SailGP Rio preview: tactical breakdown, home pressure, and the teams running out of time - The Foil Podcast - Ep 14
The Foil PodcastShow Notes
SailGP heads to Rio de Janeiro for the first time ever this weekend, and the forecast suggests a tactical chess match rather than a foiling sprint. Freddie Carr, Andy Rice and Neil Cole dig into the data, the storylines, and the strategies that will decide who leaves Brazil with points.
Light winds are expected throughout the weekend in Guanabara Bay, so the team looks at exactly what worked in Sydney's H2 conditions. For teams in the bottom half of the standings – Canada, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland – this is a pivotal weekend. Come away with low points and the Grand Final starts to feel very far away.
We also have exclusive interviews with Brazil team owner Alan Adler and driver Martine Grael – both speaking candidly about home pressure, crew rebuilds, and the emotional weight of racing on the same water where Grael won Olympic gold. Plus: Glenn Ashby jumps onto France's SailGP F50, standing in for Leigh McMillan following his shoulder surgery.
In other news, Italian executive Marzio Pirelli has been appointed CEO of the America's Cup Partnership – but the bigger story is what we still don't know. One AC40 preliminary event is locked in for Cagliari in May. Beyond that, silence until the Cup match itself. As Freddie puts it: "It's tough to be a fan and not have your season laid out ahead of you."
The episode also tackles the new Olympic format – tested at Trofeo Princesa Sofia – and why it has sailors, media, and governing bodies at odds over what competitive fairness should look like heading into LA 2028.
This video is brought to you by Musto – the brand that's been building performance sailing gear for decades, working directly with sailors pushing boats and themselves to the limit. We wear it ourselves, on and off the water.
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
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
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.
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.