings that followed are insightful and revealing, a must-listen to all fans of the modern Cup era - Part One ends as Slngsby begins in his role onboard Oracle Team USA, looking forward to the famous 2013 comeback in the Bay of San Francisco.From the America's Cup to Sail GP, the displacement Laser dinghy to the foiling Moth, Slingsby's talent has seen him become one of the most applauded sailors of his generation.  Getting a glimpse inside the mind of the man that's created such success makes for a truly fascinating two part podcast and is a must listen for any modern day sailing fan.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show

Series Four of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues in fascinating fashion as the multiple Olympic Gold Medallist finally sits down with one of modern sailing's most decorated athletes, multiple World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby. In the wonderfully diverse sport of competitive sailing there can be few athletes whose accolades are as wide ranging as Sydney born Australian Tom Slingsby.  At just thirty eight years of age, he boasts an unprecedented roll call of success that includes an Olympic Gold medal, an America's Cup win, two Moth World Titles, two SailGP titles, multiple Laser world championship wins, he's even won line honours in both the Sydney to Hobart and Middle Sea Races. It's an incredibly diverse list of titles, all stemming from one resolution made as a fifteen year old boy watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics...: "I was down there (at Bradleys Head) everyday, and just seeing the Olympic arena, I just, in that moment, watching that final where Michael Blackburn took bronze and Ben Ainslie match raced Robert Scheidt to gold, I said right then and there that I want to be a part of this arena." That moment was the catalyst to a remarkable, and still ongoing career.  But it wasn't always easy.  Slingsby's honest and candid account involves deep disappointment and harsh lessons at the 2008 Olympics, before moving on to detail the extraordinary lengths he went to, along with coach Micheal Blackburn to make sure he would prevail at the London Games of 2012. This is the first part of a  fascinating two part interview, in which Slingsby gives the listener a sometimes intimate account of life as a successful twenty first century professional sailor. From the decision not to defend his Olympic title, Robertson and Slingsby move on to his America's Cup career, and the much discussed 2013 San Francisco Cup which saw Slingsby help Team Oracle USA to the remarkable, and much documented comeback against Emirates Team New Zealand. Regular podcast listeners will have heard the story from many of the key players from that 2013 Cup, but this telling is perhaps the most revealing.  Slingsby's memories of the comeback are recalled from the perspective of the then rookie young America's Cup sailor somewhat overawed by his surroundings and the characters around him. His memories of the initial losses and the awkward meetings that followed are insightful and revealing, a must-listen to all fans of the modern Cup era - Part One ends as Slngsby begins in his role onboard Oracle Team USA, looking forward to the famous 2013 comeback in the Bay of San Francisco. From the America's Cup to Sail GP, the displacement Laser dinghy to the foiling Moth, Slingsby's talent has seen him become one of the most applauded sailors of his generation.  Getting a glimpse inside the mind of the man that's created such success makes for a truly fascinating two part podcast and is a must listen for any modern day sailing fan. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - <a href="http://www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast</a> or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact <a href="mailto:podcast@shirleyrobertson.com">podcast@shirleyrobertson.com</a>. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 4 - Ep3 - Tom Slingsby Part 1

In depth and personal interviews from the leading characters of Sailing's diverse competitive arena, hosted by the sport's leading media personality, double Olympic gold medallist, Shirley Robertson. From inside the closed doors of the America's Cup, to the pressures and excitement of the Olympic race course, the danger and jeopardy of racing non-stop around the planet to the ultimate quest for the world's fastest sailing boat, Shirley Robertson sits down and talks all things sailing with the brightest lights in the sport.

I love the quality of every podcast, it’s really saving me from boredom in lockdown

Great Production

Great conversation with world class sailors.  Wonderful insights. Have enjoyed each podcast.

Fascinating

Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast

Ken Read

Throughout her broadcasting career one of Shirley Robertson's most interviewed of subjects must be US sailing's Ken Read.  Currently in the top executive role at corporate sailing giant North Sails, his sailing history includes helming two America’s Cup campaigns, two Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, two US Sailor of the Year Awards and a trophy cabinet stacked with National and World Championship wins.  Read a key figure in the sport, and has been on the other side of Robertson’s interview microphone on countless occasions and the result here is a candid and honest exchange, as the pair chat through Read’s early career and move into the corporate world at North Sails, through his early America’s Cup exploits and onto his Volvo Ocean Race campaigns as skipper of Puma, before discussing the future of the sport and Read’s involvement in the record breaking 100ft maxi ‘ComancheAs a young America's Cup skipper he was under the tutelage of America's Cup Hall of Famer Dennis Connor, and his early Cup recollections are peppered with accounts of his time spent with the US sailing legend.  Read is candidly honest about his time sailing for Connor, and the revealing discussion about the 2000 and 2003 Cup Campaigns are as funny as they are insightful.As a special edition this month's podcast will be published in 2 Parts, so be sure to catch up with Part 2 when chat turns towards Read's time at the helm of the Volvo Ocean Race entry 'Puma' and his involvement in the revolutionary 100ft Maxi 'Comanche'.Support the show

Throughout her broadcasting career one of Shirley Robertson's most interviewed of subjects must be US sailing's Ken Read.  Currently in the top executive role at corporate sailing giant North Sails, his sailing history includes helming two America’s Cup campaigns, two Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, two US Sailor of the Year Awards and a trophy cabinet stacked with National and World Championship wins.   Read a key figure in the sport, and has been on the other side of Robertson’s interview microphone on countless occasions and the result here is a candid and honest exchange, as the pair chat through Read’s early career and move into the corporate world at North Sails, through his early America’s Cup exploits and onto his Volvo Ocean Race campaigns as skipper of Puma, before discussing the future of the sport and Read’s involvement in the record breaking 100ft maxi ‘Comanche As a young America's Cup skipper he was under the tutelage of America's Cup Hall of Famer Dennis Connor, and his early Cup recollections are peppered with accounts of his time spent with the US sailing legend.  Read is candidly honest about his time sailing for Connor, and the revealing discussion about the 2000 and 2003 Cup Campaigns are as funny as they are insightful. As a special edition this month's podcast will be published in 2 Parts, so be sure to catch up with Part 2 when chat turns towards Read's time at the helm of the Volvo Ocean Race entry 'Puma' and his involvement in the revolutionary 100ft Maxi 'Comanche'.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep9a - Ken Read Part 1

Sam Davies

Shirley Robertson talks all things offshore with celebrated British offshore adventurer Sam Davies. With a submarine commander as one grandfather and a boat builder as the other, it should be no surprise that Cambridge engineering graduate Sam Davies pursued a career that now sees her racing around the planet. But as she reveals in this illuminating chat, offshore sailing’s loss was very nearly synchronised swimming’s gain, after an early passion for life in the pool almost saw her follow a very different career path.An early career spent racing with British sailing trail blazer Tracy Edwards soon saw Sam craving a life out at sea, and  It was in those early days, chasing the illusive around the world record, the Jules Verne Trophy that Sam glimpsed the potential, inspired by the pro-active spirit and determination of Edwards, as she realised that if she really dug in, anything could be possible.As her career took off, an early deviation towards the Olympic arena saw her team up with the podcast's very own Shirley Robertson back when she was campaigning for Athens 2004 in the technical keel boat, the Yngling.  Robertson was drawn to the can-do professionalism of the young bowman, but it was a collaboration that wouldn’t go the distance.  The pair here laugh over the early campaign days as Sam began to realise that the monotony of Olympic campaigning really wasn’t for her - that her sailing life lay further out to sea. And so began her march to the forefront of Britain's considerable offshore sailing elite.  Her career took the inevitable turn towards the solo marathon the Vendee Globe, and in 2008 she crossed the start line in one of the most recognisable boats the race has ever seen. It was a performance that would rocket her to household name status in France, as she resolutely sailed “Roxy” nonstop around the planet in just over ninety five days, one of just eleven finishers from a field of thirty.  It was a remarkable achievement. Davies does  reveal though the cost of her disappointment in the following Vendee, after a hard fought campaign to get to the start line lasted just five days out on the race course. But very quickly, she was back at the helm, the Vendee forgotten, as she took on a very different role skippering the all female ’Team SCA’ in the Volvo Ocean Race. Sam is currently looking forward to her third Vendee Globe campaign, this time as skipper of the inspirational “Initiative Coeur” - a campaign actively saving the lives of disadvantaged children around the world - it’s an innovative approach to raising money, that Sam passionately explains, whereby the effect of her sponsors' donations, achieved through Sam’s interaction with her fan base,  reveals very tangible results.Support the show

Shirley Robertson talks all things offshore with celebrated British offshore adventurer Sam Davies.  With a submarine commander as one grandfather and a boat builder as the other, it should be no surprise that Cambridge engineering graduate Sam Davies pursued a career that now sees her racing around the planet. But as she reveals in this illuminating chat, offshore sailing’s loss was very nearly synchronised swimming’s gain, after an early passion for life in the pool almost saw her follow a very different career path. An early career spent racing with British sailing trail blazer Tracy Edwards soon saw Sam craving a life out at sea, and  It was in those early days, chasing the illusive around the world record, the Jules Verne Trophy that Sam glimpsed the potential, inspired by the pro-active spirit and determination of Edwards, as she realised that if she really dug in, anything could be possible. As her career took off, an early deviation towards the Olympic arena saw her team up with the podcast's very own Shirley Robertson back when she was campaigning for Athens 2004 in the technical keel boat, the Yngling.  Robertson was drawn to the can-do professionalism of the young bowman, but it was a collaboration that wouldn’t go the distance.  The pair here laugh over the early campaign days as Sam began to realise that the monotony of Olympic campaigning really wasn’t for her - that her sailing life lay further out to sea.  And so began her march to the forefront of Britain's considerable offshore sailing elite.  Her career took the inevitable turn towards the solo marathon the Vendee Globe, and in 2008 she crossed the start line in one of the most recognisable boats the race has ever seen. It was a performance that would rocket her to household name status in France, as she resolutely sailed “Roxy” nonstop around the planet in just over ninety five days, one of just eleven finishers from a field of thirty.  It was a remarkable achievement. Davies does  reveal though the cost of her disappointment in the following Vendee, after a hard fought campaign to get to the start line lasted just five days out on the race course. But very quickly, she was back at the helm, the Vendee forgotten, as she took on a very different role skippering the all female ’Team SCA’ in the Volvo Ocean Race.  Sam is currently looking forward to her third Vendee Globe campaign, this time as skipper of the inspirational “Initiative Coeur” - a campaign actively saving the lives of disadvantaged children around the world - it’s an innovative approach to raising money, that Sam passionately explains, whereby the effect of her sponsors' donations, achieved through Sam’s interaction with her fan base,  reveals very tangible results.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep7 - Sam Davies

Russell Coutts

There's not much Sir Russell Coutts hasn't achieved in the sport of modern day yacht racing - from the Olympic Games, Match Racing and America's Cups, he's one of the sport's most successful athletes, but he's also one of sailing's big innovators, a man with a drive and determination to leave his sport in a much better place today, than where it was when he first started competing.On the race course, Coutts was a fierce and ruthless competitor.  His early career saw him win an Olympic gold medal and multiple Match Racing World Championships, before an inevitable move to the world of the America's Cup.  He successfully challenged and then defended the oldest trophy  in world sport for his home nation of New Zealand, but then shocked the sailing world by moving to Swiss challenger Alinghi.  By the time Alinghi lifted the Cup in Auckland, Coutts had won it three times, but remarkably had never lost a Cup match.  His Cup career then saw another move, to the American BMW Oracle Team, for whom he masterminded two further Cup wins, the last, in 2013, seeing the famous come back from an 8-1 defecit on 72ft foiling multi hulls out on San Francisco Bay, an event watched by millions world wide.Away from the race course, Coutts is seen by many as one of sailing's real visionaries.  His drive and determination behind the wheel have transposed to the boardroom, where he has been masterminding the advancement of sailing in a bid to increase it's appeal to a younger generation, and make it a truly viable spectator sport.  Most recently Coutts has initiated the exciting Sail GP championships, a series of races held in the world's fastest race boats, but run with a view to the maximisation of broadcasting opportunity and spectator experience.Robertson and Coutts discuss his past, his hopes for the future and his love of the sport in an honest and revealing hour of chat that sees one of the sport's most well known characters clearly demonstrate that after a lifetime spent out on the water, his passion for sailing today is as strong as it's ever been.Support the show

There's not much Sir Russell Coutts hasn't achieved in the sport of modern day yacht racing - from the Olympic Games, Match Racing and America's Cups, he's one of the sport's most successful athletes, but he's also one of sailing's big innovators, a man with a drive and determination to leave his sport in a much better place today, than where it was when he first started competing. On the race course, Coutts was a fierce and ruthless competitor.  His early career saw him win an Olympic gold medal and multiple Match Racing World Championships, before an inevitable move to the world of the America's Cup.  He successfully challenged and then defended the oldest trophy  in world sport for his home nation of New Zealand, but then shocked the sailing world by moving to Swiss challenger Alinghi.  By the time Alinghi lifted the Cup in Auckland, Coutts had won it three times, but remarkably had never lost a Cup match.  His Cup career then saw another move, to the American BMW Oracle Team, for whom he masterminded two further Cup wins, the last, in 2013, seeing the famous come back from an 8-1 defecit on 72ft foiling multi hulls out on San Francisco Bay, an event watched by millions world wide. Away from the race course, Coutts is seen by many as one of sailing's real visionaries.  His drive and determination behind the wheel have transposed to the boardroom, where he has been masterminding the advancement of sailing in a bid to increase it's appeal to a younger generation, and make it a truly viable spectator sport.  Most recently Coutts has initiated the exciting Sail GP championships, a series of races held in the world's fastest race boats, but run with a view to the maximisation of broadcasting opportunity and spectator experience. Robertson and Coutts discuss his past, his hopes for the future and his love of the sport in an honest and revealing hour of chat that sees one of the sport's most well known characters clearly demonstrate that after a lifetime spent out on the water, his passion for sailing today is as strong as it's ever been.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep6 - Russell Coutts

Kyle Langford

Double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson catches up with Australian sailing star Kyle Langford for an hour of revealing chat that covers much of his of his stellar career.Langford rocketed into the spot light when just three days before the 2013 America's Cup he was announced as the Defender's Wing Trimmer on BMW Oracle's giant foiling AC72.  It was a daunting prospect, controlling the power as the team learnt to race the largely untested beast throughout a regatta famous for the unlikely comeback from a seven point deficit against a fired up Emirates Team New Zealand.  Langford's honest and open chat with Robertson here reveals the backstory behind that decision, a tribunal that saw the Defender docked points before the Cup, the build up to that dramatic turn around and the faith that skipper Jimmy Spithill had in the young Aussie.As Oracle Team USA then went on to Defend the Cup in Bermuda Langford kept his seat on the downsized AC50 that would see them again face the Kiwis in the match up in 2017.  Here he reveals how the team prepared for Bermuda but were out thought by the innovative Kiwi team, their grip on the Cup slipping away to the greater pace and adaptability of a New Zealand outfit hungry for sporting redemption.Having been on the losing side in the Cup, Langford immediately took on a new and different challenge, turning to the Volvo Ocean Race to try and forget the disappointment of Bermuda.  But it wasn't long before he realised that one of his team mates around the world would be the skipper of that winning Kiwi team.  It's an interesting chat as Langford discusses the politics onboard, racing in the Southern Ocean and his tenacity in getting to grips with offshore sailing.At just thirty years old, Langford is one of a new generation of stars in the competitive sailing arena, he's crammed an awful lot of high end sailing into a to date short sailing career, and is a revealing guest as he discusses the last decade and his stellar rise into the ranks of the sport's elite.Support the show

Double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson catches up with Australian sailing star Kyle Langford for an hour of revealing chat that covers much of his of his stellar career. Langford rocketed into the spot light when just three days before the 2013 America's Cup he was announced as the Defender's Wing Trimmer on BMW Oracle's giant foiling AC72.  It was a daunting prospect, controlling the power as the team learnt to race the largely untested beast throughout a regatta famous for the unlikely comeback from a seven point deficit against a fired up Emirates Team New Zealand.  Langford's honest and open chat with Robertson here reveals the backstory behind that decision, a tribunal that saw the Defender docked points before the Cup, the build up to that dramatic turn around and the faith that skipper Jimmy Spithill had in the young Aussie. As Oracle Team USA then went on to Defend the Cup in Bermuda Langford kept his seat on the downsized AC50 that would see them again face the Kiwis in the match up in 2017.  Here he reveals how the team prepared for Bermuda but were out thought by the innovative Kiwi team, their grip on the Cup slipping away to the greater pace and adaptability of a New Zealand outfit hungry for sporting redemption. Having been on the losing side in the Cup, Langford immediately took on a new and different challenge, turning to the Volvo Ocean Race to try and forget the disappointment of Bermuda.  But it wasn't long before he realised that one of his team mates around the world would be the skipper of that winning Kiwi team.  It's an interesting chat as Langford discusses the politics onboard, racing in the Southern Ocean and his tenacity in getting to grips with offshore sailing. At just thirty years old, Langford is one of a new generation of stars in the competitive sailing arena, he's crammed an awful lot of high end sailing into a to date short sailing career, and is a revealing guest as he discusses the last decade and his stellar rise into the ranks of the sport's elite.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep8 - Kyle Langford

Paul Cayard

US sailing legend Paul Cayard is next up as Shirley Robertson sits down for an honest and truthful hour of chat with one of the biggest names in competitive sailing.Paul Cayard is a true legend of the sport, a US Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, a World Champion, an Olympian, he’s competed in multiple America’s Cups and was the first American ever to skipper a Whitbread Round the World Race campaign to victory when his 1997/98 ‘EF Language’ won the gruelling predecessor to the Volvo Ocean Race.His chat with Robertson is a candid and revealing one, discussing several aspects of his impressive career, with tales from both on and off the water. He was the perfect man to play the real life Captain Jack Sparrow, as Disney turned to him to front their "Pirates of the Caribbean" Volvo Ocean Race entry - Cayard skippered the boat to a dramatic second place in the race, and in doing so created a Volvo campaign that lives on in the memories of sailing fans around the world.Cayard is an honest interview, he's qualified to discuss multiple aspects of the sport, and his self assured confidence allows him to truly speak his mind - the result, a fascinating, anecdote-rich discussion that sees Cayard reflect on almost forty years as a sailing professional.Support the show

US sailing legend Paul Cayard is next up as Shirley Robertson sits down for an honest and truthful hour of chat with one of the biggest names in competitive sailing.Paul Cayard is a true legend of the sport, a US Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, a World Champion, an Olympian, he’s competed in multiple America’s Cups and was the first American ever to skipper a Whitbread Round the World Race campaign to victory when his 1997/98 ‘EF Language’ won the gruelling predecessor to the Volvo Ocean Race.His chat with Robertson is a candid and revealing one, discussing several aspects of his impressive career, with tales from both on and off the water. He was the perfect man to play the real life Captain Jack Sparrow, as Disney turned to him to front their "Pirates of the Caribbean" Volvo Ocean Race entry - Cayard skippered the boat to a dramatic second place in the race, and in doing so created a Volvo campaign that lives on in the memories of sailing fans around the world. Cayard is an honest interview, he's qualified to discuss multiple aspects of the sport, and his self assured confidence allows him to truly speak his mind - the result, a fascinating, anecdote-rich discussion that sees Cayard reflect on almost forty years as a sailing professional.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep5 - Paul Cayard

Jimmy Spithill

This is the second part of two time America’s Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill's chat with Shirley Robertson which saw the pair settle down for an extended two part interview ahead of the first round of the America’s Cup World Series in Sardinia.In Part 1 Jimmy discussed growing up in the Australian sailing enclave of Pittwater, recalling the endless days spent messing about on the water.  From childhood, through Australia's Young Sailor of the Year, to his first appearance in the America's Cup at just twenty years of age, and eventually onto his first Cup win in Valencia 2010, Part 1 is a great insight into the early life of one of sailing's leading stars.in Part 2, things get real serious, as Jimmy recounts the early days of the frighteningly quick AC72, as theCup turned to foils, wings and a massive leap in performance.  In this interview Jimmy tells us the inside story of that incredible comeback to win the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco, his insight and memories of that sensational victory both candid and illuminating. Starting with the capsizing of the brand new AC72 just days after launching, to the cut and thrust of the daily press conferences and the eventual comeback against an incredibly quick and accomplished New Zealand team. The comeback propelled the sport into the spotlight, and was the start of relentless victory celebrations across the US…:“For the next couple of weeks you’re on all the late night shows, Jay Leno and Colbert, all the big ones going around and I’ll never forget we were on the Colbert show, and Tom Hanks was there doing a recording of something, so I’d done my piece and was having a beer and chatting to some of the guys….and it was surreal, sitting in the green room with Tom Hanks, and he’s asking questions about the racing, he’d seen it, we’re having a beer and the whole time his assistant is saying ’Tom, we’ve got to go, the plane’s waiting’ and he’s saying “No, tell them to wait”, he was genuinely interested in what had happened.”Jimmy goes on to discuss the disappointment of losing the Cup in Bermuda, and talks about his current role with the Italian team Luna Rosa Challenge. But he's also very open regarding his time spent sailng with french offshore legend Francois Gabart, and how much he loves the prospect of heading offshore on a foiling multihull. From his passion for surfing and foiling to his competitive spirit and drive to succeed, Spithill’s chat with Robertson is illuminating, engaging, and a thoroughly interesting listen.Support the show

This is the second part of two time America’s Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill's chat with Shirley Robertson which saw the pair settle down for an extended two part interview ahead of the first round of the America’s Cup World Series in Sardinia. In Part 1 Jimmy discussed growing up in the Australian sailing enclave of Pittwater, recalling the endless days spent messing about on the water.  From childhood, through Australia's Young Sailor of the Year, to his first appearance in the America's Cup at just twenty years of age, and eventually onto his first Cup win in Valencia 2010, Part 1 is a great insight into the early life of one of sailing's leading stars. in Part 2, things get real serious, as Jimmy recounts the early days of the frighteningly quick AC72, as theCup turned to foils, wings and a massive leap in performance.  In this interview Jimmy tells us the inside story of that incredible comeback to win the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco, his insight and memories of that sensational victory both candid and illuminating. Starting with the capsizing of the brand new AC72 just days after launching, to the cut and thrust of the daily press conferences and the eventual comeback against an incredibly quick and accomplished New Zealand team. The comeback propelled the sport into the spotlight, and was the start of relentless victory celebrations across the US…: “For the next couple of weeks you’re on all the late night shows, Jay Leno and Colbert, all the big ones going around and I’ll never forget we were on the Colbert show, and Tom Hanks was there doing a recording of something, so I’d done my piece and was having a beer and chatting to some of the guys….and it was surreal, sitting in the green room with Tom Hanks, and he’s asking questions about the racing, he’d seen it, we’re having a beer and the whole time his assistant is saying ’Tom, we’ve got to go, the plane’s waiting’ and he’s saying “No, tell them to wait”, he was genuinely interested in what had happened.” Jimmy goes on to discuss the disappointment of losing the Cup in Bermuda, and talks about his current role with the Italian team Luna Rosa Challenge. But he's also very open regarding his time spent sailng with french offshore legend Francois Gabart, and how much he loves the prospect of heading offshore on a foiling multihull. From his passion for surfing and foiling to his competitive spirit and drive to succeed, Spithill’s chat with Robertson is illuminating, engaging, and a thoroughly interesting listen.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep10b - Jimmy Spithill Part 2

The second instalment of Shirley Robertson's chat with sailing legend, Ken Read.   The pair continue their discussions following on from an illuminating Part 1 which saw Read discuss his role as President of commercial sailing behemoth North Sails, and his America's Cup campaigns with US sailing all star Dennis Connor.In this edition the chat gains momentum, as the stories continue to flow.  Read's easy going style make him a delight to listen to as he reveals how he was lured into a Volvo Ocean Race campaign mid race back in the 2005-2006 edition of the famous race.  From there, Read goes on to reveal how a chance meeting with the owner of Puma set the ball rolling on what would become one of the Ocean Race's most memorable of entries.  For two editions, in 2008-09 and 2011-12 Read was at the helm of the memorable red Volvo entry 'Puma' - and here reveals how both campaigns took shape, and just how close he came to winning one of sailing's most illusive trophies.The thrill of racing the planet over with, Read then discusses what happens when a billionaire sailing fanatic decides to invest in building a boat to smash records.  The result was of course the 100ft maxi "Comanche" - the design and build of which was done very much under Read's watch.   Once finished the boat was an absolute beast, a head turner wherever she sailed - in fact Robertson was onboard on one of the first forays in big winds on Comanche, a day the pair remember well - Read's tales of charging the Bass Straits in the iconic Sydney to Hobart Race are compelling.The pair wrap up with some thoughts on the future of the sport, chat about the televising of sailing and Read's time on the commentary team of the America's Cup.  They then conclude with an honest, heart felt discussion about what sailing has given Read, how much he has invested in it over his life time, and the inevitable personal costs it's brought.  It's a compelling listen - an honest and forthright conversation with one of the great communicators of the sport of sailing.Support the show

The second instalment of Shirley Robertson's chat with sailing legend, Ken Read.   The pair continue their discussions following on from an illuminating Part 1 which saw Read discuss his role as President of commercial sailing behemoth North Sails, and his America's Cup campaigns with US sailing all star Dennis Connor. In this edition the chat gains momentum, as the stories continue to flow.  Read's easy going style make him a delight to listen to as he reveals how he was lured into a Volvo Ocean Race campaign mid race back in the 2005-2006 edition of the famous race.  From there, Read goes on to reveal how a chance meeting with the owner of Puma set the ball rolling on what would become one of the Ocean Race's most memorable of entries.  For two editions, in 2008-09 and 2011-12 Read was at the helm of the memorable red Volvo entry 'Puma' - and here reveals how both campaigns took shape, and just how close he came to winning one of sailing's most illusive trophies. The thrill of racing the planet over with, Read then discusses what happens when a billionaire sailing fanatic decides to invest in building a boat to smash records.  The result was of course the 100ft maxi "Comanche" - the design and build of which was done very much under Read's watch.   Once finished the boat was an absolute beast, a head turner wherever she sailed - in fact Robertson was onboard on one of the first forays in big winds on Comanche, a day the pair remember well - Read's tales of charging the Bass Straits in the iconic Sydney to Hobart Race are compelling. The pair wrap up with some thoughts on the future of the sport, chat about the televising of sailing and Read's time on the commentary team of the America's Cup.  They then conclude with an honest, heart felt discussion about what sailing has given Read, how much he has invested in it over his life time, and the inevitable personal costs it's brought.  It's a compelling listen - an honest and forthright conversation with one of the great communicators of the sport of sailing.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep9b - Ken Read Part 2

This edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast this month takes a departure from the norm to talk to the design chiefs of each of the four America's Cup teams.Each team hoping to win the 36th America's Cup is currently halfway through a lengthy design process, and with the clock ticking, they are all focusing on the design and build of what they hope will be the fastest racing monohull ever sailed.In this edition of the podcast, Shirley Robertson talks to the design chiefs of each of the four teams, to discuss the challenges and pitfalls of designing the foiling monohulls that will compete in the 36th America's Cup.  The end result of each team's endeavours will be a seventy five foot long foiling monohull, powered by an innovative double skinned mainsail.  The boats will be unique, like nothing the sailing world has ever seen.  They will be capable of speeds up to three times the wind speed, and will race each other for the first time in April 2020 at the World Series event in Sardinia, Italy.Each of the four teams have already launched their initial Cup boats, the first of two boats that each time is allowed to build, as they strive to refine the foils and systems that will eventually be used in the 36th America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.From the Defenders of the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Robertson talks to design ace Dan Bernasconi.  From the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa, she talks to Cup design veteran Martin Fischer.  From British entry INEOS TEAM UK she talks to accomplished Cup designer Nick Holroyd, and from American Magic she talks to race boat design legendary yacht designer Marcelino Botin.Part1 of this two part podcast sees discussion look at the initial design parameters, as the designers all discuss the requirements of the Class Rule.  They discuss their thoughts on the four Mk1 AC75s currently out sailing, and whether the Mk2s built later this year will change in any way from the initial designs.  They all discuss the rise of simulation and it's importance in the design of such complicated boats.  The designers then compare the importance of hydrodynamics over aerodynamics in boats that are designed to spend much of their time flying above the water, before finishing this edition with a look at how data gathering and analysis in particular has moved on since the last design round, for the previous Cup.This edition of the podcast features four of the brightest names in yacht design, all discussing the most pressing aspects of the design and build of what will become the fastest racing monohulls ever built.Support the show

This edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast this month takes a departure from the norm to talk to the design chiefs of each of the four America's Cup teams. Each team hoping to win the 36th America's Cup is currently halfway through a lengthy design process, and with the clock ticking, they are all focusing on the design and build of what they hope will be the fastest racing monohull ever sailed. In this edition of the podcast, Shirley Robertson talks to the design chiefs of each of the four teams, to discuss the challenges and pitfalls of designing the foiling monohulls that will compete in the 36th America's Cup.  The end result of each team's endeavours will be a seventy five foot long foiling monohull, powered by an innovative double skinned mainsail.  The boats will be unique, like nothing the sailing world has ever seen.  They will be capable of speeds up to three times the wind speed, and will race each other for the first time in April 2020 at the World Series event in Sardinia, Italy. Each of the four teams have already launched their initial Cup boats, the first of two boats that each time is allowed to build, as they strive to refine the foils and systems that will eventually be used in the 36th America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. From the Defenders of the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Robertson talks to design ace Dan Bernasconi.  From the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa, she talks to Cup design veteran Martin Fischer.  From British entry INEOS TEAM UK she talks to accomplished Cup designer Nick Holroyd, and from American Magic she talks to race boat design legendary yacht designer Marcelino Botin. Part1 of this two part podcast sees discussion look at the initial design parameters, as the designers all discuss the requirements of the Class Rule.  They discuss their thoughts on the four Mk1 AC75s currently out sailing, and whether the Mk2s built later this year will change in any way from the initial designs.  They all discuss the rise of simulation and it's importance in the design of such complicated boats.  The designers then compare the importance of hydrodynamics over aerodynamics in boats that are designed to spend much of their time flying above the water, before finishing this edition with a look at how data gathering and analysis in particular has moved on since the last design round, for the previous Cup. This edition of the podcast features four of the brightest names in yacht design, all discussing the most pressing aspects of the design and build of what will become the fastest racing monohulls ever built. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep11a - America's Cup Design Edition Part 1

This edition of the podcast is the second part of Shirley Robertson's fascinating inside look at the design and build of the boats that will ultimately race in the 36th America's Cup.Continuing on from Part1, Robertson talks to the four design chiefs from each of the four America's Cup teams currently building the seventy five foot foiling monohulls, the AC75s.  It's recommended that Part1 is listened to first, as the the first episode includes an intro to the Class Rule, and discusses some of the more general aspects of the challenges and pitfalls of designing this class of boat.  In t his episode the designers go on to discuss some more specific design elements, including the specific make up of the foils, and the differences between the current foils being used by each team.  They discuss the sail specifications of the class rule, looking at how the D-Section mat will promote the use of an innovative double skinned main sail, and they discuss power generation, how the power is to be generated to control the giant loads of the new main sail.  Robertson quizzes the designers on the teams' use of "recon" and how 'spying' on each others' designs helps move design thinking forward.  The role of the sailing team is discussed, as the designers reveal how important the men out on the water are to the design process, before they wrap up by sharing their thoughts on what single aspect of design is most likely to in, or lose, the 36th America's Cup.From the Defenders of the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Robertson talks to design ace Dan Bernasconi.  From the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa, she talks to Cup design veteran Martin Fischer.  From British entry INEOS TEAM UK she talks to accomplished Cup designer Nick Holroyd, and from American Magic she talks to race boat design legendary yacht designer Marcelino Botin.This edition of the podcast is a fascinating look inside the secretive world of America's Cup design and is a must listen for any sailing fan hoping to follow the action when the Cup gets underway.Support the show

This edition of the podcast is the second part of Shirley Robertson's fascinating inside look at the design and build of the boats that will ultimately race in the 36th America's Cup. Continuing on from Part1, Robertson talks to the four design chiefs from each of the four America's Cup teams currently building the seventy five foot foiling monohulls, the AC75s.  It's recommended that Part1 is listened to first, as the the first episode includes an intro to the Class Rule, and discusses some of the more general aspects of the challenges and pitfalls of designing this class of boat.  In t his episode the designers go on to discuss some more specific design elements, including the specific make up of the foils, and the differences between the current foils being used by each team.  They discuss the sail specifications of the class rule, looking at how the D-Section mat will promote the use of an innovative double skinned main sail, and they discuss power generation, how the power is to be generated to control the giant loads of the new main sail.  Robertson quizzes the designers on the teams' use of "recon" and how 'spying' on each others' designs helps move design thinking forward.  The role of the sailing team is discussed, as the designers reveal how important the men out on the water are to the design process, before they wrap up by sharing their thoughts on what single aspect of design is most likely to in, or lose, the 36th America's Cup. From the Defenders of the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Robertson talks to design ace Dan Bernasconi.  From the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa, she talks to Cup design veteran Martin Fischer.  From British entry INEOS TEAM UK she talks to accomplished Cup designer Nick Holroyd, and from American Magic she talks to race boat design legendary yacht designer Marcelino Botin. This edition of the podcast is a fascinating look inside the secretive world of America's Cup design and is a must listen for any sailing fan hoping to follow the action when the Cup gets underway. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep11b - America's Cup Design Edition Part 2

Two time America’s Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill joins Shirley Robertson this month, as the pair settle down for this the first of an extended two part interview ahead of the first round of the America’s Cup World Series in Sardinia.Spithill has long been a fixture in the America’s Cup scene, having first led the Australian entry to the 2000 Cup in Auckland, as skipper of ‘Young Australia’. He’s skippered in every Cup since, winning for the first time in 2010 at the wheel of Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing. That first win, helming the giant 90 foot trimaran, secured his spot as the Cup’s youngest ever winning skipper. In 2013 a successful defence of the Cup in San Francisco saw Spithill lead the unlikely comeback against a New Zealand Team that was, at 8-1 up, just one race win away from reclaiming the oldest trophy in world sport. Having then lost the defence of the next Cup in Bermuda in 2017, Spithill is now in a key role at the long established Italian team, Luna Rosa.Spithill grew up thirty miles north of Sydney, Australia in the stunning sailing hotspot of Pittwater. He talks fondly of his childhood, taking a boat to school, where he’d whistfully wait for classes to end so he could head back out on to the water. He’s also very candid about his upbringing, and discusses with Robertson how his formative years have contributed to the character we see today out on the race course…:“We have a running joke, between Tom Slingsby, or anyone with red hair, and that’s there’s two things you get good at growing up with red hair, and one is running, for obvious reasons. The other is fighting, because you just get sick of running!….At some point you’ve got to decide what you’re going to do, are you going to continue to take this, or is it time to stand up, and when you do it’s an incredible feeling, and it’s an important lesson in life. That at some point you have to stand up for yourself.”This is the first of two instalments of Shirley Robertson's interview with Jimmy Spithill, and concludes with his take on how he skippered that 90 foot trimaran to victory in the 2010 America's Cup.  Be sure to download Part 2, which sees Jimmy recount the fascinating story of how Oracle Team USA overcame that 8-1 deficit to defend the oldest trophy in world sport.Support the show

Two time America’s Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill joins Shirley Robertson this month, as the pair settle down for this the first of an extended two part interview ahead of the first round of the America’s Cup World Series in Sardinia.Spithill has long been a fixture in the America’s Cup scene, having first led the Australian entry to the 2000 Cup in Auckland, as skipper of ‘Young Australia’. He’s skippered in every Cup since, winning for the first time in 2010 at the wheel of Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing. That first win, helming the giant 90 foot trimaran, secured his spot as the Cup’s youngest ever winning skipper. In 2013 a successful defence of the Cup in San Francisco saw Spithill lead the unlikely comeback against a New Zealand Team that was, at 8-1 up, just one race win away from reclaiming the oldest trophy in world sport. Having then lost the defence of the next Cup in Bermuda in 2017, Spithill is now in a key role at the long established Italian team, Luna Rosa. Spithill grew up thirty miles north of Sydney, Australia in the stunning sailing hotspot of Pittwater. He talks fondly of his childhood, taking a boat to school, where he’d whistfully wait for classes to end so he could head back out on to the water. He’s also very candid about his upbringing, and discusses with Robertson how his formative years have contributed to the character we see today out on the race course…: “We have a running joke, between Tom Slingsby, or anyone with red hair, and that’s there’s two things you get good at growing up with red hair, and one is running, for obvious reasons. The other is fighting, because you just get sick of running!….At some point you’ve got to decide what you’re going to do, are you going to continue to take this, or is it time to stand up, and when you do it’s an incredible feeling, and it’s an important lesson in life. That at some point you have to stand up for yourself.” This is the first of two instalments of Shirley Robertson's interview with Jimmy Spithill, and concludes with his take on how he skippered that 90 foot trimaran to victory in the 2010 America's Cup.  Be sure to download Part 2, which sees Jimmy recount the fascinating story of how Oracle Team USA overcame that 8-1 deficit to defend the oldest trophy in world sport.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep10a - Jimmy Spithill Part 1

Chris Draper

Chris Draper is another of those guys that’s been at the sharp end of this radical change in sailing over the past two decades.  Starting with the 49er, the Extreme40s, and then of course, all of the foiling America’s Cups, and now SailGP, he sails moths, he kites, has an intense passion for surfing, and we cram all of that, and a bit more into an hour of chat - it’s a revealing sixty minutes or so that sees Shirley Robertson look forward to the British leg of SailGP as she interviews the CEO and wing trimmer of the British SailGP team, Chris Draper.Draper is no stranger to sailing fast boats, but has embraced the exciting new SailGP circuit with typical energy and enthusiasm.“The noise they make is incredible, the foils whistling, and six of them careering towards you while you’re sitting on the shore, or on a spectator boat, well it really is difficult to get your head around, just how dramatic it is!"Draper and Robertson have a degree of shared history - the pair were British Olympic team mates for the 2004 Games in Athens, where Draper won bronze in the 49er Class.  Shortly after that they were opponents, both helming the exciting new catamarans of the fledgling Extreme Sailing Series, the birth of 'stadium sailing’.The pair do, therefore, have much to talk about, and the result is a frank and honest discussion that looks into multiple aspects of Draper’s wide ranging professional sailing career.  A favourite to win gold in Athens, Draper is audibly moved as he discusses the fact that to him, a bronze medal wasn’t what he went to Athens to achieve.“It’s really sad now, in hindsight, when I think back at my Olympic memories, I guess I shouldn't think about it with remorse, it’s a shame, it was a tough one at the time."But he also reveals how excited the Extreme Sailing fraternity became when BMW Oracle Racing won the 33rd America’s Cup, a win that opened up the Cup world to the experienced fast cat sailor.“We watched Oracle win the Cup, all sat together in Oman, and realised that probably meant it was going to go to catamarans, and we all just thought ‘wow!’"It wasn’t long before Draper was recruited into the America’s Cup world, eventually for Luna Rosa as they campaigned in the AC72s for the 34th Cup in San Francisco.“That was an amazing time then, for all the sailors.  We had all these different shapes and sizes of foils, and they all had nicknames…we had a Draper, and another we called CJ - one was quite stable and forgiving, risk averse, like myself, and the other was very fast, and very high risk, and could crash at any moment!”Draper also talks openly and candidly as he reveals what life was like in the final days of Luna Rosa’s AC35 campaign the Italian team withdrawing from the Cup due to unsettled differences with the Defender, despite having spent a vast amount of time developing foiling mechanisms for the campaign.Our last day of sailing at Luna Rosa was the first day that the auto-pilot beat the human.  We were two-boating…myself against Bruni….and it was the first day the computer smashed the human, and we were all ‘oh my god, this is enormous!’"It's a revealing listen - a great hour of sailing chat between two ex-team mates, good friends, with a shared sailing history.Support the show

Chris Draper is another of those guys that’s been at the sharp end of this radical change in sailing over the past two decades.  Starting with the 49er, the Extreme40s, and then of course, all of the foiling America’s Cups, and now SailGP, he sails moths, he kites, has an intense passion for surfing, and we cram all of that, and a bit more into an hour of chat - it’s a revealing sixty minutes or so that sees Shirley Robertson look forward to the British leg of SailGP as she interviews the CEO and wing trimmer of the British SailGP team, Chris Draper.Draper is no stranger to sailing fast boats, but has embraced the exciting new SailGP circuit with typical energy and enthusiasm.“The noise they make is incredible, the foils whistling, and six of them careering towards you while you’re sitting on the shore, or on a spectator boat, well it really is difficult to get your head around, just how dramatic it is!"Draper and Robertson have a degree of shared history - the pair were British Olympic team mates for the 2004 Games in Athens, where Draper won bronze in the 49er Class.  Shortly after that they were opponents, both helming the exciting new catamarans of the fledgling Extreme Sailing Series, the birth of 'stadium sailing’.The pair do, therefore, have much to talk about, and the result is a frank and honest discussion that looks into multiple aspects of Draper’s wide ranging professional sailing career.  A favourite to win gold in Athens, Draper is audibly moved as he discusses the fact that to him, a bronze medal wasn’t what he went to Athens to achieve.“It’s really sad now, in hindsight, when I think back at my Olympic memories, I guess I shouldn't think about it with remorse, it’s a shame, it was a tough one at the time."But he also reveals how excited the Extreme Sailing fraternity became when BMW Oracle Racing won the 33rd America’s Cup, a win that opened up the Cup world to the experienced fast cat sailor.“We watched Oracle win the Cup, all sat together in Oman, and realised that probably meant it was going to go to catamarans, and we all just thought ‘wow!’" It wasn’t long before Draper was recruited into the America’s Cup world, eventually for Luna Rosa as they campaigned in the AC72s for the 34th Cup in San Francisco.“That was an amazing time then, for all the sailors.  We had all these different shapes and sizes of foils, and they all had nicknames…we had a Draper, and another we called CJ - one was quite stable and forgiving, risk averse, like myself, and the other was very fast, and very high risk, and could crash at any moment!”Draper also talks openly and candidly as he reveals what life was like in the final days of Luna Rosa’s AC35 campaign the Italian team withdrawing from the Cup due to unsettled differences with the Defender, despite having spent a vast amount of time developing foiling mechanisms for the campaign. Our last day of sailing at Luna Rosa was the first day that the auto-pilot beat the human.  We were two-boating…myself against Bruni….and it was the first day the computer smashed the human, and we were all ‘oh my god, this is enormous!’" It's a revealing listen - a great hour of sailing chat between two ex-team mates, good friends, with a shared sailing history.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep4 - Chris Draper

Francois Gabart

Francois Gabart is one of the stars of the offshore sailing world - the youngest ever winner of the solo offshore marathon the Vendee Globe, Francois also holds the title for the fastest ever solo lap of the planet, achievements that have made him a household name in his native France..Gabart set a remarkable world record in 2017 when he took just 42 days 16hours 40minutes and 35seconds to sail alone, non stop around the world, coming within just 2 days of the overall crewed world record.  The landmark achievement was set sailing the giant 100ft trimaran ‘Macif’, a foiling trimaran capable of sustained periods of high speed out in the world’s toughest sailing conditions…:“I love speed.  I’m not afraid of speed and I have to say that sometimes I even think that speed is not dangerous, that it’s sometimes safer to go fast."As a six year old child Gabart spent a year at sea with his parents, as on a whim they decided to take off to see the world.  He attributes a degree of his success to these formative days spent enjoying the experience of being out at sea.  His sailing career started well, he was national champion in the competitive Optimist class.  Several national titles followed as Gabart set his sights on Olympic success, but admits to Shirley that even then, his horizons were slightly wider…:“There was something missing when I would just sail around the buoys, and then go back to shore at night.  I was thinking ‘why can’t we just try to go further, sail into the night and just go’"And so began a search for something more.  Gabart discusses the unique French pathway to becoming an offshore professional, and how he tentatively set off around the world on his one and only Vendee Globe race, aged just 29.“I was so proud to be a winner. I had been dreaming about doing the Vendee Globe, but i never thought I’d be a winner….The day I arrived, I was just thinking I did something incredible but I didn't know exactly what I had done, I was so focused on what I was doing I didn't realise the consequences of that….It didn't so much change the way I was living, but it changed the way the world was looking at myself."Looking to the future, Gabart is pushing the boundaries of the sport wherever he can - he's an advocate of collaboration between the different areas of sailing, keen to learn from the technological advancements of the the America's Cup as he searches for speed out in the world's toughest oceans - he's a man revelling in his time, an articulate and intelligent athlete delighted to be involved in the sport of sailing while it undergoes a radical and exciting revolution.Support the show

Francois Gabart is one of the stars of the offshore sailing world - the youngest ever winner of the solo offshore marathon the Vendee Globe, Francois also holds the title for the fastest ever solo lap of the planet, achievements that have made him a household name in his native France..Gabart set a remarkable world record in 2017 when he took just 42 days 16hours 40minutes and 35seconds to sail alone, non stop around the world, coming within just 2 days of the overall crewed world record.  The landmark achievement was set sailing the giant 100ft trimaran ‘Macif’, a foiling trimaran capable of sustained periods of high speed out in the world’s toughest sailing conditions…:“I love speed.  I’m not afraid of speed and I have to say that sometimes I even think that speed is not dangerous, that it’s sometimes safer to go fast."As a six year old child Gabart spent a year at sea with his parents, as on a whim they decided to take off to see the world.  He attributes a degree of his success to these formative days spent enjoying the experience of being out at sea.  His sailing career started well, he was national champion in the competitive Optimist class.  Several national titles followed as Gabart set his sights on Olympic success, but admits to Shirley that even then, his horizons were slightly wider…:“There was something missing when I would just sail around the buoys, and then go back to shore at night.  I was thinking ‘why can’t we just try to go further, sail into the night and just go’"And so began a search for something more.  Gabart discusses the unique French pathway to becoming an offshore professional, and how he tentatively set off around the world on his one and only Vendee Globe race, aged just 29. “I was so proud to be a winner. I had been dreaming about doing the Vendee Globe, but i never thought I’d be a winner….The day I arrived, I was just thinking I did something incredible but I didn't know exactly what I had done, I was so focused on what I was doing I didn't realise the consequences of that….It didn't so much change the way I was living, but it changed the way the world was looking at myself." Looking to the future, Gabart is pushing the boundaries of the sport wherever he can - he's an advocate of collaboration between the different areas of sailing, keen to learn from the technological advancements of the the America's Cup as he searches for speed out in the world's toughest oceans - he's a man revelling in his time, an articulate and intelligent athlete delighted to be involved in the sport of sailing while it undergoes a radical and exciting revolution.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 1 - Ep3 - Francois Gabart

Ben Ainslie

The first in a two part discussion between two one time TeamGB Olympic team mates sees Shirley Robertson engaged in frank and honest discussion with Sir Ben Ainslie.The most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Ainslie won four golds and one silver over an Olympic career that culminated in front of thousands at his home games, London 2012.Standing atop the podium at the sailing venue in Weymouth, Ainslie accepted his fourth gold medal to draw the line under an Olympic career that had started as a nineteen year old in the 1996 Games in Atlanta, USA.  Throughout his early appearances on the world stage, Ainslie often found himself locked in battle with Brazilian sailing maestro Robert Scheidt, and as he recounts those early tussles to his then Team GB team mate Robertson, Ainslie's recall and attention to detail is impressive.  One false move, one sloppy tack, and against Scheidt, Olympic success could vanish.  In 1996 he fell foul of the wily Brazilian, and had to settle for silver, but four years later, as the gold medal went down to the final race again,  a determined and steadfast Ainslie sailed circles around his great adversary, in a display of control and aggression that split the sporting world."If you can sail, and get into someone and it's within the rules, and that's not an easy thing to do, that's the game, in my view.  And there was quite a lot of controversy about it at the time....from Roger Bannister, he's a hero in England obviously, the first guy to break the four minute mile...and I could understand (the criticism) but it's interesting how the sport's developed.....I think maybe it was a little bit ahead of it's time."Sir Ben Ainslie celebrates winning Gold at London 2012 - © Rick Tomlinson PhotographyAinslie and Robertson spent three Olympic Games as team mates, twice claiming gold at the same Games, in Sydney and Athens. Their collective recall is therefore insightful, as in this Part 1 of the podcast they unpick Ainslie's Olympic career before reminiscing on Ainslie's final Olympic triumph at London 2012...:"You can't really beat that can you, a home Games and being able to get a fourth gold medal in front of a home crowd, it was an incredibly special moment.  I've always liked that element of being up against it, the tougher the challenge, the more exciting it is.  It's a bit of a strange approach, you really shouldn't be looking to make life hard for yourself, but there have certainly been a few occasions where I've managed to do that, and then had that challenge and taken it on and found that rewarding in some kind of perverse way."Robertson's chat with Ainslie continues for a second part, in which the pair discuss Sir Ben's America's Cup career and how his team is preparing for the 36th America's Cup, in Auckland, New Zealand. Support the show

The first in a two part discussion between two one time TeamGB Olympic team mates sees Shirley Robertson engaged in frank and honest discussion with Sir Ben Ainslie. The most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Ainslie won four golds and one silver over an Olympic career that culminated in front of thousands at his home games, London 2012. Standing atop the podium at the sailing venue in Weymouth, Ainslie accepted his fourth gold medal to draw the line under an Olympic career that had started as a nineteen year old in the 1996 Games in Atlanta, USA.  Throughout his early appearances on the world stage, Ainslie often found himself locked in battle with Brazilian sailing maestro Robert Scheidt, and as he recounts those early tussles to his then Team GB team mate Robertson, Ainslie's recall and attention to detail is impressive.  One false move, one sloppy tack, and against Scheidt, Olympic success could vanish.  In 1996 he fell foul of the wily Brazilian, and had to settle for silver, but four years later, as the gold medal went down to the final race again,  a determined and steadfast Ainslie sailed circles around his great adversary, in a display of control and aggression that split the sporting world. "If you can sail, and get into someone and it's within the rules, and that's not an easy thing to do, that's the game, in my view.  And there was quite a lot of controversy about it at the time....from Roger Bannister, he's a hero in England obviously, the first guy to break the four minute mile...and I could understand (the criticism) but it's interesting how the sport's developed.....I think maybe it was a little bit ahead of it's time." Sir Ben Ainslie celebrates winning Gold at London 2012 - © Rick Tomlinson Photography Ainslie and Robertson spent three Olympic Games as team mates, twice claiming gold at the same Games, in Sydney and Athens. Their collective recall is therefore insightful, as in this Part 1 of the podcast they unpick Ainslie's Olympic career before reminiscing on Ainslie's final Olympic triumph at London 2012...: "You can't really beat that can you, a home Games and being able to get a fourth gold medal in front of a home crowd, it was an incredibly special moment.  I've always liked that element of being up against it, the tougher the challenge, the more exciting it is.  It's a bit of a strange approach, you really shouldn't be looking to make life hard for yourself, but there have certainly been a few occasions where I've managed to do that, and then had that challenge and taken it on and found that rewarding in some kind of perverse way." Robertson's chat with Ainslie continues for a second part, in which the pair discuss Sir Ben's America's Cup career and how his team is preparing for the 36th America's Cup, in Auckland, New Zealand. <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 2 - Ep3 - Ben Ainslie Part 1

Nick Moloney

Shirley Robertson continues her two part chat with offshore sailor Nick Moloney in this the second part of their discussion about the Australian offshore sailor's diverse career.This edition kicks off with Moloney's move into solo sailing and jumps straight in with his tense and brutal account of his first Mini Transat race, and attempt that resulted in a badly broken arm and a very near death experience underneath the upturned hull of his 6.5m mini transat boat...:"A big wave hit the side of the boat, rolled it on it's side and washed my legs from underneath me and I had my arm around the vertical shroud.  As my legs came out from underneath me my arm slid down the narrowing of the 'v' and snapped my forearm in half.  And I went in the water.  It's hard to talk about it now.  I didn't talk about it for along time."Maloney's honest and emotional account of the incident is one of several anecdotes he shares that benefit from his easy, genuine style of story telling.  The near death accident failed to dampen his spirit, and his offshore career blossomed.  It wasn't long before he got the call from French offshore sailing legend Bruno Peyron, offering a spot on the then ground breaking catamaran 'Orange' - their objective, the Jules Verne Trophy.Awarded for the fastest sailed lap of the planet, the Jules Verne Trophy os one of the most coveted awards in the sport.  And so it was on May 5th 2002 that Moloney, on board  'Orange', crossed the finish line, as one of thirteen crew onboard the record breaking circumnavigation.  The non-stop blast around the planet had taken 64 days 8 hours and 37 minutes, and for Moloney, sailing with French offshore legend Bruno Peyron was just one of many highlights in an incredible voyage...:"Bruno had a lot going on....so you didn't see a lot of him, but whenever you were out of control, which was pretty often in those boats, before we knew it, before we actually knew we were out of control, he'd put his wet weather gear on, his harness on, and as soon as the situation got critical he appeared like a fairy, and just grabbed the helm, laid down command and got the situation back in control immediately, and that for me was absolutely amazing."I remember getting the trophy, and having said to myself 'I'm gonna put my name on that trophy', everyone's name's on the base.....and the trophy itself is this chrome canoe body suspended on a magnetic field.....and when the (black silk sheet) dropped off the base, my name was right there!  It was so emotional!"More recently, Moloney and Robertson both held key roles as skippers in the fledgling Extreme 40s Series, the groundbreaking, fast catamaran series that paved the way for inshore, 'stadium' style racing.  Their recollections are of wild early days, racing fast boats in small spaces, with the inevitable collisions and dangers of the new sport pushing them all to their limits.But it was offshore that Moloney's calling was strongest.  A tight business alliance with Ellen Macarthur flourished, and set Moloney on an inevitable collision course with the solo sailor's ultimate challenge, the toughest race on the planet, the Vendee Globe.  It's his honest and at times brutal accounts of his exploits alone at sea that are the highlight of this podcast, confessing how at times, he hated the noises, the movements, everything about being at sea, confronting near death experiences with the honest and matter of fact approach of a man that knows things could have ended very differently.  It's a compelling listen, but there's also a passion and transparent emotion in Moloney's story telling that is there for all to hear in an interview that offers a raw insight into the life of one of the sport's real characters.Support the show

Shirley Robertson continues her two part chat with offshore sailor Nick Moloney in this the second part of their discussion about the Australian offshore sailor's diverse career. This edition kicks off with Moloney's move into solo sailing and jumps straight in with his tense and brutal account of his first Mini Transat race, and attempt that resulted in a badly broken arm and a very near death experience underneath the upturned hull of his 6.5m mini transat boat...: "A big wave hit the side of the boat, rolled it on it's side and washed my legs from underneath me and I had my arm around the vertical shroud.  As my legs came out from underneath me my arm slid down the narrowing of the 'v' and snapped my forearm in half.  And I went in the water.  It's hard to talk about it now.  I didn't talk about it for along time." Maloney's honest and emotional account of the incident is one of several anecdotes he shares that benefit from his easy, genuine style of story telling.  The near death accident failed to dampen his spirit, and his offshore career blossomed.  It wasn't long before he got the call from French offshore sailing legend Bruno Peyron, offering a spot on the then ground breaking catamaran 'Orange' - their objective, the Jules Verne Trophy. Awarded for the fastest sailed lap of the planet, the Jules Verne Trophy os one of the most coveted awards in the sport.  And so it was on May 5th 2002 that Moloney, on board  'Orange', crossed the finish line, as one of thirteen crew onboard the record breaking circumnavigation.  The non-stop blast around the planet had taken 64 days 8 hours and 37 minutes, and for Moloney, sailing with French offshore legend Bruno Peyron was just one of many highlights in an incredible voyage...: "Bruno had a lot going on....so you didn't see a lot of him, but whenever you were out of control, which was pretty often in those boats, before we knew it, before we actually knew we were out of control, he'd put his wet weather gear on, his harness on, and as soon as the situation got critical he appeared like a fairy, and just grabbed the helm, laid down command and got the situation back in control immediately, and that for me was absolutely amazing. "I remember getting the trophy, and having said to myself 'I'm gonna put my name on that trophy', everyone's name's on the base.....and the trophy itself is this chrome canoe body suspended on a magnetic field.....and when the (black silk sheet) dropped off the base, my name was right there!  It was so emotional!" More recently, Moloney and Robertson both held key roles as skippers in the fledgling Extreme 40s Series, the groundbreaking, fast catamaran series that paved the way for inshore, 'stadium' style racing.  Their recollections are of wild early days, racing fast boats in small spaces, with the inevitable collisions and dangers of the new sport pushing them all to their limits. But it was offshore that Moloney's calling was strongest.  A tight business alliance with Ellen Macarthur flourished, and set Moloney on an inevitable collision course with the solo sailor's ultimate challenge, the toughest race on the planet, the Vendee Globe.  It's his honest and at times brutal accounts of his exploits alone at sea that are the highlight of this podcast, confessing how at times, he hated the noises, the movements, everything about being at sea, confronting near death experiences with the honest and matter of fact approach of a man that knows things could have ended very differently.  It's a compelling listen, but there's also a passion and transparent emotion in Moloney's story telling that is there for all to hear in an interview that offers a raw insight into the life of one of the sport's real characters.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 2 - Ep2 - Nick Moloney Part 2

Shirley Robertson kicks off the second Series of her Sailing Podcast with an in depth chat with Australian offshore sailor Nick Moloney.  In another two part extravaganza, the pair spend this first episode discussing much about Moloney's diverse sailing career which has seen him race in amongst other things the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Jules Verne Trophy and the Vendee Globe.In Part 1 of this chat they kick things off with a discussion about Moloney's recent trip to Antarctica, and how having sailed 'down south' in the Southern Ocean on multiple occasions, it was particularly rewarding to be able to stop and spend some time respecting the fragile environment of the  southern continent.Moloney grew up on Port Philip Bay near Melbourne, Australia, and spent much of his early life in the ocean, surfing and then sailing, but it wasn't long before his tenacity saw him spread his wings and travel further afield in the search of adventure.  Once in Sydney, meetings with Australian legends John Bertrand, Peter Gilmour and Iain Murray saw Moloney's world of opportunity open up and a career in sailing became a viable option.Moloney's first foray into the the world of the America's Cup was with Syd Fischer in 1992, but he was soon involved with several other Cup teams, including Paul Cayard's "Il Moro di Venezia".  From there, childhood hero John Bertrand took Maloney to the Cup in the 1995 campaign oneAustralia, which saw them make the Louis Vuitton Challenger final.Moloney's impressive career then took a turn offshore, as he got the call from Dennis Connor, this time to sail the Whitbread Round the World Race in "Toshiba".  Moloney's excitement at sailing the Whitbread is obvious, his passion for racing offshore was being honed during this iconic race, and this is clear to hear in his discussion with Robertson.The pair wrap up the first episode with a chat about Moloney's almost impulsive record windsurf across the Bass Straits, a twenty one hour marathon in 1998 that goes well to illustrate the tenacity and drive of the man.Robertson's chat with Moloney continues in Part 2 as the stories go offshore, and Maloney tells of his successful Jules Verne Trophy attempt with French sailing legend Bruno Peyron onboard the then groundbreaking catamaran 'Orange'.  From there, Moloney went solo, dodged death in the Mini Transat and took on the legendary Vendee Globe - his honesty and adept story telling make for a compelling listen.Support the show

Shirley Robertson kicks off the second Series of her Sailing Podcast with an in depth chat with Australian offshore sailor Nick Moloney.  In another two part extravaganza, the pair spend this first episode discussing much about Moloney's diverse sailing career which has seen him race in amongst other things the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Jules Verne Trophy and the Vendee Globe. In Part 1 of this chat they kick things off with a discussion about Moloney's recent trip to Antarctica, and how having sailed 'down south' in the Southern Ocean on multiple occasions, it was particularly rewarding to be able to stop and spend some time respecting the fragile environment of the  southern continent. Moloney grew up on Port Philip Bay near Melbourne, Australia, and spent much of his early life in the ocean, surfing and then sailing, but it wasn't long before his tenacity saw him spread his wings and travel further afield in the search of adventure.  Once in Sydney, meetings with Australian legends John Bertrand, Peter Gilmour and Iain Murray saw Moloney's world of opportunity open up and a career in sailing became a viable option. Moloney's first foray into the the world of the America's Cup was with Syd Fischer in 1992, but he was soon involved with several other Cup teams, including Paul Cayard's "Il Moro di Venezia".  From there, childhood hero John Bertrand took Maloney to the Cup in the 1995 campaign oneAustralia, which saw them make the Louis Vuitton Challenger final. Moloney's impressive career then took a turn offshore, as he got the call from Dennis Connor, this time to sail the Whitbread Round the World Race in "Toshiba".  Moloney's excitement at sailing the Whitbread is obvious, his passion for racing offshore was being honed during this iconic race, and this is clear to hear in his discussion with Robertson. The pair wrap up the first episode with a chat about Moloney's almost impulsive record windsurf across the Bass Straits, a twenty one hour marathon in 1998 that goes well to illustrate the tenacity and drive of the man. Robertson's chat with Moloney continues in Part 2 as the stories go offshore, and Maloney tells of his successful Jules Verne Trophy attempt with French sailing legend Bruno Peyron onboard the then groundbreaking catamaran 'Orange'.  From there, Moloney went solo, dodged death in the Mini Transat and took on the legendary Vendee Globe - his honesty and adept story telling make for a compelling listen.<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>

Series 2 - Ep1 - Nick Moloney Part 1

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