Podcast Ep. 4 - On board Argo's transatlantic record with Pete Cumming

Click here to listen on Spotify and other platforms

Offshore at inshore intensity – that's the new reality of ocean racing, and the crew of Jason Carroll's Mod 70 Argo just proved it by smashing the transatlantic record in a near-constant match race with fellow Mod 70 Zulu across 2,800 miles of Atlantic.

In this offshore special, Freddie Carr and Neil Cole sit down with crew Pete Cumming to dissect a record attempt that came down to single-digit minutes. Four days, 23 hours, 51 minutes, 15 seconds – sub-five by a margin so slim the crew didn't know they'd made it until the final approach. Behind them, Zulu finished just two hours back. This was a five-day knife fight at 30-plus knots.

But this episode isn't just about the numbers. It's about what happens inside your head when you're driving at 34 knots with no moon, no horizon, and six teammates asleep below who are trusting you with their lives. It's about the boat having 'a voice' – and knowing something's wrong when the hull goes silent because you've left the water entirely. The Mod 70, Pete says, is the most unforgiving boat in sailing: one mistake and you're over.

Plus: a first look at Freddie's interview with Benjamin Schwartz, co-skipper and navigator aboard Sodebo, the Ultim 3 that just smashed the Jules Verne around-the-world record in 40 days.

00:03:09 - Breaking the transatlantic record on Argo
00:07:23 - Physical versus mental challenges of offshore racing
00:09:23 - Why Mod70s are unforgiving and dangerous
00:11:15 - Sailing at 30 knots in pitch black
00:20:08 - Fixing a critical rudder issue mid-ocean
00:28:31 - Benjamin Schwartz on the Sodebo Jules Verne record
00:30:16 - Preparing a round-the-world attempt in 24 hours
00:37:10 - Battling 50 knots and 10-metre waves