Tudor Team Alinghi has confirmed the four sailors who will carry the Swiss challenger's colours at the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta in Cagliari, Sardinia. Fresh from an intensive dual-boat training block in Barcelona, the crew blends elite international credentials with genuine Swiss identity as the team heads into its first competitive outing of the 38th America's Cup cycle.
Paul Goodison takes the role of skipper and starboard helm. Born on 29 November 1977, the British sailor won Olympic gold in the Laser class at Beijing 2008 and claimed the Laser World title in 2009. He also holds three Moth World Championship titles, won consecutively in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and brings three America's Cup campaigns to this crew, having competed in 2017, 2021, and 2024. Sharing helm duties is Phil Robertson, born 13 May 1987, who joins as port helm. The New Zealander supported Alinghi Red Bull Racing in a coaching capacity at the 37th America's Cup and now moves into a racing seat for this cycle. His match racing record includes back-to-back Gold World Match Racing Tour titles in 2016 and 2019, Gold M32 World honours in 2017 and 2018, and a Bronze at the 2019 SailGP Championship.
The trimmer positions fall to Nicolas Rolaz and Pietro Sibello. Rolaz, born 20 September 1999, is the youngest member of the squad. He won the Optimist World Championship in 2014 and gained Cup experience alongside Alinghi Red Bull Racing throughout the 37th America's Cup campaign. Sibello, born 28 June 1979, qualifies as a national sailor for the Swiss entry under the 38th America's Cup protocol and brings one of the most varied records in the group, having raced the 49er at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, earning three World Championship bronze medals in that class in 2005, 2009, and 2010, plus a European title. He competed with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team at the 2021 America's Cup and with Alinghi Red Bull Racing at the 37th Cup, where he served as Head Coach. His return to a racing seat at Cagliari represents a significant shift in role.
With eleven days of sailing together heading into the event, Goodison is candid about where the team stands while remaining firmly focused on what lies ahead. "We are highly motivated," he says. "We know we have a lot of work ahead of us and catching up to do, but we enjoy the challenge and are looking forward to getting the racing underway."
Robertson's connection to Alinghi runs deeper than the present campaign. "As a teenager, I watched Alinghi's victories back home, so to now be part of the team is something I'm incredibly proud of. To experience the campaign from the inside and contribute to a team with that kind of legacy in the America's Cup makes it even more special."
For Rolaz, earning selection for the preliminary regatta holds real meaning. "It gives me a real sense of confidence to be back with the team, and it shows the trust they have in me. It feels like a natural progression, and it's really special to now be sailing alongside guys I've always watched racing out on the water."
Sibello, returning to the race boat after a campaign spent on the coaching side, is equally enthusiastic about the group dynamic and the setting. "We have great trust in one another, strong communication, but above all, we enjoy working together," he says. "That's important for a long campaign. It is also a pleasure to be racing in Italy, where the public support for the America's Cup is so enthusiastic and passionate."
The Sardinia Preliminary Regatta carries no weight in the final America's Cup standings, yet it marks the first competitive milestone on the path to the 38th America's Cup in Naples. For a crew still developing its systems and cohesion, competing in a live one-design fleet provides a proving ground that no training session can fully replicate.
Official practice gets underway on Thursday 21 May, with fleet racing running from Friday 22 May through to Sunday 24 May, each day's programme beginning at 15:00 CEST. Sunday's schedule also incorporates the Match Race Final.
SARDINIA PRELIMINARY REGATTA SCHEDULE
Thursday, 21 May: Official Practice Day and Opening Ceremony Friday, 22 May: Fleet Racing (from 15:00 CEST) Saturday, 23 May: Fleet Racing (from 15:00 CEST) Sunday, 24 May: Fleet Racing and Match Race Final
