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.

AC38 crew line-ups slowly coming into focus

Both Luna Rossa and GB1 are out training in Cagliari this week, their AC40s carving up the Bay of Angels as the countdown to the first preliminary regatta of the 38th America's Cup ticks under 70 days. Come May 21-24, a maximum...

The one that got away: How Paul Cayard won the 99th Bacardi Cup

Paul Cayard started sailing at eight years old in a tiny El Toro dinghy on San Francisco Bay. Nearly six decades later, he's still at it – and still winning. His career spans every corner of the sport: seven America's Cups, two...

The week in racing - 9 March '26

Legends, records, and wild weather dominated the sailing world this week, with Paul Cayard finally claiming his white whale, Hetairos tearing up the record books in Antigua, and the first AC75 of this Cup cycle to hit the water...

Taihoro '2.0' unveiled as ETNZ prepare to be first AC75 on the water

Emirates Team New Zealand have pulled the covers off their evolved AC75 'Taihoro' at the team's Wynyard Point base in Auckland, with the defender set to become the first boat of the 38th America's Cup cycle to hit the water when...

China Sea Race: Team Alive-Rampage fends off Centennial V for line honours

Team Alive-Rampage crossed the finish line in Subic Bay on Friday afternoon to claim line honours in the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race, completing the 565-nautical-mile crossing from Hong Kong in 49 hours, 55 minutes and 57 seconds.

Is SailGP's format broken? The fans weigh in

In his video last week, Tom ‘Mozzy’ Morris took aim at one of SailGP's most controversial design choices: the opening sprint leg. Starting the fleet on a full 90-degree reach puts the F50s straight into what many sailors call the...

Botín and Trittel join France’s America’s Cup ‘K-Challenge’

It was always going to happen eventually. Diego Botín and Florian Trittel have confirmed they’re entering the America’s Cup, joining France's K-Challenge for the 38th edition in Naples. The reigning 49er Olympic champions will...

Rolex China Sea Race fleet sets sail from Hong Kong with records in the crosshairs

The 2026 Rolex China Sea Race got underway this morning from Victoria Harbour, with 20 international teams setting off on the 565-nautical-mile crossing to Subic Bay on the island of Luzon, Philippines. First held in 1962, it's...

Coutts confirms safety overhaul – but is SailGP ahead of the game or playing catch-up?

Following the collision in Auckland that put Louis Sinclair and Manon Audinet in hospital, Russell Coutts confirmed at Sydney's press conference that engineering teams are deep into design reviews. That includes looking at...

The week in racing - 2 March '26

This week Caribbean racing delivered maxi drama, offshore heroics, and a scow that's putting IRC orthodoxy into question. Elsewhere, Finn history was made in Brisbane, a record fleet turned out in Vilamoura on the path to LA2028,...

United States master light winds for shock Sydney win

The Sydney Sail Grand Prix served up conditions nobody expected – seven knots of breeze, both hulls planted in the water, and a fleet of F50s reduced to crawling across one of sailing's most famous venues. Forget the 50-knot...

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...