The Sailing Podcast
From the team behind Practical Boat Owner, Yachting Monthly, and Yachting World comes a sailing podcast hosted by Yachting Monthly's editor Theo Stocker. It features interviews with amazing sailors, sharing fascinating and inspiring stories about boats and adventures. A must-listen for anyone into sailing.
Episodes
Mike Golding on Alex Thomson, Keel Failures & The French Sailing Bubble | The Sailing Podcast Ep.27
Welcome back aboard The Sailing Podcast! In Episode 27, host Theo Stocker and Yachting World Editor Helen Fretter return for Part 2 of their in-depth interview with British solo sailing icon Mike Golding OBE. After dominating the Westabout route in the BT Global Challenge, Mike stepped into the high-tech world of IMOCA 60 racing and the Vendée Globe. Mike recounts the terrifying realities of solo
Swallows & Amazons, Greek Chartering, and the Great Tender Debate | Ep. 25
Grab a cup of tea (or a cold beer) and join Theo Stocker and Toby Heppell for Episode 25 of The Sailing Podcast as the Sailing Geeks return to dissect four classic nautical topics.In this episode:Sailing Literature Recommendations: From childhood inspiration in Lake Windermere to the harrowing disaster of the 1998 Sydney Hobart Race and the last trading clippers.The Charter Selling Points: Why eve
Inside Short-Handed Offshore Racing with Theo Stocker & Toby Heppell | Ep. 24
Welcome back to a special edition of The Sailing Podcast! In Episode 24, we bring back our occasional sub-series, The Sailing Geeks, where host Theo Stocker is joined by Toby Heppell at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club to chew the cud on all things sailing.This episode is dedicated entirely to the 2026 Yachting Monthly Celtic Triangle Race, a legendary 600-mile, short-handed offshore adventure that
Mike Golding OBE (Part 1) - 'I didn't tell him I was a fireman who'd never been in the Southern Ocean'
Mike Golding OBE is, quite simply, a sailing legend. He has sailed through the Southern Ocean 9 times in both directions, and raced across the Atlantic 13 times.He has survived burning buildings and dismastings. He even came third in the Vendée Globe despite finishing the race with no keel.And after all that, he still goes sailing for pleasure, completing a half-circumnavigation from NZ to France
Ep. 23: Ertan Beskardes – Emotional Suffering, Starlink on a 19ft Boat, and GGR Attempt #3
In Episode 23 of The Sailing Podcast, host Theo Stocker sits down inside the tiny, 19-foot cabin of Mini Globe 580,Trekker with one of the friendliest and most intrepid sailors on the planet: Ertan Beskardes.Ertan’s story is extraordinary. Born in Turkey, he learned to sail on the Bosphorus as a 12-year-old boy, tying his tiny fiberglass dinghy to navigation cardinals in the dark to sleep under th
Ep. 22: Don McIntyre – Polar Living, Fighting Pirates, and Reinventing Retro Ocean Racing
In Episode 22 of The Sailing Podcast, host Theo Stocker sits down with one of the most prolific, relentless, and fascinating adventurers on the planet: Don McIntyre.Don is the visionary founder behind the retro Golden Globe Race, the Ocean Globe Race, and the Mini Globe Race, all events born from his fierce belief that true adventure isn't about multi-million-dollar budgets or high-tech satellite
Justin Morton: How to Calibrate, Update, and Fix Baffling Marine Tech | Episode 21
Getting your boat's electronics to play nicely together can feel like a dark art. This week on The Sailing Podcast, host Theo Stocker is rejoined by former Royal Marine, Yachtmaster Instructor, and Marine Surveyor Justin Morton to demystify marine networks.Whether you sail a classic cruiser or motor a deck saloon, your plotters, radars, autopilots, and depth sounders all depend on accurate calibra
Ep. 20: Richard Farrington CBE (Part 2) – WWII Night Hunters, The St. Nazaire Raid, and 40,000 Miles in an Oyster
Welcome back to Part 2 of our conversation with Commodore (Retd) Richard Farrington CBE on The Sailing Podcast (Episode 20).In this final half, Richard steps into his role with the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust. We dive deep into the breathtaking, forgotten history of WWII’s Night Hunters, the volunteer yachties and fishermen who manned wooden 'floating bombs' at 40 knots in the dark. Richard shar
Richard Farrington CBE (Part 1): The Heroic Tale of Saving HMS Nottingham | Episode 19
Welcome to a very special, two-part edition of The Sailing Podcast with host Theo Stocker. In Episode 19 (Part 1), we are on board the beautiful Oyster 485 Escapade of Reim in Gosport with her owner, Commodore (Retd) Richard Farrington CBE.Over a distinguished 36-year career in the Royal Navy, Richard commanded everything from wooden mine hunters to massive fleet flotillas. In this gripping first
Ep. 18: Sir Robin Knox-Johnston – Solo Circumnavigation, Clipper Race, and the Spirit of Adventure
In Episode 18 of The Sailing Podcast, host Theo Stocker sits down aboard the iconic Suhaili with a man who needs no introduction: Sir Robin Knox-Johnston CBE. He is arguably the greatest sailor of all time.As the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world (1968 Golden Globe Race), Sir Robin changed offshore racing forever. In this exclusive chat, he reflects on his legendary master ma
'The sailors who seem most content have the smallest, rubbishest boats ' | The Sailing Pod Ep.17
Picture this: It's a dark, wet evening in Salcombe. A massive 40-foot cruising yacht pulls up to the pontoon, and the skipper is screaming at his terrified teenage kids because they cleated a line wrong. The holiday is ruined, the crew is miserable, and the skipper is utterly disappointed in himself. How do we avoid becoming that grumpy, overwhelmed dad?Welcome to The Sailing Podcast, sponsored by
Comedy, calamity and happy memories as Monty learns to sail | Sailing Podcast Ep.16
What happens when a professional adventurer – a man who has dived with crocodiles and worked as a Cornish crab fisherman – meets a 7-ton Colvic 34 in a crowded marina? You get a masterclass in humility. In episode 16 of The Sailing Podcast, sponsored by Sunsail, host Theo Stocker sat down with Monty Halls to hear how he’s getting on three years into his sailing journey. From his 'rodent-sized' the
VR Headsets and Starlink: How to Run a Sailing School from a Remote Anchorage | The Sailing Pod Ep15
Imagine dodging unpredictable ice floes in Antarctica, putting film crews in position for that perfect David Attenborough shot, and then—after a decade of professional high-stakes sailing—deciding the real adventure is actually a 42-foot cruiser, a three-year-old daughter, and a Wi-Fi signal in the Hebrides.In this episode, Theo Stocker is joined by Charlie and Ed Hewitt of Ardent Training. They f
Hove-To & Hanging On – The Truth About Man Overboard Recovery | The Sailing Podcast
What happens when you mix a lee shore, a dark November night, and a jib sheet wrapped around your propeller? You get one of the many "cock-up" stories featured in this second installment of our Sailing Nerds special.Hosts Theo Stocker (Editor of Yachting Monthly) and Toby Heppell (Group Digital Editor for Future Publishing's Marine group) sit down at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club to share their m
'The ship was sinking and we were on our own' – Cdr Tom Sharpe | The Sailing Podcast Episode 13
In this gripping episode, host Theo Stocker sits down with Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy Commander, to recount one of the most harrowing maritime incidents in recent history.While Tom's career spanned 27 years—commanding everything from fishery protection vessels to advanced Type 23 frigates—it was his time aboard the Navy's only icebreaker, HMS Endurance, that provided his ultimate test of lea
Pilotage in the Digital Age: Building Your ‘Bubble of Awareness’
In this episode of The Sailing Podcast, brought to you by Sunsail, host Theo Stocker was at Southampton Boat Show to dive deep into the high-stakes world of pilotage. Joining him was Justin Morton, a former Royal Marine with 30 years of experience who went from 'zero to Yacht Master Examiner' in record time.Justin breaks down why navigation is a mental process, not just a physical interaction with
Is Wooden Boat Building Making a Comeback? | The Sailing Podcast Ep.11
In this episode of The Sailing Podcast, brought to you by Sunsail, host Theo Stocker sat down with Will Reed, Director of the renowned British Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis. Will tells Theo about how his his early days in furniture design led to a world-class training centre, Will shares the 'immersive' journey students take during their intensive 40-week courses. We dive into the technical
There are few 'firsts' left, we just wrote a piece of history | Dee Caffari | The Sailing Pod Ep.10
In this episode of The Sailing Podcast, brought to you by Sunsail, host Theo Stocker and Yachting World Editor Helen Fretter head to the Royal Southern Yacht Club to sit down with a true legend of the sea: Dee Caffari, MBE.Fresh off her seventh circumnavigation, Dee shares the raw, unfiltered story of The Famous Project—a record-breaking mission that saw the first all-female team complete a non-st
The coolest boats and launches of 2026 that every sailor will want to sail | The Sailing Pod Ep.9
In this episode of The Sailing Podcast – brought to you by Sunsail – host Theo Stocker escapes the winter chill of the Düsseldorf Boat Show to step aboard the sleek, aluminium Pure 42. Joining him is a true heavyweight of marine journalism: Toby Hodges, the Boat Test Editor for Yachting World and a veteran judge for the European Yacht of the Year awards.With a career that spans several hundred boa
Military coups, greenwashing and the 'blood wood' teak trade | The Sailing Podcast Episode 8
In this latest episode of The Sailing Podcast, host Theo Stocker steps aboard the famous Contessa 32, Ascent, to sit down with Jesse Rogers of the renowned Jeremy Rogers boatyard. While Jesse helps run the family business – famous for building Contessas and high-tech carbon fibre projects – her background in environmental journalism brings a unique and critical lens to the materials that define th
Saving Einstein, to Loften and back and inspiring Tracey Edwards | The Sailing Podcast Ep.7
In this 7th ever episode of The Sailing Podcast, host Theo Stocker steps on board Mansura, the Hallberg-Rassy of veteran sailor, author, and pilotage expert Miranda Delmar Morgan. Miranda shares the incredible history behind her boat's name, tracing it back to a 1912 hybrid propulsion vessel owned by her family—a boat she believes may have been the "private yacht" that secretly spiritied Albert Ei
The toughest sailor you'll ever meet | The amazing records of Jazz Turner | The Sailing Podcast Ep.6
In this inspiring episode of The Sailing Podcast, join Theo Stocker and Laura Hodgetts aboard Jazz Turner's yacht. Jazz is the first female disabled person to complete a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland.Jazz opens up about her extreme 28-day challenge, her life-limiting Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and the determination that drove her to crawl across barnacle-cove
Digging into our ship building heritage | The Sailing Podcast Ep.5 | Mary Montagu Scott
In this fascinating episode of The Sailing Podcast, Theo Stocker visits the historic Buckler's Hard with Mary Montagu Scott, director of Beaulieu Enterprises and trustee of the new Buckler's Hard Shipyard Trust.Mary shares her deep connection to the Beaulieu River, tracing the yard's history from its medieval origins to its peak in the 18th century, when it built 55 ships for the Royal Navy. She d
Sailing Nerds #1: Cruising vs Racing: Which is the Only Real Sailing?
Welcome to the first episode of Sailing Nerds — a new sub-series from The Sailing Podcast — where we discuss all things boaty.For this inaugural episode, Yachting Monthly Editor (and Sailing Podcast host), Theo Stocker met up with Yachting Monthly, Yachting World, Practical Boat Owner and Motor Boat and Yachting Digital Editor, Toby Heppell at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.Despite years of workin
The Sailing Podcast Ep. 3 | Parties, Passage, and the Path to the Azores in the Triangle Race
The Sailing Podcast host (and Yachting Monthly Editor) Theo Stocker dives into the highs and lows of the recently resurrected Yachting Monthly Celtic Triangle Race with three enthusiastic entrants: veteran participant Jane (JT), single-handed sailor Rob McGregor, and experienced co-skipper Kathy Clayton.They all unpack the three-leg course, which starts in Falmouth and features famed stopovers in
'The emotional impact of not finishing the Vendée is huge' | Pip Hare | The Sailing Podcast Ep.2
In this candid second episode of The Sailing Podcast, legendary offshore sailor Pip Hare joined Helen Fretter and Theo Stocker in summer 2025 days before setting sail on the intense Ocean Race Europe!Recording onboard the powerful IMOCA 60, Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive Pip details her shift from solo racing to joining the Canada Ocean Racing crew. She discusses the intense training need
'We found his logbook from the 1979 Fastnet, it said: "Good drying weather"' | The Sail Podcast Ep.1
In this first ever episode of the Sailing Podcast, Yachting Monthly's Theo Stocker steps aboard Willy Ker’s famous Contessa 32 Assent to discuss the fascinating history of the boat with Kit and Jessie Rogers. They also talk a life of boatbuilding, and getting locked up for blowing the whistle on an illegal sea cucumber farm! The Sailing Podcast is a Brand New Podcast Series from the folks behind Y
