The RYA 150 Podcast - Episode 1: Keith Musto OBE, Rod Carr CBE and Stephen ‘Sparky' Park CBE
by RYA 24 Sep 2025 12:00 BST
The RYA 150 Podcast © RYA
Episode 1 - The legacy that shaped British Olympic sailing reflects on the passion, setbacks and turning points that shaped British achievement on the water over the decades.
Keith Musto OBE explains how he broke new ground in the 1960s by applying an innovative approach to Olympic training — doubling down on fitness preparation to the derision of his competitors. But it was an approach that paid off, resulting in an unlikely silver medal in 1964 alongside Tony Morgan.
Rod Carr CBE - former coach, Performance Director and CEO of the RYA - looks back on the challenges and opportunities of steering the sport through periods of seismic change, from volunteer-driven campaigns to the evolution of a more professional structure.
Former Olympic Manager Stephen 'Sparky' Park CBE takes us inside the transformation brought about by National Lottery funding, pivoting from part-time campaigns and borrowed boats to full-time athletes, world-class coaching and training bases that have powered Britain's golden era, including at a once-in-a-generation home Olympics in 2012.
Together, they reveal how resilience, determination and targeted resource and innovation carried British sailors from the days of amateur campaigns to consistent podium-topping performances. They also highlight the importance of investment, pathways for young talent and why sailing's place at the heart of the Olympic movement matters to the wider sport.
You can listen to a new episode of the RYA 150 Podcast every week via your favourite podcast platform - including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music - or online at rya.org.uk/150-podcast