Abu Dhabi, UAE, 30 November 2025 – The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix delivered the breakthrough Red Bull Italy SailGP Team had been chasing all season. With new driver Phil Robertson at the helm, Italy threaded together its cleanest, sharpest racing of Season 5 to take second overall – its first podium of the year.
Having made its long-anticipated debut in SailGP at the start of the season in Dubai, the team arrived back in the UAE having made some impressive additions to its roster. Following successful seasons with China, Spain and Canada, Robertson joined as driver, while the vastly experienced Jana Germani took on the strategist role.
On Saturday and in light winds, teams were forced to operate with skeleton crews as racing became a slow-motion pressure cooker. Wind barely touched six knots, foiling opportunities were rare, and every maneuver demanded twice the effort with fewer hands on deck managing the F50 boats.
Saturday’s four races saw a tightly packed fleet squeezing through whatever breeze they could find. Italy posted a score of 8–4–3–7, leaving the water in second place heading into the final day. On Super Sunday, the Italians held their nerve with a 5–6 score, playing their way up the board when it mattered most to secure their strongest result of the campaign.
Robertson said: “I think it’s a testament to all the hard work the team has put in throughout the season. It was great to finally show the team’s potential going forward. Now it’s all about focusing on next season and how we can improve even more.”
Denmark took the Abu Dhabi victory, with France completing the podium behind Italy. But the story of the weekend belonged to the new Italian outfit closing out its debut season on a high, showing composure under the hardest conditions SailGP can throw at a team.
The final event of the season also saw new champions crowned as Great Britain finished ahead of three-time champions Australia in a winner-takes-all race to claim the $2 million first prize, with New Zealand finishing in third.
Red Bull Italy SailGP Team will now look to keep pushing when SailGP Season 6 kicks off on 17-18 January next year at the Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix.
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 Robertson, 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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