From backyard dinghies to billion dollar boats
For Jimmy Spithill, the road to SailGP started far from fame. Raised in Pittwater, Australia, Spithill learned to sail by necessity. Getting to school meant rowing a dinghy. His first raceboat was a salvaged wooden dinghy pulled from a neighbour’s rubbish pile.
They won their very first race.
That early fire led to multiple America’s Cup campaigns, including the now legendary 2013 win with Oracle Team USA. Trailing Emirates Team New Zealand 8–1 in San Francisco, Spithill and his crew staged the greatest comeback in sailing history: eight wins in a row to lift the Auld Mug.
“Once you’re out on the water, it’s not much different,” Spithill said in the Uncharted docu-series. “It all comes down to who really wants it the most.”
A rising force in SailGP
When SailGP launched, Spithill became the face of the USA team. His style was no nonsense, his focus absolute. Under his leadership, the USA team climbed from dead last in season one to grand final contenders by season two. He brought on major sponsors including Red Bull, Bloomberg and T-Mobile, and redefined what team leadership meant in this next generation racing league.
Racing on the Edge: Season 2, Final – a great season for Jimmy as part of the US team
“It was always a priority for me to make the team successful on the water,” he said. “But I also wanted to make the team successful off the water as well, commercially.”
But in 2023, a new ownership group took over Team USA. Their vision was bold: an all-American team, top to bottom. Spithill, an Aussie, was out.
“They sold the team to us,” the new owners said. “We have a four foot American flag on our wing, so we should probably have Americans on the team. So Jimmy’s out.”
A new tack: Team Italy reborn
That could have been the end. Instead, it was the beginning.
In May 2025, Spithill returned to SailGP, this time not just as a skipper but as CEO and co-owner of the Italian team. The acquisition, led by Muse Capital’s sports arm and Italian entrepreneur Assia Grazioli-Venier, reportedly cost US$45 million, marking SailGP’s largest team deal to date.
Spithill’s role is dual-handed. He’s building the sailing team and the commercial engine behind it.
Red Bull Italy SailGP is now backed by an all-star investor roster including Anne Hathaway, Alexander Gilkes, and several Italian fashion and tech figures. As co-owner, Spithill joins Grazioli-Venier and Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo in aiming to build a truly national team, representing Italian excellence on and off the water.
“This is the future of SailGP,” said Grazioli-Venier. “We’re uniting sport, culture and business, and Jimmy brings the leadership to drive that.”
The boatie’s takeaway: Reinvention, grit, and the next wave
For Boating New Zealand readers, Jimmy’s story is more than a pro sailing bio. It’s a reminder that boats teach us resilience. That reinvention is possible, even when everything changes. That the same determination it takes to rig your launch in 30 knots is what powers the world’s best through a crash, a capsize, or a sudden career change.
Spithill’s leadership style is hands-on, straight talking, and performance first. It resonates in every Kiwi marina. Whether you’re racing a foiling cat or patching the paint on your 28 footer, there’s value in watching how this next chapter unfolds.
What’s next for Italy — and the fleet?
With Spithill at the helm and Red Bull backing the brand, Italy’s SailGP team is now a serious threat. Early performances in season four have already shown cohesion, confidence and a slick onboard dynamic. Rumours swirl that Naples may host a SailGP event in 2026, aligning with Italy’s hosting of the 38th America’s Cup in 2027.
Italy’s team isn’t just another boat on the start line. It’s a case study in how sailing teams are evolving: more commercial, more agile, and more embedded in cultural identity.
And it raises new challenges for rivals like New Zealand and Australia. How do you keep pace when your opponents bring both foiling skill and Fortune 500 polish?
Final word: Never count Spithill out
From a kid with a patched up dinghy to the CEO of Europe’s most ambitious SailGP team, Jimmy Spithill has proven one thing over and over again. He’s not finished yet.
He’s led comebacks, built teams, and redefined the role of a modern skipper. And now, in Italian red and silver, with Red Bull behind him and Naples in sight, he’s lining up for his next big win.
Watch the full Jimmy Spithill documentary right here on Boating New Zealand – click through now.
