Red Bull Italy · Italy
Italy joins SailGP as a new team with Red Bull as title sponsor, bringing fresh Italian sailing talent to the world stage.
Olympic gold medallist Ruggero Tita appointed as Driver, bringing elite Nacra 17 expertise and championship pedigree to the team.
Claimed their maiden SailGP event victory, proving the Italian team can compete with the best in the fleet.
Strong Season 5 performance positions Italy as serious championship contenders heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Final.
Two-time World Match Racing Tour champion who took the helm of Red Bull Italy for the 2026 season.
Phil Robertson is one of the most experienced helmsmen in SailGP, having driven the China, Spain and Canada teams across previous seasons before taking the wheel at Red Bull Italy for 2026. A two-time World Match Racing Tour champion, the New Zealander is renowned for his aggressive starts and fearless boat-on-boat racing. His appointment marked a restructure of the Italian team, with double Olympic champion Ruggero Tita moving to an alternate driver role to learn under one of the circuit's sharpest match racers.
Double Olympic gold medallist in Nacra 17, bringing elite multihull expertise to SailGP.
Ruggero Tita is a double Olympic gold medallist, winning the Nacra 17 class at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. His exceptional multihull skills and tactical brilliance made him the perfect choice to lead Red Bull Italy SailGP Team. Tita has quickly adapted to the F50 catamaran, using his Olympic experience to push the boat to its limits while maintaining precise control in high-pressure racing situations.
Italian foiling specialist managing the F50's flight at racing speed.
Andrea Tesei is Red Bull Italy's flight controller, managing the foil rake and cant that keep the F50 flying cleanly above the water at speeds approaching 50 knots. He held the same role aboard Luna Rossa at the 37th America's Cup, and that foiling-monohull background transfers directly to the F50's flight envelope. As one of the team's Italian core, Tesei is central to the crew's development.
Australian championship veteran controlling the rigid wing that powers Red Bull Italy.
Kyle Langford is a hugely experienced wing trimmer who spent years powering the Australia SailGP Team before joining Red Bull Italy. As wing trimmer he manages the trim of the F50's rigid wing sail, balancing power and control to maximise boat speed across the wind range. Langford's championship pedigree and feel for the wing make him a cornerstone of the restructured Italian crew.
Powerful grinder providing essential hydraulic power for wing and foil adjustments.
Enrico Voltolini is the powerhouse of Red Bull Italy, generating the hydraulic power that drives the F50's critical systems. He came to the team from Luna Rossa, where he was head cyclor - the equivalent role on a foiling America's Cup monohull. Voltolini's output is particularly valuable during tight racing, when the crew needs rapid wing and foil adjustments in quick succession.
Olympic 470 gold medallist bringing world-class sailing IQ to the grinding pedestals.
Will Ryan is an Australian Olympic champion who won 470 gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games alongside Mat Belcher, having taken 470 silver together at Rio 2016, and is a 470 World Champion. At Red Bull Italy he applies that elite sailing intelligence to the grinding role, generating the hydraulic power that drives the F50's wing and foil systems. Few grinders on the circuit combine Ryan's raw output with such a deep tactical understanding of a racecourse.
Italian Olympic skiff sailor reading the racecourse for Red Bull Italy.
Jana Germani is an Italian Olympic sailor who has competed at the front of the 49erFX skiff class, including at the Paris 2024 Games. As strategist for Red Bull Italy she tracks wind pressure, competitor positioning and course geometry, feeding the driver the information that shapes every tactical decision. Her skiff pedigree and calm communication under pressure make her a key voice in the boat.
Rising talent bringing fresh tactical perspectives to Italian sailing.
Maelle Frascari brings fresh tactical perspective to Red Bull Italy as Strategist. She won the Women's America's Cup with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli before joining the SailGP crew. Her role involves reading wind patterns, tracking competitor positioning, and calling the race course strategy that gives the team its tactical edge.
Two-time America's Cup-winning skipper leading Red Bull Italy from the helm of the boardroom.
Jimmy Spithill is one of sailing's most decorated figures, twice winning the America's Cup as skipper of Oracle Team USA—including the historic 2013 comeback in San Francisco—and becoming the youngest skipper ever to win the Cup. After leading the United States SailGP Team as CEO and driver, he now serves as CEO of Red Bull Italy, steering the team's restructure for 2026 while standing by as reserve driver. His ruthless competitive edge defines the team's culture.