SailGP is a step further in selling off its entire inventory of teams to private investors, with the Quantum Pacific sports investment group becoming the latest to acquire the Spanish SailGP team
Known as the Los Gallos SailGP Team for sponsorship purposes, the team is led by Olympic champions Diego Botin and Florian Trittel alongside strategist Nicole van der Velden. The team won SailGP’s season four championship.
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As part of the acquisition, the largest investment in a sailing team in Spain, Quantum Pacific’s Amit Singh and Harry Odling will join the board of the team.
Antoine Bonnier, chief executive of Quantum Pacific (UK), said: “We are delighted to welcome Los Gallos into the Quantum Pacific family.
The Spanish team is a natural fit for Quantum Pacific. The Iberian region is a market we know well and believe in fully – and SailGP, with its global audience and elite competitive format, is exactly the kind of high-growth sport platform we believe in. We are here to win, and we are here to build something that lasts.”
The Spanish SailGP team joins Quantum Pacific’s growing investment portfolio, including Spanish soccer’s top-tier Atletico de Madrid, Portuguese soccer club FC Famalicao, and Spanish cycling’s Movistar Team.
Spain is a key market for the league, having already staged four events in Cádiz. The championship is due to debut in Valencia on September 5 to 6, 2026.
SailGP managing director Andrew Thompson said: “This is another hugely significant milestone for SailGP and for the continued growth of the championship.
“Quantum Pacific brings a deep understanding of sport performance, commercial success, and the maritime world. Spain is a cornerstone market for us, defined by its rich sporting culture, incredibly passionate fanbase, and a winning SailGP team, and we’re proud to see the team enter this next phase with such a strong ownership group behind it.”
The deal, meanwhile, brings SailGP a step closer to completing its goal, set when it launched in 2019 with an initial six teams: to transition to a model where teams are privately owned within five years.
It only has one team left to sell, with the Spanish SailGP being the 12th of 13 teams sold off. Only the New Zealand SailGP Team, led by sailing duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, is left without private owners.
Earlier this year, Bolt Ventures, the family office of prominent US sports franchise owner David Blitzer (and a co-investor in Tech3 alongside Ikon), and wealth management fund Blue Pool Capital, invested in the German SailGP Team.
Doug DeVos, the US businessman who co-founded the American Magic sailing organization, acquired the Denmark SailGP team in a record $60 million transaction a week later.
Last year, the French team from the sailing series completed its ownership group by selling a final stake to US private equity firm Ares Management. Ares, through its sports, media, and entertainment fund, has led the acquisition of the final 25% stake in SailGP’s French team, with Sportsology Capital Partners also joining.
June also saw the Australian team bought up by iconic actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
The Italy SailGP team was acquired in late May, meanwhile, by a consortium featuring both international celebrities and experienced sports industry investors.
All existing teams have renewed their participation agreements with SailGP for the 2026-2030 cycle.
In terms of what the league is looking for from potential partners, SailGP's chief revenue officer Ben Johnson has told Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) that "independent ownership makes the league stronger, bringing not only capital but strategic insights and partnership, alongside reach in key markets … We’re looking for partners who share our vision, and who are passionate about shaping the future alongside us."
He added that the bidding process "is about providing a structured, robust pathway into SailGP, leveraging significant commercial interest to engage with a variety of investors across global markets."
The league, meanwhile, has grown significantly since its launch with only six teams in 2019: The US, Great Britain, Australia, Japan, China, and France.
The league increased to eight teams for its second season with the addition of Spain, New Zealand, and Rockwool Den after the loss of China, while its third season saw the addition of the Canada and Switzerland teams, but the loss of Japan
The fourth season (2024) included a new German team, and the fifth season (2025) brought in teams from Italy and Brazil, taking the tally of teams to 12.
SailGP launched a tender last year to bring two more expansion teams into the fold for the current 2026 season, with the Artemis SailGP Team (Sweden) eventually joining as the sole entrant.
The current 2026 SailGP season began on January 17 and 18 in Australia, with the next race in South America
for the inaugural Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix on April 11 to 12.
