The Foil Podcast

The Foil
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We are The Foil, a new wave of racing media. Founded and launched in 2026, we are a fresh, all-new, proudly independent digital media brand dedicated to the sport of sail racing. Our focus is centred around the major peaks of the international sport: SailGP, the America’s Cup and the Olympic Games, plus offshore classes and events, and the diverse wider world of sailing competitions that take place around the globe. Our mission is simple: to promote, talk about and report on the detail of an international sport that deserves a much higher profile beyond the dedicated sailing community who follow racing around the globe. We operate independently of series and event promoters and governing bodies as an impartial voice for the sport of sail racing. Subscribe to The Foil YouTube channel and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Episodes

  1. The AC38 arms race has officially begun - The Foil Podcast - Ep 11

    2D AGO

    The AC38 arms race has officially begun - The Foil Podcast - Ep 11

    Taihoro has splashed. Almost 17 months since an AC75 last sailed, Emirates Team New Zealand have fired the first shot in the AC38 arms race. But how far ahead are the Defenders really? And what do the challengers need to do to close the gap? In this episode of The Foil Podcast, resident America's Cup obsessive Tom 'Mozzy' Morris joins Freddie Carr to break down everything we've learned so far from version three of the Kiwi machine. Mozzy believes this protocol delivers fairer rules than ever before – no test boats, no AC40 loopholes, and a more level playing field across the challenger fleet. But Team New Zealand's head start on automation and control systems may prove decisive. Freddie reveals the moment during AC37 when he realised just how far ahead the Defenders were: while the British crew wrestled with boat handling, Pete Burling was simply chatting about wind shifts. With Luna Rossa expected to launch soon and the challengers' window narrowing before the boats ship to Europe, the race is on. This is your essential briefing on the technology, the tactics, and the strategic battles ahead. Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #AmericasCup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 11m
  2. Batteries replace humans: is this still the America's Cup? - The Foil Podcast - Ep 10

    MAR 12

    Batteries replace humans: is this still the America's Cup? - The Foil Podcast - Ep 10

    The America's Cup sprint is officially on. Team New Zealand have rolled their AC75 out of the shed in Auckland, and for the first time in the Cup's 175-year history, there won't be a single human powering the sails. In episode 10 of The Foil podcast, Andy Rice, Freddie Carr and Neil Cole unpack what the shift from cyclors to batteries actually means for how these boats will be sailed. With a one-design 125kg battery pack replacing the engine room grunt of four elite athletes, the teams face an entirely new challenge: managing finite power across pre-start battles, acceleration off the line, and the constant demands of a foiling upwind-downwind course. And unlike athletes with tired legs, a battery doesn't get a second wind. Freddie draws on his experience as a cyclor on Ineos Britannia to explain how the crew's jobs will be redistributed across the remaining five positions – and why Team New Zealand's software and hydraulic efficiency under the hood might be worth more than any individual signing this cycle. Meanwhile, the AC40's unlimited power has created habits that teams will need to unlearn fast. With just 45 sailing days on the AC75 permitted before mid-January 2027, every hour on the water counts. ETNZ are first to splash, but with the design rulebook still wide open, there's nothing stopping their rivals from watching, learning, and designing around whatever the Kiwis discover. The conversation also touches on Paul Cayard's 45-years-in-the-making Bacardi Cup triumph and 18-foot skiff racing on Sydney Harbour. Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. 🔗 Read more at thefoil.com #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #AmericasCup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 6m
  3. 'Worst SailGP race I've ever seen' – why Sydney's light-wind weekend split opinion - The Foil Podcast Episode 9

    MAR 5

    'Worst SailGP race I've ever seen' – why Sydney's light-wind weekend split opinion - The Foil Podcast Episode 9

    In this week’s episode, Freddie Carr, Andy Rice and Neil Cole break down Sydney SailGP – where the USA completed their redemption arc, Slingsby had a few frustrations, and light winds caused a weekend of upsets. Twelve months ago, Team USA capsized on the tow boat heading to practice in Sydney Harbour. It was rock bottom for a team that couldn't catch a break. Jump forward to this weekend and Taylor Canfield is walking around the tech zone like the main character in an action movie – J/70 World Champion, M32 World Champion, and now a SailGP event winner. But Sydney wasn't kind to everyone. Tom Slingsby watched Australia's final hopes disintegrate in Fleet Race 7 when a 30-degree left shift turned what was supposed to be a decisive race into what Freddie Carr calls 'the worst SailGP race I've ever seen.' After missing a Sydney final for the first time ever, the Aussie skipper didn't hold back in the mixed zone, calling out race management for moving the start marks inside the final minute – something he says he's never experienced in over 50 SailGP events. The team also dig into Auckland's uncertain future, with The Ocean Race potentially holding veto power over the venue slot. Russell Coutts is keen to make both events work together – picture IMOCAs and F50s sharing Auckland Harbour in the same weekend – but nothing’s confirmed. The format discussion comes up too. Reaching starts, windward starts, stadium racing versus harbour tours. When you're locked into a 90-minute broadcast window and the wind doesn't cooperate, you end up with what we saw in Race 7. But does SailGP have enough flexibility to adapt? Then there's the propulsion debate that almost ended Freddie and Andy's friendship. Electric motors on sailing boats? One of them thinks it's the future. The other thinks it's powerboat racing. 🔗 Read the Sydney review: https://thefoil.com/news/low-breeze-sydney-still-a-welcome-distraction-from-reality/ 🔗 Watch the weekend recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O43YibDBzxQ Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 12m

  4. FEB 24

    Quentin Delapierre on safety in SailGP + Sydney preview - The Foil Podcast - Ep 8

    Sydney SailGP is almost here, but the Auckland collision casts a long shadow. In this week's episode, the team digs into one of the most consequential weekends in SailGP's seven-year history. France skipper Quentin Delapierre joins to fill us in about what happened in Auckland and what comes next. Manon Audinet spent over a week in hospital, and the French team has brought in a psychologist to support their athletes. Quentin’s message is clear: injuries will happen in extreme sport. The question is how the league responds. Split fleets? Halos? Stronger pods? He believes the answers will come through collaboration – and he won’t be walking away. "I will not quit the league," he says. "I'm fully into it, and I'm focused to win this championship one day. But some of the athletes have concerns, and that’s normal." The podcast also previews Sydney's twilight racing, where shifty harbour breeze and the tactical puzzle of Shark Island await. With France and New Zealand sidelined, the championship door is open for teams who can seize the moment. Australia and Great Britain are the boats to beat on equal points at the top of the season leaderboard. But lighter winds could create opportunities nobody saw coming. Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    55 min
  5. The fallout for SailGP after disaster in Auckland – The Foil podcast, Ep. 7

    FEB 20

    The fallout for SailGP after disaster in Auckland – The Foil podcast, Ep. 7

    Neil Cole is joined by Andy Rice and Freddie Carr, who were both on the spot in Auckland and witnessed the devastating collision between New Zealand’s Black Foils and DS Team France that left two sailors with serious injuries last weekend. Our trio review all the events, from the cause to the effect that led to SailGP splitting the fleet for the final day of racing. But should the organisers have acted sooner? And does this mean a split-fleet future is the right way to go for SailGP?   Andy and Freddie disagree on a “line in the sand” regulation change, but converge on other issues including how the final between SailGP’s three champion teams – Australia’s Flying Roos, Emirates GBR and Spain’s Los Gallos crew – offered an upbeat sporting contest to complete what had been a difficult weekend.   What do you think about SailGP right now? To ask the team a question for episode eight next week, ahead of the next round in Sydney, drop a comment below.   Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.    #TheFoil#WeAreTheFoil#SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    58 min
  6. ‘Hot laps’ in Auckland: Get set for SailGP in New Zealand – The Foil podcast – Ep 6

    FEB 13

    ‘Hot laps’ in Auckland: Get set for SailGP in New Zealand – The Foil podcast – Ep 6

    “These will be ‘hot laps’ with 12 other world-class teams,” says Freddie Carr as The Foil sets the scene for round two of the 2026 SailGP championship in Auckland, New Zealand this weekend.   As Andy Rice tells us, there’s a “pretty heinous forecast for the weekend – a south-south westerly” to greet the crews and keep a bumper crowd on the edge of their grandstand seats. “When you ask those who raced in 2025 which is the toughest,” points out Freddie, “to a man, and to a woman, they say Auckland.” Joined by presenter Neil Cole, Andy and Freddie speculate on whether SailGP will be forced to split the 13-boat fleet this weekend at a “tiny” venue. Andy tips the Black Foils on home territory and Spain’s Los Gallos crew to hit back after their troubles at round one in Perth, while Freddie reckons Sweden’s Team Artemis have gained a head-start via some foiling on AC40s in the region. Whoever prevails, The Foil will be there to witness it and report back.   Along with SailGP, Freddie and Andy also wrap up sailing action from all over the world this past week. Freddie reports back from his own racing activities on M32s in Miami; there was some “brilliant racing” from the RC44s in Lanzarote; the Wingfoil World Cup crowned its first champions of the year in Hong Kong; and the team also touches on a new legal spat that’s cast an unwanted new shadow over the America’s Cup.   Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.  #TheFoil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    48 min
  7. Dee Caffari: 'The doors have been blown open' for women's offshore sailing - The Foil Podcast - Ep 5

    FEB 5

    Dee Caffari: 'The doors have been blown open' for women's offshore sailing - The Foil Podcast - Ep 5

    Last week, The Famous Project crew made history – and Dee Caffari sees it as just the beginning. Freddie Carr sits down with Dee to unpack how eight women became the first all-female crew to complete a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe on a multihull – a 57-day voyage that rewrote the record books despite everything the ocean threw at them. In this exclusive interview, Caffari reveals the stat that stopped her in her tracks: before this voyage, only three women had ever rounded Cape Horn on a multihull. The Famous Project made that number eleven. She explains why the team's legacy matters more than the time on the clock, how co-skipper Alexia Barrier assembled an international crew of seven nationalities, and what it took to keep pushing through catastrophic gear failures that would have broken lesser teams. Also in this episode: Andy Rice reports from New Zealand ahead of Auckland SailGP, with updates on the Black Foils' recovery from Perth, the coaching musical chairs at the Kiwi SailGP team, Iain Jensen joining Emirates Team New Zealand, and the latest on whether Season 6 will feature split fleets or 13 boats on one chaotic start line. Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #OffshoreSailing #SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    57 min
  8. On board Argo's transatlantic record with Pete Cumming - The Foil Podcast - Ep 4

    JAN 29

    On board Argo's transatlantic record with Pete Cumming - The Foil Podcast - Ep 4

    Offshore at inshore intensity – that's the new reality of ocean racing, and the crew of Jason Carroll's Mod 70 Argo just proved it by smashing the transatlantic record in a near-constant match race with Zulu across 2,800 miles of Atlantic. In this offshore special, Freddie Carr and Neil Cole sit down with crew Pete Cumming to dissect a record attempt that came down to single-digit minutes. Four days, 23 hours, 51 minutes, 15 seconds – sub-five by a margin so slim the crew didn't know they'd made it until the final approach. Behind them, Zulu finished just two hours back. This was a five-day knife fight at 30-plus knots. But this episode isn't just about the numbers. It's about what happens inside your head when you're driving at 34 knots with no moon, no horizon, and six teammates asleep below who are trusting you with their lives. It's about the boat having 'a voice' – and knowing something's wrong when the hull goes silent because you've left the water entirely. The Mod 70, Pete says, is the most unforgiving boat in sailing: one mistake and you're over. Plus: a first look at Freddie's interview with Benjamin Schwartz, co-skipper and navigator aboard Sodebo, the Ultim 3 that just smashed the Jules Verne around-the-world record in 40 days. Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #OffshoreSailing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    47 min
  9. Perth SailGP review, plus offshore record-breaking - The Foil podcast - Ep 3

    JAN 21

    Perth SailGP review, plus offshore record-breaking - The Foil podcast - Ep 3

    Neil Cole, Freddie Carr and Andy Rice reflect on the main talking points thrown up by the SailGP season opener in Perth – which all agree was the “best event yet”. The team discuss the benefits of racing at an “extreme venue”, while acknowledging pre-event injuries to Chris Draper and Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen highlight how “hairy” this sport can be. There’s praise for “the wave whisperer” Luke Parkinson, Emirates GBR trimmer and The Foil’s sailor of the weekend, and verdicts on Spain’s mechanically-induced non-start and the controversial collision between New Zealand’s Black Foils and the Swiss crew.   Beyond SailGP, The Foil doffs its collective cap to Ian Williams for winning his ninth Match Racing World Championship since 2007. The team also discusses the amazing RORC transatlantic record-breaking feats of Argo and Raven in the past week. Subscribe to The Foil channel and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and LinkedIn. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    59 min
  10. Inside SailGP Season 6

    JAN 15

    Inside SailGP Season 6

    What can we expect in SailGP Season 6? The championship that crowned eight different winners in 12 events last season is already back – and this time, there are 13 teams fighting for the $2 million prize in Abu Dhabi. In the second episode of The Foil Podcast, host Neil Cole is joined by Freddie Carr and Andy Rice to dissect the dynamics shaping Season 6. Sweden's Artemis squad, fronted by Iain Percy and Olympic gold medallist Nathan Outteridge, arrives with billionaire backing and serious America's Cup pedigree. That's bad news for mid-pack teams already fighting for survival – and potentially catastrophic for the US, whose all-American experiment so far has produced more capsizes than podiums. Freddie and Andy break down who's genuinely improved, who's bluffing, and which teams are one equipment failure away from missing the Grand Final. They also tackle the bigger questions: Is SailGP's rapid expansion sustainable? Can Russell Coutts keep 13 egos, 13 budgets, and 13 F50s pointed in the same direction? And what happens when the America's Cup and SailGP schedules collide in 2027, forcing sailors like Pete Burling to choose between a prize pot of $12.8 million and defending the oldest trophy in sport? Subscribe to The Foil channel and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – YouTube, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and LinkedIn. For more, read Andy's Perth Preview: https://thefoil.com/news/why-our-sport-can-t-get-enough-of-sailgp/ #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    51 min
  11. What happened in SailGP Season 5?

    JAN 14

    What happened in SailGP Season 5?

    Eight different event winners. Twelve teams separated by margins that would have been unthinkable two seasons ago. The SailGP fleet is levelling up, and the stats are there to prove it. In The Foil's first ever podcast, Neil Cole sits down with Freddie Carr and Andy Rice for a deep-dive into a season where the old certainties no longer applied. Australia – dominant force of seasons one through three – managed just a single event win. Spain, the defending champions, faded when it mattered most. And a British team that looked lost during their American swing somehow transformed into worthy champions. Over the course of an hour we break down what set Season 5 apart, from T-foils that levelled the playing field to the incidents that defined weekends. We examine the stats behind Emirates GBR’s title, debate whether the three-boat final format actually delivers the best racing, and ask some pointed questions about venues that worked – and the ones that were, in Freddie's words, 'a bit of a snore-fest'. The Foil is a brand-new, independent sailing media platform built to cover the sport in its full breadth. We’re here to not only bring you in-depth SailGP coverage, but also connect the worlds of America’s Cup, offshore racing, the Olympics, board sports and the vast keelboat scene – the areas where most of the sport actually lives. If it’s powered by the wind, raced hard, and driven by strong personalities, it’s on our radar. Subscribe now and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. The conversation’s just getting started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1 hr
  • 11 Episodes

About

We are The Foil, a new wave of racing media. Founded and launched in 2026, we are a fresh, all-new, proudly independent digital media brand dedicated to the sport of sail racing. Our focus is centred around the major peaks of the international sport: SailGP, the America’s Cup and the Olympic Games, plus offshore classes and events, and the diverse wider world of sailing competitions that take place around the globe. Our mission is simple: to promote, talk about and report on the detail of an international sport that deserves a much higher profile beyond the dedicated sailing community who follow racing around the globe. We operate independently of series and event promoters and governing bodies as an impartial voice for the sport of sail racing. Subscribe to The Foil YouTube channel and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and LinkedIn.

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