Yacht Racing Life Podcast

In this episode of The Yacht Racing Life Podcast, host Justin Chisholm sits down with British Olympic campaigner Micky Beckett for a wide‑ranging and candid conversation about his journey in the Laser (ILCA 7) class, the brutal highs and lows of Olympic campaigning, and his plans for the future.

From growing up in a tiny Welsh harbour, crashing around in a home‑built dinghy, to standing on start lines against the world’s best, Bec...

Episode Summary:

In the latest episode of The Yacht Racing Life Podcast, Justin Chisholm sits down with fellow sailing journalist Magnus Wheatley to unpack a packed weekend of world-class racing at last weekend's British SailGP event. From the electric atmosphere in Portsmouth to Britain’s much-needed resurgence, the pair dive deep into the stories behind the racing – from Dylan Fletcher’s stando...

Justin Chisholm sits down with North Sails president Ken Read for a look across the recent goings on in the sailboat racing world.

We start with the IMOCA class — that wild, high-stakes solo circuit that somehow keeps cranking out close finishes in the middle of nowhere. Kenny was glued to the last Vendée Globe like the rest of us, marvelling at the match race up front and the level of detail behind every campaig...

In this episode of The Yacht Racing Life Podcast, Justin Chisholm is joined from the UK by fellow yachting journalist Magnus Wheatley to dive into all the drama, intrigue, and slippery foils of the the sixth event of SailGP Season 5, which took place in New York last weekend.

While neither of them got the call-up from Russell Coutts to attend in person (again), Justin and Magnus were watching intently online and had pl...

Justin Chisholm’s guest is the British solo around-the-world sailor Sam Goodchild.

Goodchild recently fulfilled a 14 -year dream to compete in the Vendée Globe solo, nonstop, around-the-world race. Racing as part of Thomas Ruyant’s two boat TR Racing campaign and on a previous generation IMOCA he led the race several times in the early stages heading down the Atlantic and entered the final fortnight of the race in a battle for fourt...

Justin Chisholm's guest is Italian / American sailor Francesca Clapcich.

Frankie – as she is best known – has had an amazing career in sailing since having been introduced to the sport by her parents when she was a young child growing up in Trieste, Italy. 

She has won world and European titles, twice represented Italy at the Olympic Games, is the first Italian to sailor win The Ocean Race, and competed at last year's Women...

Justin Chisholm’s guest on the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast is American athlete John Croom.

Croom had an illustrious career as a track cyclist in the US National Team before switching sports to bring his physique and fitness to bear in the America’s Cup, where he raced as a ‘cyclor’ aboard the New York Yacht Club American Magic AC75 at the 38th Cup in Barcelona last year.

During what turned out to be a wide ranging...

Justin Chisholm’s guest on the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Podcast is the American sailor, meteorologist, and navigation expert, Anderson Reggio.

Anderson has just returned home with his family to Newport Rhode Island after a two year assignment in Barcelona, Spain where he headed up the data analytics unit at the US America’s Cup syndicate NYYC American Magic.

During their chat they discuss the increasing importance of data a...

On the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast British sailing journalists Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley catch up online to review the action at last weekend’s SailGP event three with took place in Sydney, Australia.

As well as diving into the relative performances of the top three teams – event winners Emirates GBR, skippered by Dylan Fletcher; second-placed Northstar Canada, led by Giles Scott; and Tom Slingsby’s hom...

Joining Justin Chisholm on the Yacht Racing Life Podcast this time is Australian Olympic silver medallist and two-time America’s Cup winner with Emirates Team New Zealand – Glenn Ashby.

As well as his AC and Olympic achievements Glenn also holds the wind-powered land speed record with an incredible run of 222.4 kilometres per hour.

For the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona last year Glen was drafted in to provide some exp...

On the latest episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast Justin Chisholm’s guest is the British double Olympic gold-medallist sailor Giles Scott.

Aside from his Olympic triumphs Giles is also an multiple America’s Cup veteran – including taking part in the last three consecutive British challenges –  and recently stepped into the role of skipper of the Northstar Canada team for the fifth season of SailGP.

During the interview – recor...

Justin Chisholm’s guest is American professional sailor and coach, Tom Burnham, who takes on a fascinating deep dive into the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic syndicate’s recent challenge for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona.

During the interview Tom shares his thoughts on the relative merits of the Shared Reconnaissance programme, explains the key elements of his role as the American syndicate’s head coach, describes what g...

Justin Chisholm’s guest is the renowned Portuguese sailing photographer Ricardo Pinto.

Ricardo is one of the most prolific shooters in the business right now and his work from around the world at our sport’s keystone regattas will be familiar to anyone following professional sailboat racing.

From the ocean going IMOCAs of the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race, to the supercharged fast foilers of Sail GP and the America’s Cup, Ricardo...

Ever wondered what it’s like to be in charge of an America’s Cup chase boat? Right at the very heart of the on the water battle - nobody, other than the AC75 sailors themselves, gets a closer vantage point on the white hot racing action.

Justin Chisholm’s guest on this episode of the Yacht Racing Life Podcast is Tony Quinn – chase boat driver for the British INEOS Britannia America’s Cup syndicate that last year in Barcelona Spain ...

British Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup sailor Paul Goodison returns for his second appearance on the Yacht Racing Life Podcast.

Goodison needs very little introduction to most sailing fans. He is an Olympic gold medal winner in the Laser class, a three time Moth world champion and a veteran now of three America’s Cup campaigns – the latest of which was his second go around with the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic syn...

During the summer of 2024 Irish solo offshore skipper Tom Dolan joined an exclusive club when he became only the third non-French sailor to win the hallowed Solitaire du Figaro regatta.

His achievement is all the more impressive given that he did not come from a sailing family or grow up close to the sea. 

In fact, Tom was brought up on a farm in the middle of Ireland and his first sailing experience was on a shallow lake aboard a ...