The Italian crew won three of their four fleet races to reach the final, ultimately taking third for their first podium of the Rolex SailGP Championship Season 6.
VALENCIA, Spain – 6 September 2026 – Red Bull Italy SailGP Team claimed their first podium of the season at the Spain Sail Grand Prix, winning three of four fleet races to book a place in the final and finishing third in front of sold-out grandstands on Valencia’s waterfront. It was the team’s strongest weekend of Season 6, at the first SailGP event staged in the city.
Valencia’s debut delivered anything but straightforward racing. The Mediterranean breeze stayed light and unstable across both days, forcing the fleet to react to every shift in strength and direction. The F50s ran their 27.5-metre wings throughout – the biggest configuration available, and the pick for light air – with four sailors aboard rather than the usual six to save weight.
The team’s weekend began on the back foot. A fault in the wing’s hydraulics left oil leaking inside the Italian F50 on Saturday morning, but the crew turned the boat around in time to make the start. From there, two clean getaways set up two wins from the day’s three races – alongside season leaders Bonds Flying Roos and reigning champions Emirates GBR – with strong starts giving Phil Robertson’s crew the control to lead from the front.
“It was a fantastic weekend here in Valencia and probably our best result to date,” said Robertson, driver of the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team. “Our group was a real tough one, and we actually prefer that, to be honest, because it keeps you on your toes the whole time. You can’t relax when you’ve got some of those teams behind you. We won three of the four fleet races, which is something not many teams have managed to achieve in the past.”
Another very light breeze on Sunday allowed only one fleet race, and Red Bull Italy made it count – a third win of the weekend secured their spot in the four-boat final, topping their group on points. A fractionally early start cost them in the event final, but the crew stayed in the fight to the line to take third and seal the podium.
“It was a really positive weekend. We won three of the four races, mainly thanks to some great starts and the fact that we sailed really well,” said strategist Jana Germani. “It’s a shame about the final, where we were just a little early at the start, but we still managed to stay in the fight right to the end. Overall, we’re extremely pleased.”
The weekend carried extra weight for the team’s CEO, Jimmy Spithill. It was in Valencia, in February 2010, that Spithill won his first America’s Cup as skipper and helmsman of BMW Oracle Racing, three years after the city hosted the 32nd edition of the trophy in 2007. This time the venue welcomed the F50 fleet for the first time, with the course laid just metres off the grandstands and the finish line staged right in front of the crowd.
Off the water, the week mixed racing with local culture. Red Bull Italy went head-to-head with the Spanish team away from the F50s and took a turn on the traditional Vela Latina boats, part of the city’s long seafaring heritage, while bike trials world champion Kenny Belaey marked his Friday visit to the Italian base with a stunt in front of the team’s F50. On Saturday, the team welcomed Fiumicino Mayor Mario Baccini and Porto di Roma Director Alessandro Mei – a first look ahead to the Italy Sail Grand Prix, when SailGP arrives in Rome on 11-12 September 2027 for Red Bull Italy’s first home event.
Geneva is up next, 19-20 September, wrapping up the European leg, before the season runs on to Dubai and its climax at the Abu Dhabi Grand Final, where the Season 6 title will be decided. Red Bull Italy leave Valencia with their first podium of the campaign and clear momentum behind them.
“A great result for the team and the product of a huge amount of hard work together,” said Spithill. “Now we get straight back to work ahead of Geneva. Forza!”
Red Bull Italy SailGP Team
Red Bull Italy SailGP Team represents a new generation of high-performance sailing: fast, fearless, and forward-looking. Making its debut in the 2024–25 SailGP season, the team aims to push boundaries, inspire, and redefine the sport by uniting Italy’s finest sailing talent with international expertise. At the helm is Phil Roberson, SailGP Champion and one of the sport’s most dynamic athletes. Alongside him, sailing legend Jimmy Spithill leads as CEO and co-owner, bringing unmatched experience and vision. The ownership group, led by Assia Grazioli Venier and Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, combines entrepreneurial innovation and global perspective in a bold new chapter for Italian sailing
SailGP
SailGP is widely regarded as the most thrilling racing on water, redefining the boundaries of modern sailing. The Rolex SailGP Championship is a global annual league that visits iconic cities around the world. Twelve national teams – featuring some of the best athletes in the sport – compete on identical 50-foot foiling catamarans capable of exceeding 100 km/h and literally sailing faster than the wind.
SailGP combines sport and entertainment through its “stadium racing” format, with courses set close to shore to deliver a unique, high-adrenaline experience just meters from the action.
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