Second place in Sunday’s fifth fleet race helps team to seventh overall in Australia.
January 18, 2026, Perth, AUSTRALIA – SailGP’s sixth season exploded into life Down Under for the Perth Sail Grand Prix, and the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team came out swinging. A fresh squad, new energy, and a second-place finish on Sunday showed exactly what this team is building together.
Before racing kicked off, the sky became part of the spectacle. Red Bull Air Race World Champion Matt Hall extended the racecourse vertically, tearing through aerobatic maneuvers above the grandstands and F50 fleet.
On the water, Red Bull Italy SailGP team is establishing its rhythm. Helmsman Phil Robertson is in his second event with the team, Italian Olympian Jana Germani also at her second appearance calling strategy – and the early signs are promising.
Fremantle threw everything at the crew. The famous ‘Doctor’ sea breeze delivered demanding conditions across the weekend, strong enough to knock three teams out of competition by the first race. Saturday saw tight, tactical racing with the Italians posting consistent results to stay in the hunt. Sunday cranked up the intensity – 25-knot gusts, building seas, boats pushed to the limit – and the team responded with their strongest performance: second place in the day’s second race.
“What an awesome event to start Season 6!” said team CEO Jimmy Spithill. “Proud of how the team handled these top end conditions for the first time together. A lot of good learnings to take forward into Auckland, and we know we will have a huge amount of support with Phil being in front of his home crowd.”
Driver Phil Robertson added: “We faced really breezy conditions, big waves, and plenty of action. The level is so high that close situations and near misses are inevitable, but we really enjoyed our final day of racing here in Perth and came away with a couple of good results. There’s still a lot for us to learn, but overall it was a very positive day for the team.”
The Red Bull Italy SailGP Team finished 7th overall. Emirates GBR, the reigning Season 5 champions, took the Perth victory. Next stop: Auckland, New Zealand, 14-15 February.
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. Thirteen 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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