The Foil Podcast

The Foil
  • 4.5 (2)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 4d ago

    The past, present and future of sailing - The Foil Podcast Live - Ep 32

    Episode 32 of the Foil Podcast celebrates the 200th anniversary of Cowes Week, diving deep into the rich history, vibrant present, and promising future of sailing. Join Neil Cole, Andy Rice and Freddie Carr as they discuss the significance of the iconic regatta with seasoned sailor Simon 'Stir Fry', who shares insights from the 'golden days' of sailing and the potential rebirth of the Admiral's Cup. Freddie highlights the exciting developments in Grand Prix sailing and the impact of events like SailGP on the sport's evolution, while Andy chats with Olympic sailor Elliot Hanson about balancing professional sailing and Olympic aspirations. Young talent, Katy Jenkins, represents the future of sailing and discusses her journey with the Athena Pathway and her first experience at Cowes Week. Lastly, Dan Fielding tells The Foil about the wonderful work of Turn to Starboard, a UK-based sailing charity that helps military veterans. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:35 200 years of Cowes Week 04:37 Simon 'Stir Fy' and sailing's past 18:20 Elliot Hanson and the present of sailing 29:42 Katy Jenkins and the future of the sport 35:02 Dan Fielding and Turn to Starboard 41:22 Outro Become a member now: https://www.youtube.com/@WeAreTheFoil/join Website: https://thefoil.com/ Instagram: @wearethefoil Facebook: wearethefoil Threads: @wearethefoil LinkedIn: The Foil Thanks for watching - please like, share and comment. Please also hit subscribe to show your support so we'll keep doing what we're doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  2. Jul 29

    Has SailGP cracked the code? Our Portsmouth verdict - The Foil Podcast - Ep 31

    Portsmouth had everything. A packed grandstand, eleven races, changing conditions and another dramatic twist in the Season 6 championship. It was an event that showcased just how far SailGP has come, both on and off the water. This week on The Foil Podcast, Freddie Carr, Andy Rice, Lewis Smith and Neil Cole discuss why Portsmouth felt like a milestone for the championship, whether the split fleet format has finally proved itself, and why the four-boat final is becoming one of the highlights of every event. They also look at Canada’s impressive resurgence, Australia’s costly mistakes, Emirates GBR’s disappointing home regatta and Spain’s remarkable run of form that has blown the championship race wide open. With the end of the season in sight, is a clear top five beginning to emerge, and has SailGP finally found the format that brings out the very best racing? The Foil is your independent home for sailing analysis, interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage from SailGP, the America’s Cup and elite sailing. Subscribe for new episodes every week. Listen on podcast platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2217026422 #SailGP #TheFoil #Portsmouth #Sailing #AmericasCup #F50 #EmiratesGBR #Spain #LosGallos Become a member now: https://www.youtube.com/@WeAreTheFoil/join Website: https://thefoil.com/ Instagram: @wearethefoil Facebook: wearethefoil Threads: @wearethefoil LinkedIn: The Foil Thanks for watching - please like, share and comment. Please also hit subscribe to show your support so we'll keep doing what we're doing. 00:00 Portsmouth Delivers 07:09 Split Fleets & Four-Boat Finals 15:36 Saturday Racing Analysis 25:26 Sunday Qualifying Drama 35:52 Canada's Resurgence 42:11 Emirates GBR's Home Event 45:58 The Portsmouth Final 54:03 The SailGP Championship & Calendar Rumours Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  3. Jul 28

    The Foil Podcast Live: SailGP Portsmouth - Ep 30

    The Foil takes over Musto’s flagship ’Lighthouse’ store in Portsmouth for the team's first-ever live and in-person podcast. Following on from a breezy and high calibre Saturday of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP event in Portsmouth we talk all things SailGP in front of a live audience. We’ll review what went down on day one of SailGP and look ahead to Sunday’s racing. We’ll make our usual wacky predictions, answer your questions and have a right good natter. The Foil's Lewis Smith stands in for the podcast's usual host, Neil Cole, and shares the mic with senior contributors Andy Rice and Freddie Carr. Website: http://thefoil.com/ Twitter: @wearethefoil Instagram: @wearethefoil Facebook: wearethefoil Thanks for watching - please like, share and comment, please also hit subscribe to show your support so we'll keep doing what we're doing. https://www.thefoil.com Thumbnail image credit: Jason Ludlow / SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  4. Jul 22

    All you need to know before SailGP Portsmouth - The Foil Podcast - Ep 29

    Episode 29 previews SailGP Portsmouth – the eighth event of SailGP season six – from every angle. Andy Rice goes over his conversation with Ben Ainslie this week: the reset the champions are after following an Americas leg bookended by disaster, comms that aren't as tight as last year, Stu Bithell stepping into big shoes, and the questions hanging over the back end of the season.Freddie Carr considers the crowd to be a genuine performance factor, drawn from standing on a boat in front of a packed Portsmouth grandstand himself, and reckons Emirates GBR will enjoy the pressure rather than crack under it.Then looking at the racecourse itself – thermals off Southsea, Spitbank Fort and bollards inside the boundaries, the peculiar course shape that shuts down the slingshot start, a 300-metre first reach, an east-going tide and the bottom gate that decided last year's event final.Plus: Lewis Smith's scoop on the group reorder, split fleets looking set to become a fixture, Martine Grael back in the driving seat, and the umpires’ talk of "anticipation".If you’re in Portsmouth on Sunday morning then be sure to come and say hi. Get your tickets to The Foil’s first live podcast here: https://thefoil.com/news/our-first-ever-live-and-in-person-podcast-sailgp-portsmouth/Comments are now live on thefoil.com so be sure to create your account and join the conversation under any of our articles. And follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.READ MORE: Andy Rice talks with Craig Mitchell on the art of remote umpiring https://thefoil.com/news/why-refereeing-sailgp-is-just-getting-harder/READ MORE: Lewis Smith on SailGP's split-fleet rule change https://thefoil.com/news/return-of-the-death-group-sailgp-tweaks-how-groups-are-seeded/00:00:00 Start00:06:13 Portsmouth SailGP weather and racecourse preview00:13:10 Permanent split fleet format?00:15:53 Form guide and predictions for Portsmouth00:20:23 Middle East cancellations and Ben Ainslie interview00:31:11 Martine Grael returns as driver for Brazil00:36:51 The controversial “anticipation” rule in SailGP00:43:38 America's Cup + SailGP calendar clashListen to our podcast on Spotify and other platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2217026422#TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #SailGP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  5. Jul 15

    Under pressure in Pompey: SailGP’s Emirates GBR assessed – The Foil Podcast – Ep 28

    This week, The Foil’s podcast team train their focus on Emirates Great Britain as they head for home waters and the Portsmouth SailGP next week.Following a plug for our first live podcast – on the morning of Sunday July 26 at Musto’s flagship Lighthouse store on Portsmouth’s waterfront – Neil Cole, Andy Rice and Freddie Carr get into an analysis of reigning champions Emirates GBR and how their title defence is going at the mid-point of season six.After a fast start in Australasia, “the wheels fells of when they got to the Americas”, as Andy puts it. Yet through it all the British F50 is still equal second on points with Spain’s Los Gallos, despite failing to score at all in two rounds.Andy asks Freddie for insight into how the team management operates: is a “good vibes” Gareth Southgate approach or more a “hairdryer” Thomas Tuchel environment?Freddie then dives into the Emirates GBR backstory, cycling back to the first season of SailGP and plotting how the team has evolved. As he says, this was a pioneering squad that led the commercial growth that has made SailGP such a success story.Speaking of success, from this point what will a successful 2026 look like for the remaining champions over the course of the season’s second half? The team assess the merits of making the Grand Final or the ‘moral victory’ of topping the leaderboard.To conclude, Andy and Freddie then offer a round-up of the latest America’s Cup news, having also considered the blend between SailGP and Naples next year for both Emirates GBR and GB1, which both operate under the Athena Racing umbrella.For The Foil live podcast, sign up for your FREE tickets here: https://buytickets.at/thefoil/2299605For our round-up of the week in racing, go to: https://thefoil.com/news/the-week-in-racing-13-july-26/Subscribe to The Foil on YouTube for a new episode every week, and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2...Chapters0:00 Introduction1:44 Emirates GBR in 202610:09 Team management12:52 History of the franchise33:32 Heading into Portsmouth38:10 Evolution for 202740:50 What’s success in 2026?44:55 Emirates GBR and GB1 blend50:00 why Portsmouth is key52:40 America’s Cup latest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  6. Jul 8

    Can anyone beat New Zealand to win the 38th America’s Cup? – The Foil Podcast – Ep 27

    A year out, The Foil’s podcast team ask the key question: can any of the six teams lining up against the Defender really take on and beat Emirates Team New Zealand in Naples at the 38th America’s Cup next July? We run through the teams to assess what we know so far.ETNZ has Defender privilege – but under the rules of the new partnership arrangement, AC veteran Freddie Carr and Lewis Smith ask whether they have “depowered their advantage” by accepting Naples as the venue rather than racing on their own home waters.On the point of home advantage, Freddie refers back to his own experience sailing with Luna Rossa in the AC World Series in Naples in 2012 and ’13, when he experienced his “rock star moment” in sailing firsthand. Racing at home really can make a difference.As Lewis says, Luna Rossa was “a league ahead” in the recent Cagliari Prelim, and asks whether there might also be an operational advantage working from home.Meanwhile, The French La Roche-Posay team have hit the water in the past week and can make the most of 10 extra sailing days – even if they have capsized this week. Working out of same design stable as ETNZ, Lewis and Freddie weigh up their challenge.As for the Swiss Alinghi squad, question marks remain over their hardware following the huge capsize last time out in Barcelona, and they are pinned as a late starter too.As for the official Challenger of Record, unashamed patriot Freddie labels GB1 as the “dark horse for this Cup”, acknowledging the distracting context of the legal battle between Athena Racing and Ineos over the ownership of the British AC75.The return of Australia is an exciting moment for the Cup, but the team has been up front and honest about their biggest challenge: a lack of time. Freddie describes them as “underdogs”.Finally, the USA. As Freddie puts it, they are “super under the radar” given the little amount of information that has been confirmed about the American effort. Lewis and Freddie then summarise the fleet and come up with the answers to that big leading question…Lewis also brings us new of The Foil Live, our first public event taking place on the morning of Sunday 26 July. We’re taking over Musto’s flagship Lighthouse store in Portsmouth ahead of the final day of racing at Emirates Great Britain SailGP for a live podcast – and it’s free to attend.Get your free tickets here.Read details of the French capsize this week here https://thefoil.com/news/la-roche-posay-racing-team-capsize-their-ac75-on-fourth-sailing-day/Subscribe to The Foil on YouTube for a new episode every week, and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2...Chapters0:00 Introduction01:34 Andy Rice on Foiling Week03:17 Can anyone beat New Zealand in AC38?11.00: ETNZ17:25 Luna Rossa21:00 La Roche-Posay30:00 Alinghi38:20 GB147:10 Team Australia50:20 Team USA56:20 audience comments1:00:50 Any other business1:04:00 The Foil Live#TheFoil#WeAreTheFoil#SailGP#AmericasCup#OlympicSailing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Can anyone beat New Zealand to win the 38th America’s Cup? – The Foil Podcast – Ep 27

  7. Jul 1

    SailGP vs America's Cup: Can they coexist? - The Foil Podcast - Ep 26

    Sailing has never been healthier – and on this week's pod, that's exactly the problem.Episode 26 sees Neil Cole, Andy Rice, Lewis Smith and Freddie Carr wrestle with a question that's been sitting uncomfortably in the background: with SailGP, AmericasCup and the Olympics all booming at once, can they share a calendar – or will they start eating each other alive?The team trace the rivalry back to Bermuda 2017 and the framework agreement Grant Dalton never signed, then lay out just how tight the 2027 calendar really is – nine SailGP weekends, new AC75s splashing and a Cup to be won, plus an Olympic qualification cycle all fighting for the same patch of summer.Freddie, who knows the Cup's demands better than most, weighs life-changing SailGP prize money against the historical pull of helming a Cup boat, while Lewis – a former World Sailing insider – explains why the governing body faces an almost impossible juggling act. There's a hard look at the cautionary tale of golf's PGA–LIV war, a debate over who actually has the clout to knock heads together, and a real worry that the Olympics, and the women and youth coming through, could be the ones squeezed out.There's also offshore news, a look at Foiling Week, and a closing poll that has the panel split. Which one would you go for: SailGP riches, an Olympic gold, or the Auld Mug?Read Freddie’s recent technical breakdown of the SailGP fleet: https://thefoil.com/news/freddie-carr-winging-it-at-half-time-in-sailgp/Subscribe to The Foil on YouTube for a new episode every week, and follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2217026422#TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #SailGP #AmericasCup #OlympicSailing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    SailGP vs America's Cup: Can they coexist? - The Foil Podcast - Ep 26

  8. Jun 26

    “The move of the season”: Halifax SailGP unpicked – The Foil Podcast – Ep 25

    “The best of times, the worst of times – but fun all the time.” That’s Andy Rice’s summary of the Canada Sail Grand Prix as The Foil’s podcast team delves into round seven of SailGP 2026.Andy acknowledges the great work of SailGP’s tech team in returning to the water the three boats damaged in New York, as Lewis Smith and Freddie Carr join him to talk through a weekend that didn’t start well but finished on a high. After Lewis talks through rule changes that have followed the New York event, the team discuss the unexpected low winds of Saturday. And while the racing wasn’t a great spectacle, the “mad for it” Canadian crowd in the grandstand didn’t seem to care.Sunday was a complete turnaround, with what Andy describes as “one of the best days I’ve seen” in SailGP. The team advocate the decision to split the fleet – despite it triggering a so-called “group of death” – and also the first four-boat final. The winning skipper from Spain’s Los Gallos, Diego Botin, makes an appearance to talk about what Andy describes as “the move of the season” at the start of the final group race, which was “just the right side of clean”. Meanwhile, Bonds Flying Roos’ Tash Bryant sees the funny side (we think) of Andy pointing out that the Australians won zero prize money for finishing fourth. As Tom Slingsby puts it just off camera, “ouch!”.Read more on Andy’s fleet rating from Halifax: https://thefoil.com/news/andy-rice-rates-the-fleet-after-canada-sailgp/Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2...Follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. #TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil 00:00:00 Start00:03:53 SailGP Halifax event recap begins00:13:13 New safety rules and crew changes00:27:08 Sunday's dramatic weather transformation00:35:16 Spain's masterclass and move of the season00:46:29 Artemis technical issues and substitution rules00:53:35 The split fleet and four-boat final debate00:58:57 TP52 World Championships and other sailing news Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See All (34)

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
2 Ratings

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.

Information

  • Creator
    The Foil
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Foil Podcast

You Might Also Like