Dawn Riley on leadership, team management, and helming to win...

03/14/24 • 66 min

Sailfaster: The Podcast For Racing Sailors

Today’s episode features sailing legend Dawn Riley at the renowned Oakcliff Sailing Center. Dawn’s been interviewed hundreds of times but I tried to home in on her thoughts on getting boats and teams to sail faster. Our episode touched on many things – managing campaigns and teams, race preparation, nutrition, and we spent a fair amount of time on her approach to helming. Oh we also talked about being tested to the limits – by the Southern Ocean and by kids learning to sail which was hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed our chat – Dawn is inspiring, gracious and hilarious.

Dawn is one of the foremost sailors of the modern era. Famous around the world, she was the first woman ever to manage an entire America's Cup syndicate, the first American, man or woman, to sail in three America's Cups and two Whitbread Round the World races. Just to zoom in on that for a moment - Dawn was the first women to have an active role on an America’s Cup team in 1992 as pitperson, in 1995 she captained America3, the first women’s team in the America’s Cup, and was skipper of Skipper of Heineken, the only all-women’s entry in the 1993-94 Whitbread round-the-world race. If you haven’t seen it already, you must watch the film Maiden – it’s the epic story of the first all-women’s team in the 1989-90 Whitbread race, in which Dawn stars with Tracy Edwards, Mandi Swan, Claire Warren, and others.

Dawn is also a passionate advocate for the sport of sailing – under her leadership the Oakcliff Sailing Center in Long island has become one of the foremost providers of community access into the sport of sailing. And this is where we met for the recording, on a snowy winter’s day in Long Island, New York. You’ll find the audio quality changes a little as we were in an echoy room; I do hope that doesn’t spoil your enjoyment of what was a terrific discussion. Take a listen...

Previous Episode

Kristy Robinson on improving mark roundings, looking after your crew, and adapting to a new boat!

Today’s Sailfaster guest is Kristen Robinson. Kristy’s well-known on the east coast – part of a husband and wife duo who are not only devastatingly successful racers but also terrific fun. Kristy is a highly experienced and successful sailor, but also she’s a leader of multiple sailing organizations including board and president roles for J70 / 80 / 29 classes, and yacht clubs. On the water she’s always on or around the podium places whether Block Island Race Week on J/29s, 105s and 109s, or at North American Championships on her J/80 or J/109, or locally on the Chesapeake. She’s a really interesting guest given her experience racing so many boats - Laser, J/24, J/29, J/80, Vanguard, J/70, Etchells, J/105 and J/22 classes, J/35, J/109, J/88, J/24, Viper, Soveral 33, and Farr280...

But more than that, she’s a wonderfully warm and funny human being, who makes everyone feel welcome and included at whatever post-race sailing event is happening. Oh, and Kristy’s also doctoral candidate at Marymount University studying Business Administration.

Next Episode

Cam Farah: Foiling is the future...!

Today we’re talking to Cam Farrah, a world champion foiler who experienced what’s it like to be thrown into the Strategist role on the US SailGP team. Cam has some remarkable stories of what it’s like to be at the sharp end of a 70 mph catamaran in full view of the cameras!

Surviving a SailGP series is only one of Cam’s skills, she’s one of the US’s best young sailors and has fully embraced the foiling revolution. She’s been a world champion on Foiling A class Catamarans for the last two years, and a leading sailor on the 69F, the one design foiling monohull that looks like a mini America’s Cup design and similarly sails at astonishing speeds. She’s a recent graduate of Tulane university in New Orleans, and already has a sailing CV that runs to multiple pages. It was truly a privilege to chat to Cam, as you’ll hear, she tells some great stories from the new world of foiling, and has of course, some great insights into sailing faster.