Andy Rice

Andy Rice

—Senior Contributor

Andy did his first interview while he was campaigning a 470 dinghy on the Olympic circuit. It was a windless ‘no sailing’ day at Hyeres Olympic Regatta in 1990, just a few months after the Berlin Wall came down, with East German sailing star and multiple gold medallist Jochen Schumann. He has been writing about sailing ever since. Andy still races actively today in the one-man Musto Skiff fleet, although the day job is very much writing and live commentating across a range of events around the world. As well as working at the past five Olympic Games, going back to Beijing 2008, Andy has reported at the America’s Cup, The Ocean Race, the Vendée Globe among many other grand prix regattas. Since the start of 2025 he has been writing for The Athletic/New York Times, reporting on the SailGP circuit. At the less glamorous end of the sport Andy also maintains active links with the grass roots dinghy scene as the organiser of the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series, for all those mad dogs and nutters that still want to go racing in the coldest, darkest months of the Great British winter.

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New York: A whole season in one weekend?

Here we are in New York City, so why was the name of another city – Auckland – on the lips of all the sailors I interviewed this morning? Because Saturday is looking like it’s going to be windy, with the potential for heinous...

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What 2027 calendar tells us about SailGP’s future

It is impressive to see how early SailGP is starting to announce its annual calendar. Pulling the venues together and creating a cohesive global roadshow is no mean feat.  For me, travelling to all the events throughout the...

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Ranking the Fleet: Ricey's verdicts on SailGP Bermuda

Finished: 1st Even if the Bonds Flying Roos couldn’t quite match that perfect Sunday in Rio - their dominant performance throughout the Bermuda weekend was outstanding. When Hollywood star and co-owner of the team Ryan Reynolds...

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Waterspeed: using data for more speed, more fun, and more community

In the high-stakes world of grand prix racing, from the 50-knot flying machines of SailGP and the America’s Cup, data has become one of the key drivers of performance. The modern professional operates in an era where there is...

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No Auckland return for SailGP in 2027

There will be no Auckland event on the 2027 SailGP calendar after the New Zealand government declined to contribute sufficient funding to make it happen. “We can confirm that the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland will not...

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Ferrari Hypersail unveiled in Milan (and it’s not red)

Has there been a more ambitious project than Ferrari Hypersail? Quite possibly, because even I wasn’t around long enough ago to witness the launch of those magnificent J-Class yachts of their day. But that was then and this is...

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Referee! The devil in the detail between French and Aussie penalties

At the SailGP Grand Prix in Rio there were some late chargers making a late but very fast run into the start box, hoping for a gap to appear in front of them. Sometimes this late charge paid off big time, like the Bonds Flying...

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How the Flying Roos swept the minefield of Guanabara Bay

If you had told Tom Slingsby on Sunday morning that the Bonds Flying Roos would sweep every single race on the final day in Rio de Janeiro, he’d have laughed you off the beach. The Guanabara Bay conditions were a minefield. A...

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Rio SailGP practice day leaves backmarkers still searching for clues

Practice racing on Guanabara Bay delivered a familiar picture at the front of the SailGP fleet - and offered little comfort to those looking to raise their game after a slow start to the season. The fleets were divided into two...

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Dash for (not very much) Cash

It was only €100, but Philipp Buhl looked delighted to grab the cash all the same. He’d just finished first in an experimental race, the start of a new project called the Sailing Energy Series, and it involved eight of the...

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Ineos vs Athena: What happens when you make Ben Ainslie angry

“They’ve made a big mistake. They’ve made me angry; you don’t want to make me angry.” The words of Ben Ainslie after a controversial race 8 of the Olympic Regatta at London 2012. The Danish and Dutch competitors in the Finn...

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Luca Rizzotti bought a Moth in 2007 and accidentally started a movement

When we launched The Foil at the start of this year, it was understandable that quite a few people incorrectly jumped to the conclusion that it must be a Luca Rizzotti project. After all, this passionate Italian has become...

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Trouble in the Strait of Hormuz points to sailing's future

A fortnight ago, had you even heard of the Strait of Hormuz? Until the Middle East blew up, this narrow stretch of water that connects the Arabian Gulf with the Indian Ocean was barely known to most of us. Now it seems like the...

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Low-breeze Sydney still a welcome distraction from reality

It is amazing how being in the bubble of SailGP can distract you from all that is going on in the world, not least the proliferation of hostilities in the Middle East. As soon as SailGP’s podium presentation was complete, and the...

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Lightning threat calls off SailGP practice – again

No practice racing for the second event running. Normally sailors aren’t that bothered about missing a practice race, especially if it’s chucking down with rain like it has been in Sydney for the past 24 hours. But lost time in...

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