Matt Hall's stellar performance at Sail GP Perth

Taking the Sky to the Racecourse – Matt Hall at SailGP Perth

January 2026 | Fremantle, Western Australia

When SailGP landed in Perth for the first time ever, the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team decided to extend the racecourse – vertically.

On 16 January, ahead of the opening race of SailGP Season 6, I had the privilege of performing a choreographed aerobatic display alongside the Red Bull Italy F50 catamaran on the waters of Fremantle. As the boat foiled across the bay at 100 km/h, I matched it in the air – knife-edge passes, inverted runs, nose-down dives – weaving the sky into the race.

It was a crossover between two worlds that have more in common than you'd think. Carbon fibre. Power-to-weight ratios. Pushing a machine – and yourself – to the absolute limit. The F50 is essentially a flying wing on water, and as SailGP CEO Jimmy Spithill put it: "It really takes a lot from a human performance standpoint."

Phil Robertson, at the helm of the F50, said it best after the display:

"That plane would swoop in and slip past us within almost touching distance. I'm just so impressed by Matt's skills and what he can do with that plane."

As for me? I've been lucky to do some remarkable things in my career. This one sits right up there.

"I've done a lot of cool things in my life – today fits right in there. It was just amazing to do this out here in Perth with the Red Bull Italy SailGP team."

Fremantle's famous Doctor seabreeze delivered 25-knot conditions across race weekend, with 13 national teams competing before a crowd of over 15,000 fans. It was a perfect backdrop for two sports at full throttle – one on the water, one in the air.

Thanks to the entire Red Bull Italy SailGP Team for having me. Here's to more crossovers like this one.

Source: SailGP flies Down Under – 3MPG