Red Bull Italy SailGP Team got off to a solid start in Australia

The first intense weekend of racing of the sixth season of the Rolex SailGP Championship, the fastest racing circuit on water, has come to a close in the waters of Perth. For the first time in its young history, SailGP visited Western Australia, bringing the thirteen national teams to compete in one of the most iconic and demanding venues in high-performance sailing.

For the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, the season opener in Perth proved to be a weekend defined by hard work, learning and valuable experience. The Italian team leaves Australia with encouraging race-by-race results, achieved in highly challenging conditions, highlighting clear potential and providing positive signs for the remainder of the season. SailGP’s debut in Perth confirmed the city’s reputation as one of the most technical and selective racecourses in the world. The iconic local conditions lived up to expectations, with the famous Fremantle Doctor, the thermal sea breeze that regularly blows in from the Indian Ocean during the afternoon, making its presence felt throughout the week, testing both crews and boats in a consistent yet highly variable manner.

The practice races and Saturday racing were characterised by lighter winds ranging between 10 and 12 knots, relatively flat water and an unstable, patchy airflow. These conditions created particularly complex racing from both a tactical and technical perspective, placing a premium on wind management and precision in manoeuvres. Adding to the challenge, the developing sea state required meticulous work, especially from the flight controller, a key role responsible for managing the F50s’ flight above the water.

During practice, the difficulty was further increased by the use of the 18-metre wing, the smallest available, which in such light winds made it challenging to generate enough power to unlock the boat’s full performance. On Saturday, with slightly more stable conditions, teams returned to the 24-metre wing, while for Sunday the fleet switched back to the 18-metre wing, a necessary choice to cope with the significant increase in wind strength.

Sunday saw the Fremantle Doctor return to its most authentic reputation: strong, unstable and difficult-to-control winds, with gusts between 23 and 26 knots and truly demanding overall conditions. The day highlighted just how high the level of the fleet has become. With 13 teams on the water, featuring some of the best sailors in the world, the margin for error was reduced to almost zero. In such a competitive environment, any mistake was immediately punished, and indeed two teams were forced to withdraw from the event over the weekend due to damage sustained to their boats.

From a sporting perspective, this opening event was also a significant test for the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team. With Phil Robertson at the helm, competing in his second event with the team, and Italian Olympian Jana Germani in the strategist role, also at her second appearance in Italian colours, the team demonstrated solidity and adaptability. On Saturday, highly oscillating winds and an extremely tight fleet made it particularly difficult to gain positions and move up the leaderboard. In this highly technical environment, the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team was nevertheless able to respond, showing strong boat speed and adaptability. With boats constantly sailing in close proximity, avoiding close encounters, collisions and penalties proved challenging, yet the team closed the day with finishes of 7th, 5th, 10th and 6th, remaining firmly in contention in a tightly packed standings and setting up a Super Sunday with everything still to play for. Adding to the spectacle, a special Red Bull activation took place ahead of racing, as Matt Hall, stunt pilot, former Royal Australian Air Force pilot, aerobatic aviation legend and 2019 Red Bull Air Race World Champion, delivered a spectacular aerobatic display over the F50 fleet, sealing the partnership between SailGP and Red Bull in a powerful and visually striking moment.

Sunday delivered Perth at its most demanding, with strong winds, significant sea state and highly critical conditions. Racing took place close to the grandstands, further increasing the complexity of the racecourse due to rebound waves and reflected chop, making F50 handling even more challenging. Against this backdrop, the fleet contested the final three fleet races before the three-boat final. The Red Bull Italy SailGP Team closed Super Sunday with finishes of 2nd, 7th and 5th, showcasing strong decision-making, solid boat speed and effective recovery throughout the day, remaining competitive until the very end in one of the most selective environments on the SailGP calendar.

Jimmy, team CEO: What an awesome event to start Season! 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. Thanks again to all our fans and partners; see you in New Zealand soon!

Phil, team driver: We faced really breezy conditions, big waves, and plenty of action. The level is so high that close situations and near misses are inevitable. 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. We’re proud of the effort and take many positives forward, while knowing there’s still plenty of work to do and improvements to make as we look ahead to the next race stop in New Zealand. The Perth event opened the season with tremendous enthusiasm, sold-out grandstands and approximately 15,000 spectators travelling from around the world to witness SailGP’s unique on-water spectacle. A start that once again underlines the championship’s growing global appeal and its position among the most innovative and widely followed sports formats worldwide.

Following the Australian opener, the Rolex SailGP Championship will continue its journey across other iconic sailing venues. The next stop will see the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team head to Auckland for the second race stop of Season 6, scheduled for 14–15 February, in one of the most iconic and technically demanding venues on the circuit.