January 17, 2025 • 9 mins
Team USA is ready to take on the waters at Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.
The first Sail GP races get under way today, with 11 teams competing for the win.
Taylor Canfield joined Team USA halfway through the Season 4 of the Sail GP, and in his word’s, it’s been full on.
“There’s no words to really explain it,” he told Jason Pine.
“To hop into a new class and competiting against the best boats in the, you know, the best sailors in the world, and the fastest boats in the world... yeah it’s full on.”
“The progress we’ve made as a team is awesome so far, but you know, I know there’s a lot more to come as well.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well, great to welcome to a man who's been competing
as a professional match racer fleet racer since graduating from
Boston College twenty eleven. Have I got that right? Seven
time world champion, one of the best match racers in
recent memory. United States Sale GP team driver Taylor Canfield.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Nice to see you, mate, Yeah, thanks for having me.
It's great to be here now.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Of course, you're appointed driver of the US team midway
through season four. WHI chatted in Christchinch a year ago
or thereabouts. How are you feeling ahead of event too?
In your first full season as driver?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
So excited?
Speaker 4 (00:42):
You know, I just have the opportunity to drive one
of these incredible machines, is you know it's a dream
come true?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
And you know, to be able to travel around the
world to you know, locations like this, in this racetrack,
in front of this amazing city, you can't beat it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
How challenging was it dropping into the team midway through
season four?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Yeah, I mean there's no words to really explain it.
To to hop into a new new class and uh
and competing against the best boats and the you know,
the best sailors in the world and the fastest boats
in the world.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, it's it's full on. Uh, I think that's the
best word to say.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
And but yeah, you know we're making do and uh,
things are definitely coming along and uh, you know, the
progress we've made as a team is awesome so far.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
But you know, I know there's a lot more to
come as well.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You want to talk about the progress and the good
start to to this season, but what were the big
lessons I guess you took personally out of season four
or you'll part in season four.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
For me, probably, uh, you know, just trying to be
as consistent and concise as I can with my communication.
You know, it's so everything is happening so quickly in
in this racing, in this format. Uh, you just need
everyone on board to be on the same page and
and that usually creates an environment for things to go well.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
So it's uh, you know, I say it a lot
that we're racing ourselves out there.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Again, the boats are so complex.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Every maneuver requires so much concentration and just pure finesse
with everyone on board that yeah, we need everyone super
tuned in and ready to go, and if if you
have good communication, then everyone knows what's coming and usually
things go well.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I love it you we use the word for nice.
I think that's the first time I've heard that word
used in relation to the fifties. I want to talk
about the New t Falls in a moment, but I
understand there was quite a bit of off season training
for the for the USA team, is it right?
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Yeah, super fortunate. We had a great training camp in Bermuda.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
I mean, what what is fine? I'll take that for sure.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
And then some great training leading up to Dubai. You know,
the first event of twenty twenty five season. We spent
Thanksgiving over there, which is a bit controversial, but it was.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
It was fun.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
You know, we had our good, solid group and their
culture is incredible in our team, so that was that
was nice to have, you know, what felt like family
surrounding us for that.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, it obviously worked third in Dubai. How happy were
you with it?
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah? You know, static to be on the podium.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Uh, it's it's this is just ruthless sailing, you know,
it's We're gonna have our ups and downs, but a
great way to start the season. And you know, to
win win the first race of the twenty twenty five season. Uh,
that's that's something cool too. I hope that we've wrapped
everyone up for the season to come.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Absolutely, it must have been a buzzy because first, the seventh, seventh, sixth,
second to qualify third for the final. So what makes
the difference between a first and a second or a
sixth and a seventh.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah, let's let's forget about the middle races.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
It's yeah, it's hard to bring it up to. No,
it's all good.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
It's uh again, it's a game of inches. It's again,
it requires so much, I guess, just teamwork and uh,
you know, it doesn't take much for things to go
you know, completely bad.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
So yeah, it's just about uh, execution.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And and everyone doing their jobs on board and and
and making sure that again everyone's ready for that that
next thing. So the more foresight we can all like
we can have as a team on board, the better
it's gonna go.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
How much, uh is it or have different?
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Sorry? With the new high speed t foils, what what
adjustments have you hit to Mike?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Uh, there's definitely high speeds.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
We can confirm that but yeah, you know, it's not
too much has changed. Uh, some of the jobs on
boards have changed. The flight controller's job has gotten more complex.
You know, before we just had the rake of the
foils fore and aft, and now we have the rake
of the foils in and out as well. So you know,
we've added this three dimensional uh kind of take to
(04:41):
the new hydrofoils and.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
It really affects the balance of the boat.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And yeah, yeah, you know, the how much helmload we're
getting For me personally, it's been a big change.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
So just getting used to that and trying to figure
out new ways to be you know, innovative to you know,
just get the most out of these boats.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
But yeah, pretty cool. I mean they're fast, they accelerate
really quickly. You know, I think we're gonn see more
g forces. We can really throw the boats around. There's
there's a lot of grip we like to call it,
where the boat feels really attached to the water.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
So yeah, it's uh, it's a work in progress for everyone.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
It seems like, you know, watching some of the teams
and and and ourselves go around the racetrack yesterday, there's
it could be some real v moments. So everyone hold
on and yeah and enjoy the show.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
So you're kind of learning as you go in some
ways with with the new FORLS.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yeah, absolutely, it's uh, it's a new game and we're
all adjusting and figuring it out quickly.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
And you know, this.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Shared data source for for Sale GP just makes it
that much the learning process that much quicker. But there's
a lot of ideas out there right now, and you
can see it in the data that people are trying
different things on crazy radical ends of the spectrums, and
you know, not not always. You come back in after
a day's sailing and you go through all the data
and you're like, well, that didn't work, so you got
(06:01):
to go back to the drawing board and try something new.
But you don't always have to try the things, which
is nice because other teams are doing that for you
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, so that they can make your mistakes for you
and say, well we'll rule that out, we won't do that. Yeah,
you've had quite a bit of experience in the M
thirty two's who them describes as a kind of a
slow down version of a New fifty. So has your
experience in the M thirty two has helped in your
in racing any fifty.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think a lot of uh, you know,
I guess some of our starting starting success out of
the racetrack has come from the M thirty two class
and that routine that we've set up in something I've
sworn by for for many years. But yeah, you know,
it's it's been a progression for me from you know,
the slow Monohl match racing to the you know, the
apparent win M thirty two sailing non foiling to now this,
(06:46):
you know is uh, it's been. It's been really cool
and it's taken a lot of getting used to it
for sure, you know, and have seventy knots of parent
win on the on the face, you know, trying to
communicate with your teammates is pretty full on.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Absolutely. I said, you had Liam Lawson in your right
in your team base. Was that yesterday? How do you reckon?
You go with a driver swapsk you reckon? You get
behind a Formula one car and he could drive this
thing out of you?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Oh man, did you discuss? I would definitely give it
a go. How cool would that be?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Liam, you know what a great guy.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Uh, super pumped for him to have the seat uh
in the Red Bull car this season, and uh yeah,
we'll be following him. You know when when you meet
someone and you get that extra special bond with them
and meeting them in person and they seeing their personality.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
So that'll be really cool.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I'll be rerooting for him this season and uh yeah,
hopefully we can get them out later for a run
on one of these on these boats and seeity things.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And what doesn't surprise me, you jump in the rice
car because you struck me as a bit of an
adrenaline junkie, if you will. Instagram is to be believed.
Bungee jumping off the sky tower this week.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Yeah you know.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
It landed in uh in Auckland, I think nine thirty
am and we're on.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
The top of the sky tower at eleven o'clock, so
straight into it. I love it. I love the extremes.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
And I used to jump off you know, these rocks
and cliffs as a little kid down in the Virgin Islands.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
And yeah, I for some.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Reason, I don't know, it doesn't doesn't trigger my brain
to to have the fear when I'm up high like that.
Very lucky in that in that sense, I guess. But
I was ready to go. It's cool.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Outstanding probably helps you out here as well. So, hey,
you're feeling a few hours out from from the start off,
so gp Auckland.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Uh just pumped. I mean we were stailing out there yesterday.
I was looking back at the Grand Standard.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
This is so cool.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
The fact that you know, this, this sport here in
New Zealand is just, you know, such an incredible thing. Uh,
It's part of their culture and you know, I'm I'm
pumped to see how everyone's you know, gonna gonna be
here rooting us on. And you know we've already acquired
a few Kiwi fans if they've come through the base
and we've we've turned them from the Kiwi team.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
So that's uh, that's cool to see that people are
here even in New Zealand rooining for us. And uh,
the race track's gonna be incredible. It'll be tight, eleven boats,
it's going to be full on out there.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well we just count white. Hey, I'm Tyler. I'm sure
you lose a lot more fans across the weekend. It's
great I get the chance to catch up with you again.
All the best here in Auckland and for the rest
of season five of sal GP.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah, thanks so much, and yeah, be sure to tune
in and we'll put on a good show.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well, great to welcome to a man who's been competing
as a professional match racer fleet racer since graduating from
Boston College twenty eleven. Have I got that right? Seven
time world champion, one of the best match racers in
recent memory. United States Sale GP team driver Taylor Canfield.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Nice to see you, mate, Yeah, thanks for having me.
It's great to be here now.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Of course, you're appointed driver of the US team midway
through season four. WHI chatted in Christchinch a year ago
or thereabouts. How are you feeling ahead of event too?
In your first full season as driver?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
So excited?
Speaker 4 (00:42):
You know, I just have the opportunity to drive one
of these incredible machines, is you know it's a dream
come true?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
And you know, to be able to travel around the
world to you know, locations like this, in this racetrack,
in front of this amazing city, you can't beat it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
How challenging was it dropping into the team midway through
season four?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Yeah, I mean there's no words to really explain it.
To to hop into a new new class and uh
and competing against the best boats and the you know,
the best sailors in the world and the fastest boats
in the world.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, it's it's full on. Uh, I think that's the
best word to say.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
And but yeah, you know we're making do and uh,
things are definitely coming along and uh, you know, the
progress we've made as a team is awesome so far.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
But you know, I know there's a lot more to
come as well.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You want to talk about the progress and the good
start to to this season, but what were the big
lessons I guess you took personally out of season four
or you'll part in season four.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
For me, probably, uh, you know, just trying to be
as consistent and concise as I can with my communication.
You know, it's so everything is happening so quickly in
in this racing, in this format. Uh, you just need
everyone on board to be on the same page and
and that usually creates an environment for things to go well.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
So it's uh, you know, I say it a lot
that we're racing ourselves out there.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Again, the boats are so complex.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Every maneuver requires so much concentration and just pure finesse
with everyone on board that yeah, we need everyone super
tuned in and ready to go, and if if you
have good communication, then everyone knows what's coming and usually
things go well.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I love it you we use the word for nice.
I think that's the first time I've heard that word
used in relation to the fifties. I want to talk
about the New t Falls in a moment, but I
understand there was quite a bit of off season training
for the for the USA team, is it right?
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Yeah, super fortunate. We had a great training camp in Bermuda.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
I mean, what what is fine? I'll take that for sure.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
And then some great training leading up to Dubai. You know,
the first event of twenty twenty five season. We spent
Thanksgiving over there, which is a bit controversial, but it was.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
It was fun.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
You know, we had our good, solid group and their
culture is incredible in our team, so that was that
was nice to have, you know, what felt like family
surrounding us for that.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, it obviously worked third in Dubai. How happy were
you with it?
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah? You know, static to be on the podium.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Uh, it's it's this is just ruthless sailing, you know,
it's We're gonna have our ups and downs, but a
great way to start the season. And you know, to
win win the first race of the twenty twenty five season. Uh,
that's that's something cool too. I hope that we've wrapped
everyone up for the season to come.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Absolutely, it must have been a buzzy because first, the seventh, seventh, sixth,
second to qualify third for the final. So what makes
the difference between a first and a second or a
sixth and a seventh.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah, let's let's forget about the middle races.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
It's yeah, it's hard to bring it up to. No,
it's all good.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
It's uh again, it's a game of inches. It's again,
it requires so much, I guess, just teamwork and uh,
you know, it doesn't take much for things to go
you know, completely bad.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
So yeah, it's just about uh, execution.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And and everyone doing their jobs on board and and
and making sure that again everyone's ready for that that
next thing. So the more foresight we can all like
we can have as a team on board, the better
it's gonna go.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
How much, uh is it or have different?
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Sorry? With the new high speed t foils, what what
adjustments have you hit to Mike?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Uh, there's definitely high speeds.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
We can confirm that but yeah, you know, it's not
too much has changed. Uh, some of the jobs on
boards have changed. The flight controller's job has gotten more complex.
You know, before we just had the rake of the
foils fore and aft, and now we have the rake
of the foils in and out as well. So you know,
we've added this three dimensional uh kind of take to
(04:41):
the new hydrofoils and.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
It really affects the balance of the boat.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And yeah, yeah, you know, the how much helmload we're
getting For me personally, it's been a big change.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
So just getting used to that and trying to figure
out new ways to be you know, innovative to you know,
just get the most out of these boats.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
But yeah, pretty cool. I mean they're fast, they accelerate
really quickly. You know, I think we're gonn see more
g forces. We can really throw the boats around. There's
there's a lot of grip we like to call it,
where the boat feels really attached to the water.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
So yeah, it's uh, it's a work in progress for everyone.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
It seems like, you know, watching some of the teams
and and and ourselves go around the racetrack yesterday, there's
it could be some real v moments. So everyone hold
on and yeah and enjoy the show.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
So you're kind of learning as you go in some
ways with with the new FORLS.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yeah, absolutely, it's uh, it's a new game and we're
all adjusting and figuring it out quickly.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
And you know, this.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Shared data source for for Sale GP just makes it
that much the learning process that much quicker. But there's
a lot of ideas out there right now, and you
can see it in the data that people are trying
different things on crazy radical ends of the spectrums, and
you know, not not always. You come back in after
a day's sailing and you go through all the data
and you're like, well, that didn't work, so you got
(06:01):
to go back to the drawing board and try something new.
But you don't always have to try the things, which
is nice because other teams are doing that for you
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, so that they can make your mistakes for you
and say, well we'll rule that out, we won't do that. Yeah,
you've had quite a bit of experience in the M
thirty two's who them describes as a kind of a
slow down version of a New fifty. So has your
experience in the M thirty two has helped in your
in racing any fifty.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think a lot of uh, you know,
I guess some of our starting starting success out of
the racetrack has come from the M thirty two class
and that routine that we've set up in something I've
sworn by for for many years. But yeah, you know,
it's it's been a progression for me from you know,
the slow Monohl match racing to the you know, the
apparent win M thirty two sailing non foiling to now this,
(06:46):
you know is uh, it's been. It's been really cool
and it's taken a lot of getting used to it
for sure, you know, and have seventy knots of parent
win on the on the face, you know, trying to
communicate with your teammates is pretty full on.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Absolutely. I said, you had Liam Lawson in your right
in your team base. Was that yesterday? How do you reckon?
You go with a driver swapsk you reckon? You get
behind a Formula one car and he could drive this
thing out of you?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Oh man, did you discuss? I would definitely give it
a go. How cool would that be?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Liam, you know what a great guy.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Uh, super pumped for him to have the seat uh
in the Red Bull car this season, and uh yeah,
we'll be following him. You know when when you meet
someone and you get that extra special bond with them
and meeting them in person and they seeing their personality.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
So that'll be really cool.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I'll be rerooting for him this season and uh yeah,
hopefully we can get them out later for a run
on one of these on these boats and seeity things.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And what doesn't surprise me, you jump in the rice
car because you struck me as a bit of an
adrenaline junkie, if you will. Instagram is to be believed.
Bungee jumping off the sky tower this week.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Yeah you know.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
It landed in uh in Auckland, I think nine thirty
am and we're on.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
The top of the sky tower at eleven o'clock, so
straight into it. I love it. I love the extremes.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
And I used to jump off you know, these rocks
and cliffs as a little kid down in the Virgin Islands.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
And yeah, I for some.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Reason, I don't know, it doesn't doesn't trigger my brain
to to have the fear when I'm up high like that.
Very lucky in that in that sense, I guess. But
I was ready to go. It's cool.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Outstanding probably helps you out here as well. So, hey,
you're feeling a few hours out from from the start off,
so gp Auckland.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Uh just pumped. I mean we were stailing out there yesterday.
I was looking back at the Grand Standard.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
This is so cool.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
The fact that you know, this, this sport here in
New Zealand is just, you know, such an incredible thing. Uh,
It's part of their culture and you know, I'm I'm
pumped to see how everyone's you know, gonna gonna be
here rooting us on. And you know we've already acquired
a few Kiwi fans if they've come through the base
and we've we've turned them from the Kiwi team.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
So that's uh, that's cool to see that people are
here even in New Zealand rooining for us. And uh,
the race track's gonna be incredible. It'll be tight, eleven boats,
it's going to be full on out there.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well we just count white. Hey, I'm Tyler. I'm sure
you lose a lot more fans across the weekend. It's
great I get the chance to catch up with you again.
All the best here in Auckland and for the rest
of season five of sal GP.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah, thanks so much, and yeah, be sure to tune
in and we'll put on a good show.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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