Phil Robertson is getting pretty good at building SailGP teams.
He would, however, rather not come to be defined as the global foiling league’s set-up man.
Robertson has been a consistent figure in the league since its inception in 2019, involved on the water in every season to date.
“It was actually really tough at the start, and obviously it wasn’t in the script to not be with Canada after the ownership changed, but that’s how it goes sometimes,” Robertson told the Herald.
“It was hard to watch it, actually, and [I] feel like it was a big part of my identity, the sort of SailGP family. So it was a tough little half year, but look, it was actually nice to have some time away and reflect and develop my own skills and you get so little time when you’re involved to do anything else productive, so it was nice to spend a little time developing my own skill sets a little more, focusing on me and just trying to be ready for next time there was an opportunity.”
The announcement that Robertson, a match racing world champion, would be replaced at the helm of the Canadian team by British-Canadian Giles Scott came during the America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024, where Robertson was involved with Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
After the America’s Cup, the Kiwi took the opportunity to build on his own skills and did a lot of moth sailing – a one-person foiling boat where you can only rely on your own performance for results. But he wasn’t far from the SailGP scene, joining Germany as a coach early in the season before being brought in as an analyst to produce content for the league’s website.
It wasn’t the first time Robertson had been removed from the helm despite producing solid results for a team, with the Spanish outfit dropping him for the final event of season two to give Jordi Xammar more time at the wheel. Xammar lasted less than a season in the role, being replaced by Diego Botin after eight events of season three.
Robertson was the driver for the Chinese entry in season one, who finished third, but the team did not return for season two, and he instead took the wheel with the Spanish team, who were new to the league.
Reflecting on his exit with the Canadians – whom he led in seasons three and four, winning the inaugural New Zealand SailGP event in Christchurch – Robertson said it was a shock because he had set the team up with athletes who would complement his own skills and personality.
“I’m getting pretty good at building teams. I’ve had a few opportunities at it,” Robertson quipped.
“That’s the positive way of looking at it. I think the most disappointing thing for me was we got to a level that we were really competitive and going to be a title threat, and to sort of have that pulled out from underneath you was a little bit rough. But, again, it’s just sport and it is what it is, you know, you expect the unexpected and the unexpected happened, and you have to move on pretty quickly and adapt.
“In hindsight, I still think it was a great thing, you know, it was nice to have a little break because it is pretty tiring. Now we’re back with a bigger and better outfit. So better position right now.”
Robertson was on the other side of being replaced at the helm for the last event of the campaign in season five, as he was brought in to drive for the Italian team, with Ruggero Tita moved into a reserve role.
The Italians were one of two new teams in the fleet in 2025 and showed plenty of potential, but ultimately finished the year 10th on the 12-team leaderboard. Their best result of the season, however, came with Robertson at the helm when they finished second in the Abu Dhabi regatta.
Speaking about bringing Robertson on board, team chief executive Jimmy Spithill said the Kiwi’s leadership qualities were a key reason for the signing.
“He’s an amazing athlete, Phil,” Spithill said.
“He’s got a long history of leading successful teams in different disciplines of the sport. He’s been involved with multiple SailGP teams, and I believe the break he had last season was actually really good for him.
“Just seeing him integrate into the team, the process, it’s been really, really cool to see him come in and literally take the bull by the horns in our team and get out there.”
And Spithill wasn’t the only one who felt Robertson could improve his team.
Robertson said he had fielded “some pretty strange calls” from around the SailGP fleet, but he ultimately felt the opportunity with the Italians was the best choice for him.
“I had a few teams I was talking to, and this one by far was the one where I thought had the most potential to be competitive,” he said.
“I had to consider all my options as well. I sort of put them all down on paper and you know, I wanted the most competitive outfit and this sort of ticked all those boxes. I really see the potential in this team and I think, give us a little more time, and we’re going to be a hard team to beat on the water.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.