Benedict Donovan
From partners to opponents: inside the North Sails–Team New Zealand patent battle
North Sails last week went public in its patent fight with Emirates Team New Zealand. It accused the Cup Defender of building a patent on the sailmaker’s own technology, then turning it on the rest of the fleet. In a statement...
Django 7X edges out Balthasar for Rolex Middle Sea Race overall win
Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Wallyrocket 71 traded places with the defending champion for most of the 606 miles around Sicily, then pulled clear on the reaches after Favignana to win by 1 hour, 21 minutes and 20 seconds under...
Team Australia finish Te Rehutai rebuild and set February target for Naples
The 2021 Cup-winning AC75 has a new bow, a cut-down stern and fresh paint. Next come load testing, systems fit-out and a Christmas shipping deadline, while Tom Slingsby’s co-helm is still being chosen in the simulator. Team...
The week in racing - 19 Oct ’26
A 100-foot maxi has sailed its fastest-ever lap of Sicily, a British debutant has snatched the oldest trophy in match racing in the final metres, and a new cohort of America’s Cup greats have taken their place in the Hall of...
GB2 and Alinghi Women & Youth name their squads for Naples 2027
With the second Preliminary Regatta in Naples wrapped up on 27 September, the AC40 programme now turns to next year’s two events. The Youth America’s Cup runs 2–6 June 2027 and the Women’s America’s Cup 5–9 July, both in Naples.
Emirates GBR and Team 14 claim first slots on SailGP’s Pensacola training F50
SailGP's new training F50 is booked for 42 sailing days before Christmas, starting with a 17-day run. GBR are using their slot to chase the last Grand Final place, and none of their closest rivals for it have time booked before...
La Roche-Posay Racing Team the first to launch their AC75 in Naples
Written in collaboration with Roberta del Vaglio, The Foil’s on-the-ground reporter in Naples. Last to launch in Barcelona, the French challengers are the first team to sail an AC75 on the Bay of Naples, with a full Mediterranean...
SailGP’s year-round training base is about to open for business
SailGP's dedicated training F50 has arrived in Florida, and the league's new year-round training base is set to become operational next week, with Emirates GBR the first team to use it. Behind-the-scenes footage from the league...
Batteries, foils and LiDAR: where does the sailor’s job end?
Is technology ruining sailing? That was the question on episode 42 of The Foil Podcast, and the answer turns out to depend on which job the machine is doing – supplying the power, telling the crew what’s going on, or making the...
The week in racing - 12 Oct ’26
It’s been a good week to be Italian on the water, from Furio Benussi’s fourth Barcolana win on the bounce to foiling titles in Cádiz and Sardinia. Elsewhere, Platoon Aviation sealed the 52 Super Series in Valencia, and Lake Garda...
Two days, two headaches for Luna Rossa in Cagliari
It’s not every day you see an America’s Cup team fix its boat with tape and carry on sailing. But that’s what Luna Rossa did in Cagliari this week, after a broken sensor pole punched a hole in the side of its AC75. The damage,...
The week in racing - 5 Oct ’26
It's been a busy old week, from Olympic qualification getting under way at the Asian Games to the giant Ultims touching the mid-40s off Brittany, with a double-handed offshore world title for France and the classics out in force...
Luna Rossa defeat the defenders at the AC38 venue
Luna Rossa have taken the Naples title, beating Emirates Team New Zealand by 17 seconds in the match race final – a show of strength from the home team on the very waters that will host the 2027 America’s Cup. For Peter Burling,...
Can anyone stop Luna Rossa? The French give it a go on day 2 in Naples
Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand remain in the top two heading into the final day of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Naples, but day two belonged to La Roche-Posay Racing Team. Quentin Delapierre’s French crew...
Luna Rossa lead after a stop-start opening day in Naples
If any team was going to own the bay in Naples, surely it was the Italians. Luna Rossa arrive to the second Preliminary Regatta of the 38th America’s Cup bursting with talent across the board, with more AC40 training time than...
