Show Notes
Has technology ruined sailing? That’s the question on The Foil Podcast episode 42, as Neil Cole, Freddie Carr and Andy Rice take on the foiling tech vs old-school sailing debate that’s dividing our comments section.
When we launched The Foil, we assumed SailGP and the America's Cup would be our bread and butter. Then Cowes Week 200 happened, and the Mini Maxis, Wally 100s and 52 Super Series started matching them for views and comments. So what’s going on?
Freddie, fresh from the J Class in St Tropez and the 52 Super Series finale in Valencia, makes the case for proper sail trimming. The team picks apart positional feedback on the AC75, whether LiDAR should be allowed in the TP52 fleet, Northstar’s rethink of the IRC rule and the growing chasm between grassroots racing and the top of the sport. There’s also an off-the-record remark from a Cup team boss that’ll raise a few eyebrows.
Shona Gibson then joins to bring the news round-up: a revamped Bermuda Gold Cup with four female helms, 1,858 boats at the Barcolana in Trieste, 40-knot runs at the Sardinia Kiteboard Grand Slam, the 52 Super Series title decider and a preview of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. And Andy checks in from Pisa, on his way to Ferrari Hypersail – armed with Freddie’s questions.
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More from The Foil Podcast
Does SailGP have an age problem — or an opportunity problem?
Our 2026 52 Super Series season review, with on-the-water reporter Katie Dabson and Super Series veteran Simon ‘Stir Fry’ joining Freddie Carr to talk through a record-breaking year.Sixteen boats from 11 nations lined up in Valencia, the biggest fleet in 52 Super Series history, after a season that served up everything from survival conditions in Lanzarote to sub-eight-knot drifters. So where does 2026 rank for a man who has raced 104 of the circuit’s 107 regattas – and how did a season tipped as a five- or six-boat scrap end up as a two-boat fight between Platoon and Sled?The three run through all five events: Sled’s masthead heroics in Puerto Portals, Trinity Racing’s remarkable debut at the Worlds in Porto Cervo, Paprec’s long-awaited breakthrough in the Rubicon breeze, the Puerto Calero regatta that turned the season on its head, and the Valencia showdown, where a title fight in a record fleet turned into a match race.Katie brings a spreadsheet stat that explains more than any single race win, while Stir Fry makes the case for why 50-footers still hold a magic all of their own – and reckons he knows how many boats have got it in them to win next season.Read more: https://thefoil.com/news/platoon-aviation-s-consistency-seals-a-classic-52-super-series-season/Freddie’s pre-season rundown of the fleet: https://thefoil.com/news/freddie-carr-s-season-preview-52-super-series-2026/Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other platforms: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NSR2217026422Follow @wearethefoil across all platforms – Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.#TheFoil #WeAreTheFoil #52SuperSeries Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Foil Podcast is brought to you by Musto.
Mozzy's back. He's spent the summer on the beach sailing a Mirror, but the America's Cup has “summoned” him back “like a demon from the deep”, and he's brought some opinions with him.
Naples brought the crowds, the drama and a taste of what next year’s America’s Cup could deliver. But how much did we really learn from the preliminary regatta?