Challenging Cádiz Debut for Red Bull Italy SailGP Team
by Fabian Ress 5 Oct 14:09 PDT
4-5 October 2025
Red Bull Italy SailGP F50 catamaran helmed by Ruggero Tita in action during a practice session ahead of the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix held in Cadiz © Samo Vidic for SailGP
The DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix returned to the Bay of Cádiz for the penultimate stop of Season 5, drawing tens of thousands of fans to the new Waterfront Grandstand and serving up some of the toughest racing conditions of the year. For the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, it was another demanding weekend that highlighted both the steep learning curve and the resilience required to compete at the highest level of the sport.
Saturday's opening four races were sailed in light westerly winds that gradually built throughout the afternoon. Red Bull Italy lined up in a four-person crew configuration: Driver Ruggero Tita, Wing Trimmer Kyle Langford, Flight Controller Andrea Tesei, and Strategist Maelle Frascari, who also took on grinding duties.
On Sunday, a thick morning fog gave way to stronger breeze, and the Italians switched to five crew onboard as Enrico Voltolini joined in the G2 position and Frascari moved into G1. Against the backdrop of Cádiz's cathedral and packed shoreline, conditions once again proved tricky and unstable. The course featured shifting winds and residual swell that made foil control especially demanding near the downwind gate. Westerly winds of 5-10 knots kept crews under pressure, with big shifts making clean starts and precise manoeuvres critical.
Red Bull Italy's strongest finishes came in Race 1 (6th place) and Race 4 (7th), though the standout moment arrived on Sunday when Tita pushed the team's F50 to 62.61 km/h - the fastest speed of the day across the fleet. The team wrapped up the event in 12th place with 12 points, and now sit 10th overall in the Season 5 standings on 22 points, just ahead of fellow newcomers Mubadala Brazil and the US SailGP Team.
"It's been a really tough weekend for the team. We struggled to get off the line cleanly, and today was a very technical day where we made a few too many mistakes," said Jimmy Spithill, CEO of Red Bull Italy SailGP Team. "Sport can be tough sometimes - it shows you exactly where you stand. We know we have to keep working and that there's still a lot to learn, but that's part of the game. We still have one more event on the calendar, and our goal is to look ahead, apply the lessons from this weekend, and prepare as best we can for Season 6."
"Cádiz wasn't our event," added Driver Ruggero Tita. "We faced really challenging conditions, with waves and many different configurations. Yesterday we sailed with four people on board, today with five, a setup the team still needs to get used to. It's definitely not the result we were hoping for, but we're looking ahead. We'll keep working hard, learning from our mistakes, and growing as a team. We'll come back stronger."
While Cádiz brought a hard lesson at the back of the fleet, the team remains clear about its mission. This rookie season is about building the systems and experience to take on SailGP's most established teams - and the glimpses of speed are evidence of what's to come.
The next and final stop is the Mubadala Abu Dhabi SailGP Grand Final, taking place on November 29-30, where the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team will close out their debut campaign and the 2025 champion will be crowned.