Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
Shirley Robertson
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Top 10 Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Series 4 - Ep3 - Tom Slingsby Part 1
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
12/08/22 • 64 min
Series Four of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues in fascinating fashion as the multiple Olympic Gold Medallist finally sits down with one of modern sailing's most decorated athletes, multiple World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby.
In the wonderfully diverse sport of competitive sailing there can be few athletes whose accolades are as wide ranging as Sydney born Australian Tom Slingsby. At just thirty eight years of age, he boasts an unprecedented roll call of success that includes an Olympic Gold medal, an America's Cup win, two Moth World Titles, two SailGP titles, multiple Laser world championship wins, he's even won line honours in both the Sydney to Hobart and Middle Sea Races. It's an incredibly diverse list of titles, all stemming from one resolution made as a fifteen year old boy watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics...:
"I was down there (at Bradleys Head) everyday, and just seeing the Olympic arena, I just, in that moment, watching that final where Michael Blackburn took bronze and Ben Ainslie match raced Robert Scheidt to gold, I said right then and there that I want to be a part of this arena."
That moment was the catalyst to a remarkable, and still ongoing career. But it wasn't always easy. Slingsby's honest and candid account involves deep disappointment and harsh lessons at the 2008 Olympics, before moving on to detail the extraordinary lengths he went to, along with coach Micheal Blackburn to make sure he would prevail at the London Games of 2012.
This is the first part of a fascinating two part interview, in which Slingsby gives the listener a sometimes intimate account of life as a successful twenty first century professional sailor.
From the decision not to defend his Olympic title, Robertson and Slingsby move on to his America's Cup career, and the much discussed 2013 San Francisco Cup which saw Slingsby help Team Oracle USA to the remarkable, and much documented comeback against Emirates Team New Zealand.
Regular podcast listeners will have heard the story from many of the key players from that 2013 Cup, but this telling is perhaps the most revealing. Slingsby's memories of the comeback are recalled from the perspective of the then rookie young America's Cup sailor somewhat overawed by his surroundings and the characters around him. His memories of the initial losses and the awkward meetings that followed are insightful and revealing, a must-listen to all fans of the modern Cup era - Part One ends as Slngsby begins in his role onboard Oracle Team USA, looking forward to the famous 2013 comeback in the Bay of San Francisco.
From the America's Cup to Sail GP, the displacement Laser dinghy to the foiling Moth, Slingsby's talent has seen him become one of the most applauded sailors of his generation. Getting a glimpse inside the mind of the man that's created such success makes for a truly fascinating two part podcast and is a must listen for any modern day sailing fan.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact [email protected].
Series 3 - Ep12 - Dee Caffari Part 2
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
11/09/21 • 42 min
In this month's edition of the podcast, Shirley Robertson sits down face to face with one of offshore sailing's most accomplished sailors, as she talks to British offshore trail blazer, Dee Caffari.
In Part One of the podcast, Robertson talks about her journey into sailing and her decision to leave an established job in search of adventure. In this edition of the podcast, now well in to her sailing career Caffari continues her account of her non stop solo around the planet adventure sailing the distinctive yellow "Aviva" around the planet in the Vendee Globe.
Post Vendee the pair discuss Caffari's thoughts on what was her third circumnavigation and touch on her next adventure, the Barcelona World Race, before discussing Caffari's experiences in the Volvo Ocean Race.
It is undeniable that both Robertson and Caffari have forged incredibly successful sailing careers, in a world that is, also undeniably, male-centric. Talk therefore inevitably turns towards this aspect of the sport, as Caffari offers some enlightening insights into her first Volvo Ocean Race campaign with all-women campaign Team SCA. The pair share the opinion that it's a great shame it needs to be discussed, but that there are clearly very limited opportunities for women in the professional world of sailing.
Staying with the Volvo Ocean, Caffari then discusses the 2017-18 edition that saw her skipper a young crew onboard "Turn the Tide on Plastic" before the pair finally reflect on the extraordinary nature of Caffari's career and the landmarks she has achieved.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact [email protected].
Season 3 - Ep6 - Mike Sanderson Part2
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
07/10/21 • 57 min
Part 2 of this month's podcast which sees Shirley Robertson talk to one of the world's leading offshore and Maxi yacht skippers, from New Zealand, Mike "Moose" Sanderson. With tales to tell from the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and a host of successful Maxi yacht campaigns, Sanderson is a man who very obviously loves to talk sailing. Having left school early to pursue a career as a sail maker, he has spent his entire adult life immersed in the sport, and from his very first answer his enthusiasm and passion is there for all to hear.
Having sat down to talk just days after Emirates Team New Zealand's win at the 36th America's Cup, the pair kick things off with a short chat about the successful defence of the Cup, before moving on to Sanderson's early love of sailing and desire to make a living from the sport. HIs early inspiration was New Zealand's 1987 Freemantle America's Cup campaign, and of course Sir Peter Blake, and "Steinlager 2's" Whitbread win of 1990, both of which drove him to quit school and take to sailing. Within a few years he had attracted the attention of some big names, in a country where big things were happening in the sport of sailing. At twenty one he was on the crew of New Zealand Endeavour, off around the world on the Whitbread, and his career was well underway.
"What was unbelievable about that campaign was that it was only four or five years after Freemantle, and all my heroes from Freemantle were actually sailing on the boat, these guys had literally all been on posters on my wall, and now I'm getting to sail around the world with them!"
That 1993/94 Whitbread Race was his first of many circumnavigations that made a big impression on the young twenty two year old.
"My first time around the world was like honestly, it was like reading a book about the round the world race...in the Southern Ocean we broke the mizzen mast, everything which I dreamt about, good and bad, it all happened. It was a very surreal time."
The 1993/94 Whitbread was the start of a career that would take in America's Cup campaigns, multiple Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, and a World Sailor of the Year win in 2006, having become the youngest skipper ever to win the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race leading the famed "ABN Amro I" campaign. His career spans the modern era of yacht racing, and has seen him sail with some of the biggest names in the sport.
He talks candidly about the Cup period in 2003 in Auckland when Alinghi beat Team New Zealand, and of the implications that had for the sport...:
"That 1989 to 2000 period was interesting times....post 2000 of course was probably the biggest turning point in professional sailing that we've seen....because it went from something that you could possibly live on to literally overnight salaries tripled, quadrupled, whatever you like, suddenly every man and his dog was putting up there hand. It was a great time to be a professional sailor"
As an insight into the modern professional era of competitive sailing, this honest and engaging interview opens the door on life as a professional in our sport, and takes the listener down a multitude of different avenues, as Sanderson opens up on a lifetime spent sailing at the highest level.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyr
Season 3 - Ep5 - Mike Sanderson Part1
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
07/10/21 • 63 min
This month on her podcast Shirley Robertson talks to one of the world's leading offshore and Maxi yacht skippers, from New Zealand, Mike "Moose" Sanderson. With tales to tell from the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and a host of successful Maxi yacht campaigns, Sanderson is a man who very obviously loves to talk sailing. Having left school early to pursue a career as a sail maker, he has spent his entire adult life immersed in the sport, and from his very first answer his enthusiasm and passion is there for all to hear.
Having sat down to talk just days after Emirates Team New Zealand's win at the 36th America's Cup, the pair kick things off with a short chat about the successful defence of the Cup, before moving on to Sanderson's early love of sailing and desire to make a living from the sport. HIs early inspiration was New Zealand's 1987 Freemantle America's Cup campaign, and of course Sir Peter Blake, and "Steinlager 2's" Whitbread win of 1990, both of which drove him to quit school and take to sailing. Within a few years he had attracted the attention of some big names, in a country where big things were happening in the sport of sailing. At twenty one he was on the crew of New Zealand Endeavour, off around the world on the Whitbread, and his career was well underway.
"What was unbelievable about that campaign was that it was only four or five years after Freemantle, and all my heroes from Freemantle were actually sailing on the boat, these guys had literally all been on posters on my wall, and now I'm getting to sail around the world with them!"
That 1993/94 Whitbread Race was his first of many circumnavigations that made a big impression on the young twenty two year old.
"My first time around the world was like honestly, it was like reading a book about the round the world race...in the Southern Ocean we broke the mizzen mast, everything which I dreamt about, good and bad, it all happened. It was a very surreal time."
The 1993/94 Whitbread was the start of a career that would take in America's Cup campaigns, multiple Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, and a World Sailor of the Year win in 2006, having become the youngest skipper ever to win the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race leading the famed "ABN Amro I" campaign. His career spans the modern era of yacht racing, and has seen him sail with some of the biggest names in the sport.
He talks candidly about the Cup period in 2003 in Auckland when Alinghi beat Team New Zealand, and of the implications that had for the sport...:
"That 1989 to 2000 period was interesting times....post 2000 of course was probably the biggest turning point in professional sailing that we've seen....because it went from something that you could possibly live on to literally overnight salaries tripled, quadrupled, whatever you like, suddenly every man and his dog was putting up there hand. It was a great time to be a professional sailor"
As an insight into the modern professional era of competitive sailing, this honest and engaging interview opens the door on life as a professional in our sport, and takes the listener down a multitude of different avenues, as Sanderson opens up on a lifetime spent sailing at the highest level.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact [email protected]
Series 2 - Ep14 - Vendee Globe Part 2
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
11/04/20 • 74 min
The world renowned Vendee Globe, the non-stop solo lap of the planet, is the topic of this month's podcast, as Shirley Robertson talks to five soon to depart skippers and one IMOCA designer in this two part Vendee Globe extravaganza.
In Part 1 Robertson has already talked to Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss - 5th Vendee Start) and Clarisse Cremer (Banque Populaire x - 1st Vendee Start) as well as world renowned naval architect Juan K about the progression of the IMOCA Class, and the use of foils through out much of this edition's fleet.
In this Part, Robertson catches up with long time friend and previous podcast guest Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur), as she prepares for her third Vendee attempt. Sam finished fourth at her first Vendee back in 2009 but four years later suffered a cruel dismasting after just five days at sea. This time around, she's racing in another of the retro fit foilers, and is confident, after a well thought out build up to the race. As a French resident, she's also perfectly placed to explain just how big the race is in France.
"The Vendee is huge in France, its a race and a competition but it's not just that, it's huge, all the schools follow the Vendee Globe while it's happening. Maybe the reason why it's so huge is because it's so simple at the same time as being so hard, and such an extreme event because it's just one person on a boat sailing around the world non stop without assistance."
In this part Robertson also talks to the impressive Charlie Dalin (Apivia), about taking on the race for the first time, and how his skills as a naval architect helped finesse his new generation foiling machine. And Robertson talks to the first ever German entrant into the race, the very experienced Boris Herrmann, (SeaExplorer Yacht Club de Monacco)
Series 2 - Ep6 - Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Part 2
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
07/07/20 • 50 min
This month double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson sits down for a two part podcast chat with the first man ever to sail solo non-stop around the planet, Britain's Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. In this, Part 2 of their discussion, the pair talk about life after the return from Sir Robin's incredible 312 day journey.
Having completed his voyage, and cemented his place in the annals of the history of exploration, Sir Robin's competitive streak soon saw him back on the global race course, and by 1977 he was joint skipper on an entry in the Whitbread Round the World Race, where amongst his crew was a certain Peter Blake. With the announcement of the Jules Verne Trophy, Knox-Johnston and Blake went on to famously form the eventual record holding team, ENZA New Zealand, breaking the established record in 1994 with a 74 day lap of the planet.
Robertson and Knox-Johnston then discuss how a trip with British mountaineer and expedition leader Sir Chris Bonnington inspired an idea that would become the 'open to all' crewed around the world adventure, The Clipper Race. It's a race that has been on going now for over twenty years, and is currently in it's twelfth, a fact that Sir Robin ranks as one of his greatest achievements.
"When I look at all the lives that have benefitted from the Clipper, and the number of those sailors, forty percent of them have never been on a boat before, who have taken up sailing subsequently as their sport, to my mind that is going to rank pretty highly because there's over five thousand people now that have taken the sport up all over the world." states Sir Robin, on being asked by Robertson what he sees as his greatest contribution to the sport.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact [email protected]
Series 2 - Ep5 - Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Part 1
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
07/07/20 • 73 min
Double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson sits down for a two part podcast chat with the first man ever to sail solo non-stop around the planet, Britain's Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
Sir Robin completed his ground breaking voyage in April 1969, after an astonishing 312 days alone at sea. having sailed his thirty two foot ketch 'Suhaili' thirty thousand miles around the planet. The voyage is one of the most documented in sailing, and was part of the famous Golden Globe race, initiated by the British newspaper, The Sunday Times. Nine entrants eventually left to compete in the Golden Globe, but Sir Robin was the only boat that finished, the physical and mental travails of the effort famously proving too much for many of the other entrants.
Sir Robin spent much of his voyage nursing "Suhaili' around the planet, constantly running repairs as the savage effects of months in the ferocious Southern Ocean took a heavy toll. But his trusty craft was more than a match for the brutal southern storms, and it is with deep affection that Sir Robin talks of her now.
"She was a cracking little sea boat, a wave could wash right over and did on a few occasions, she'd just shake herself and bob back up, like a terrier really. I built up a huge affection for Suhaili, a tremendous trust in her, she is simple, she's not complicated. Everything's stronger than it needs to be, everything's thought through. She's very important to me, she's been part of my life since I was 23, and I've done so much with her, she's done so much for me too. I always say any fool could get her around the world, I proved it!"
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston onboard 'Suhaili'
Once passed New Zealand, and into the second half of his voyage, a troublesome radio meant Sir Robin struggled to make contact with anyone to inform of his progress, and he was assumed missing until he finally signalled a ship while passing the Azores, just fifteen hundred miles from home. News of his survival hit the front pages, and by the time he steered 'Suhaili' back into the English Channel, he was a household name in the UK. Met by a flotilla of well wishers, the shoreline around Falmouth lined with cheering crowds, Robin Knox-Johnston had become the first man ever to complete the ground breaking voyage.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact [email protected]
Series 1 - Ep11b - America's Cup Design Edition Part 2
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
03/03/20 • 72 min
This edition of the podcast is the second part of Shirley Robertson's fascinating inside look at the design and build of the boats that will ultimately race in the 36th America's Cup.
Continuing on from Part1, Robertson talks to the four design chiefs from each of the four America's Cup teams currently building the seventy five foot foiling monohulls, the AC75s. It's recommended that Part1 is listened to first, as the the first episode includes an intro to the Class Rule, and discusses some of the more general aspects of the challenges and pitfalls of designing this class of boat. In t his episode the designers go on to discuss some more specific design elements, including the specific make up of the foils, and the differences between the current foils being used by each team. They discuss the sail specifications of the class rule, looking at how the D-Section mat will promote the use of an innovative double skinned main sail, and they discuss power generation, how the power is to be generated to control the giant loads of the new main sail. Robertson quizzes the designers on the teams' use of "recon" and how 'spying' on each others' designs helps move design thinking forward. The role of the sailing team is discussed, as the designers reveal how important the men out on the water are to the design process, before they wrap up by sharing their thoughts on what single aspect of design is most likely to in, or lose, the 36th America's Cup.
From the Defenders of the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Robertson talks to design ace Dan Bernasconi. From the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa, she talks to Cup design veteran Martin Fischer. From British entry INEOS TEAM UK she talks to accomplished Cup designer Nick Holroyd, and from American Magic she talks to race boat design legendary yacht designer Marcelino Botin.
This edition of the podcast is a fascinating look inside the secretive world of America's Cup design and is a must listen for any sailing fan hoping to follow the action when the Cup gets underway.
Series 1 - Ep8 - Kyle Langford
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
12/02/19 • 65 min
Double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson catches up with Australian sailing star Kyle Langford for an hour of revealing chat that covers much of his of his stellar career.
Langford rocketed into the spot light when just three days before the 2013 America's Cup he was announced as the Defender's Wing Trimmer on BMW Oracle's giant foiling AC72. It was a daunting prospect, controlling the power as the team learnt to race the largely untested beast throughout a regatta famous for the unlikely comeback from a seven point deficit against a fired up Emirates Team New Zealand. Langford's honest and open chat with Robertson here reveals the backstory behind that decision, a tribunal that saw the Defender docked points before the Cup, the build up to that dramatic turn around and the faith that skipper Jimmy Spithill had in the young Aussie.
As Oracle Team USA then went on to Defend the Cup in Bermuda Langford kept his seat on the downsized AC50 that would see them again face the Kiwis in the match up in 2017. Here he reveals how the team prepared for Bermuda but were out thought by the innovative Kiwi team, their grip on the Cup slipping away to the greater pace and adaptability of a New Zealand outfit hungry for sporting redemption.
Having been on the losing side in the Cup, Langford immediately took on a new and different challenge, turning to the Volvo Ocean Race to try and forget the disappointment of Bermuda. But it wasn't long before he realised that one of his team mates around the world would be the skipper of that winning Kiwi team. It's an interesting chat as Langford discusses the politics onboard, racing in the Southern Ocean and his tenacity in getting to grips with offshore sailing.
At just thirty years old, Langford is one of a new generation of stars in the competitive sailing arena, he's crammed an awful lot of high end sailing into a to date short sailing career, and is a revealing guest as he discusses the last decade and his stellar rise into the ranks of the sport's elite.
Series 4 - Ep12 - Alinghi Red Bull Racing Part 2
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast
04/26/23 • 64 min
This month, another two part podcast sees Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup powerhouse Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona as they prepare to Challenge for the 37th America's Cup.
As the only team to have ever launched a successful challenge to the America's Cup at first attempt, they're also the only European team to have ever won it, but for over a decade Swiss America's Cup syndicate Alinghi have been waiting, watching, following developments. And now, they are back, relaunched as Alinghi Red Bull Racing, and already well established in the host city of Barcelona. In this month's podcast, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson visits the Swiss team and talks to several key players, to hear just what it is about AC37 that has rekindled interest, and to look at how one of the most successful Cup teams of the modern era is launching a bid to reclaim the illusive silver ware.
In Part One Robertson chats to principal helm, Arnaud Psarofaghis and to Sailing team manager Pierre Yves Jorand, then in this, the second part of the podcast, she kicks things off with Yves Detrey, Alinghi team veteran and winner of the Cup with the Swiss syndicate in 2003 and 2007. The pair share memories of the Cup wins, in a conversation that takes in the immensity of those Cup victories at home in Switzerland, as well as the challenges to overcome in the new Cup arena.
Robertson also talks AC75 design with America's Cup naval architect Adolfo Carrau from Botin Partners, the design house of choice for Alinghi Red Bull Racing. Driving the design team for American Magic in the last Cup, Carrau's discussion on the evolution of the second generation AC75s will leave the listeners impatient for a glimpse of the new boats. This edition is then wrapped up with team board member Brad Butterworth, a key component of the Swiss syndicate since the earliest days of campaigning. Butterworth, as ever, has interesting views on key aspects of this Cup cycle, including the nationality rule, the other Challengers, and collaboration with Formula One teams.
This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact [email protected]
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FAQ
How many episodes does Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast have?
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast currently has 87 episodes available.
What topics does Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Hobbies, Olympics, Lifestyle, Podcasts, Sport, Sports and Sailing.
What is the most popular episode on Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast?
The episode title 'Series 4 - Ep15 - Brian Thompson Part 1' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast?
The average episode length on Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast is 63 minutes.
How often are episodes of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast released?
Episodes of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast are typically released every 21 days, 12 hours.
When was the first episode of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast?
The first episode of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast was released on Jul 3, 2019.
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