Benedict Donovan

—Deputy Editor

A journalist and writer with years of experience in sailing, Bene cut his teeth marketing to the Olympic crowd before moving to reporting at the sharp end of the sport. We’re talking America’s Cup, SailGP, The Ocean Race… and a stint as in-house writer for Alinghi Red Bull Racing during the 37th America’s Cup, which means he saw all the stuff the rest of us didn’t. Beyond sailing, he’s a regular contributor to Red Bull, covering their wider world of stunts and general lunacy. With a background spanning journalism, copywriting, marketing and press comms, Bene brings a versatile, energetic approach to his role as deputy editor of The Foil.

Spain’s Los Gallos head the fleet after day one in Sydney

Can anyone beat the Flying Roos in Sydney? After day one, the answer is yes – just about. Los Gallos lead the standings after back-to-back wins in races two and three, with Diego Botín's crew reading the shifty conditions better...

Sydney SailGP preview: Could twilight racing around Shark Island shake things up?

As the venue of the first-ever SailGP race, Sydney Harbour is where it all began. Seven years on, the birthplace of the league hosts its seventh consecutive event – and this weekend promises something the circuit has never seen...

Line honours for Argo and Black Jack 100 in RORC Caribbean 600

The gun fired at Fort Charlotte, Antigua on Monday morning and 56 boats poured into 15 knots of trade wind for the 17th RORC Caribbean 600. Nearly 500 sailors from 40 nations set off on one of offshore racing's most distinctive...

SailGP fixes split-fleet scoring mess

SailGP has quietly fixed the split-fleet scoring problem exposed in Auckland. The league updated its Notice of Race this morning to address the points imbalance that left teams frustrated after the season’s second event. The...

Marzio-Perrelli.-Credits-Cristiano-Barni

AC Partnership taps Sky Italia exec as CEO

The America's Cup looks to have a new power broker, and he comes from a world far removed from yacht clubs and match racing. Though not yet officially announced, Italian media are reporting that Marzio Perrelli has been tapped as...

SailGP says no system fault in Auckland crash

SailGP has released its technical findings into the high-speed collision between the Black Foils and DS Team France at the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix – and the league's verdict is emphatic: no mechanical fault or software...

The Foil Weekly Wrap - 23 Feb '26

From maxi yacht faceoffs in Antigua to frozen lakes in Sweden, the sailing world has seen a week of extremes. Cape Horn looms for the Globe40 fleet, the America's Cup appoints a new CEO, and SailGP heads to Sydney two boats...

SailGP's F50 super licence is here – but can the infrastructure keep up?

For the first time in SailGP's seven-year history, there's a formal system to ensure everyone who steps onto an F50 is fully prepared to handle it. The F50 super licence is now mandatory for anyone who wants to train or race on...

The tortoise beats the hare: Marega claims 70th Finn Gold Cup

Alessandro Marega is the 2026 Finn Gold Cup champion. The Italian sailor arrived at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron this morning trailing Anders Pedersen by a single point heading into Thursday's final races. He left seven...

System limit led to Auckland collision, Black Foils reveal

Black Foils co-CEOs Pete Burling and Blair Tuke fronted the media at Viaduct Harbour, Auckland on Thursday morning, delivering their most detailed account yet of the collision that hospitalised grinder Louis Sinclair and Manon...

French and Kiwi F50 hulls grafted together as Sydney deadline looms

Less than 72 hours after one of the most dramatic collisions in SailGP history, engineers in Auckland are already piecing together a new boat from the wreckage. At Southern Spars' facility in Avondale, what's being dubbed the...

The Foil Weekly Wrap - 16 Feb '26

SailGP dominated the news this week – and not always for the right reasons. Plus a few other things are happening in the sailing world too… Australia land another Auckland victory – Tom Slingsby's Flying Roos claimed their second...

Flying Roos bound to victory over GBR and Spain in Auckland

Australia’s Bond Flying Roos found the edge over Emirates GBR and Spain’s Los Gallos crew to win the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix on Sunday. The result marks a second successive victory in Auckland for the Australians. In tough...

Black Foils collide with France as day-one racing is abandoned

The question on everyone's lips was whether 13 F50s could survive being crammed into Auckland's pressure cooker. By race three, we had our answer. The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix – the second event of the 2026 season –...

Hawkins and Wilson take double British victory at iQFOiL Games opener

Britain's Emma Wilson and Finn Hawkins have claimed gold at the opening iQFOiL Games of 2026 in Lanzarote, capping a week that threw just about everything at the world's best windfoilers. Wilson, the defending champion, was never...