The Sailing Podcast

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 the stars.After moving to the UK, he built a 40-year career as a military tailor and regalia specialist before answering the call of the high seas.Ertan competed in the 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Races (GGR), but the raw emotional toll of being separated from his family forced him to step aside. More recently, he completed an unbelievable tropical circumnavigation in the 19ft Mini Globe Race (MGR), complete with Starlink, Netflix, and daily FaceTime calls. Now, he’s set his sights back on the ultimate prize: sailing solo, non-stop around the globe in the 2026 GGR aboard Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s 2018 winning Rustler 36, Matmut (now renamed Miss Beagle).In this episode, Ertan shares:Sleeping Under the Bosphorus Stars: How a childhood on the water sparked a lifelong addiction to solo adventure.The Mental Game of the GGR: Why the Golden Globe isn't a sailing race, but an emotional endurance test.Life Inside a 19ft Boat: Why the MGR 580 feels like a floating cork and handles 50-knot gales with ease.Paradise & Near-Disasters: Crocodile warnings in Thursday Island, shark-swimming in Cocos Keeling, and getting towed into Cape Town after losing his mainsail in 50-knot Table Mountain gusts.GGR 2026: Buying Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s iconic boat and why he’s determined to complete the voyage this time.If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the like button, leave a comment for Ertan, and subscribe for more ocean stories!

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 routing, but about human grit and seamanship.Recorded aboard a Clipper training vessel in Gosport, Don takes us on a whirlwind journey through his extraordinary life. From building a ferro-cement Suhaili replica at 18 to completing the brutal solo BOC Challenge, Don shares what drives a person to push past the ordinary.In this episode, Don opens up about:Living in Antarctica: Spending a full year in an 8x12ft hut in the windiest place on Earth.Treasure Hunting & Terrorists: Encountering armed NPA rebels in the Philippines.Recreating Captain Bligh: Navigating 4,000 miles across the Pacific in an open boat with 23cm of freeboard and no modern tech.The Psychology of the GGR: Why the Golden Globe Race is 100% a mind game, and why Don just banned laptop computers onboard for the upcoming edition.His Next Big Feat: Announcing his new event, the Real Ocean Row (ROR), and his plan to row solo across the Atlantic at age 73!Learn more about Don’s races at: goldengloberace.com | oceangloberace.com | minigloberace.com⚓ If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow adventurer!

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 calibration. Justin breaks down his essential "Digital Shakedown" list to get your vessel operating with pinpoint accuracy.In this episode:Powering Down: Why turning off your chart plotter mid-passage is a highly revealing sanity check.The 30-Second Depth Calibration: Figuring out counter-intuitive offsets and why you must explicitly brief your crew on where your depth reads from.The Log Paddle Wheel Protocol: Step-by-step guide to pulling, cleaning, and testing your through-hull logs.Taming Your Alarms: Re-configuring your AIS and depth vector settings to avoid alarm fatigue in crowded coastal waters.Autopilot Wizards: Knowing the difference between dockside geometry tests and sea trial calibration.Head down to the boat, grab a cup of tea, and map out your electronics checklist with us.Catch more expert technical guides at yachtingmonthly.com.

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 shares the unbelievable exploits of legendary figures like Mickey Wynn (who ended up in Colditz) and Robert Hitchens, the most decorated RNVR officer of all time.Then, the conversation turns to blue water cruising. Richard shares with host, Theo Stocker, how he and his wife Julie decided to 'outrun the grim reaper' upon retirement, purchasing their Oyster and completing a massive 40,000-mile Atlantic circuit. From the challenges of maintaining a dark blue hull to island-hopping through Cuba, New York Harbour, and Nova Scotia, Richard shares invaluable, real-world advice for anyone dreaming of proper long-distance passage making.⚓ Enjoyed the two-part special? Give us a thumbs up, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more sailing masterclasses!

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 instalment, Richard takes us behind the scenes of precision ship handling, the evolution of maritime technology, and his fascinating time on exchange with the Royal Australian Navy.But the heart of this episode centres on one fateful night in the middle of the Tasman Sea — the terrifying grounding of the Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham.Richard vividly recounts the exact moment the ship struck rock at 25 knots, the absolute bedlam of the bridge alarms, and what he calls the "spin-dryer effect" as the ocean threatened to tear his ship apart. Learn how a tight-knit crew, manual steering overrides, and a helicopter's compass kept 260 souls from sinking into the dark.🔔 This is Part 1 of a truly unmissable two-part story. Hit Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss Part 2 next week!

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 mariner background, shares harrowing stories of surviving the Southern Ocean, and explains why he donated his prize money to Donald Crowhurst’s family.We also dive into his fiery defence against the myth that sailing is an 'elite' sport, the creation of Clipper Ventures, and an insider look at the brand-new Clipper fleet being built.⚓ Subscribe for more sailing stories, and don't forget to like and share!

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 Sunsail. This week host, Theo Stocker and his guest. Justin Morton talk about what it actually takes to be a great skipper. The pair dive deep into 'unequal sailing partnerships,' the psychological difference between real danger and perceived fear, and why cutting a long-planned cruise short might be the ultimate sign of a successful voyage. If you've ever worried about stretching your family's tolerance on the water, this episode is an absolute must-listen.Timestamps00:45 – The Snakes and Ladders of Sailing02:45 – A Sailor’s Confession06:00 – Justin's first command: Surviving spinnaker carnage on a Hunter Horizon11:45 – The Grumpy Skipper Trap16:30 – Event Management at Sea19:35 – The cautionary tale of an 8-meter catamaran and forced cross-channel runs24:35 – When Fear Meets Reality34:10 – Knowing when to cut your holiday short41:00 – Why the small, rubbish boats have more fun43:00 – How to build boat-handling skills 47:25 – The Lost Art of Heaving-To53:50 – Why couples should do shore-based courses together but practical courses apart

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' therapy dog to the 3D-printed parts saving his prop shaft, Monty shares the highs and lows of life with his boat, Sobec. It’s a hilarious, honest, and deeply relatable look at why we keep heading back out to sea, even when we’re convinced the boat is trying to kill us.This episode is made possible by our sponsors, Sunsail. Whether you’re a seasoned skipper or just starting to fill your 'experience jar' like Monty, Sunsail makes getting on the water easy. Right now, you can get up to 20% off summer sailing holidays—from the steady winds of the Ionian to the hidden bays of Croatia. If you’re ready for more adventure and less routine, search Sunsail Summer Sailing Special or use this url: https://bit.ly/4tkrUrkTimestamps01:45 – The Luck Jar vs. The Experience Jar: Why your luck eventually runs out.05:10 – The P-Bracket disaster: 1970s technology meets 3D printing.12:30 – Meeting Dasher: The "sociopathic" dachshund and the hunt for the perfect boat dog.19:50 – From the Royal Marines to Blue Planet: A life shaped by the sea.27:15 – The brutal reality of a Cornish crab fisherman (and why we have it easy).38:40 – First time out on Sobec: "My predominant emotion was alarm."46:15 – The "Fleshy Fender": How (not) to involve your family in close-quarters manoeuvring.54:30 – The Boat Syndicate: Why Monty is using a "dating agency" to share his yacht