Latest news with #QuentinDelapierre
CNA
8 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Sailing-Madrid rivals ride the same wave as Ares join Mbappe in SailGP move
LONDON :Wall Street investment powerhouse Ares Management has sailed into partnership with Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe, acquiring a minority stake in the France SailGP Team — where old rivals suddenly find themselves in the same boat. The $546 billion asset manager, which counts Atletico Madrid among its sports investments, now shares an ownership table with Mbappe's Coalition Capital in the high-speed sailing franchise, creating a curious alliance between the Spanish capital's two soccer teams. "We are thrilled to enter the league and join the France SailGP Team's existing owners group at this inflection point," said Jim Miller, Co-Lead of Ares' Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy, whose firm also holds stakes in Inter Miami and McLaren Racing. The investment coincides with SailGP revealing it will add two new national teams for its 2026 season, expanding to 14 flying catamarans that rocket across global waters at speeds approaching 100 km/h. "The investment in our French team by an organisation with a stellar portfolio underlines the strength of SailGP's global league model," said league Managing Director Andrew Thompson. One of the six original SailGP Teams, the French team is spearheaded by driver Quentin Delapierre who assembled a stellar crew line-up when he took over as driver in Season 2. Known for executing stellar starts and performing in wild and windy conditions, the team holds the SailGP racing speed record of 99.94 km/h set in Saint Tropez, Season 4. France are currently sixth in the standings after a recent podium finish in New York. Spain, led by Olympic champion Diego Botin, top the 2024–25 season standings with 46 points. The next race comes at the British Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth on July 19–20. Founded in 2019 by Oracle's Larry Ellison and sailing great Russell Coutts, SailGP has rapidly evolved from centralised ownership to a franchise model that has attracted celebrities and institutional investors alike. Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds recently acquired the Australian team, while a consortium of sports industry leaders took control of the Italian entry. Professional services firm Deloitte will manage the selection process for the two new teams, with initial bids closing in mid-August and final decisions expected by early September.
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Madrid rivals ride the same wave as Ares join Mbappe in SailGP move
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - Wall Street investment powerhouse Ares Management has sailed into partnership with Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe, acquiring a minority stake in the France SailGP Team — where old rivals suddenly find themselves in the same boat. The $546 billion asset manager, which counts Atletico Madrid among its sports investments, now shares an ownership table with Mbappe's Coalition Capital in the high-speed sailing franchise, creating a curious alliance between the Spanish capital's two soccer teams. "We are thrilled to enter the league and join the France SailGP Team's existing owners group at this inflection point," said Jim Miller, Co-Lead of Ares' Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy, whose firm also holds stakes in Inter Miami and McLaren Racing. The investment coincides with SailGP revealing it will add two new national teams for its 2026 season, expanding to 14 flying catamarans that rocket across global waters at speeds approaching 100 km/h. "The investment in our French team by an organisation with a stellar portfolio underlines the strength of SailGP's global league model," said league Managing Director Andrew Thompson. One of the six original SailGP Teams, the French team is spearheaded by driver Quentin Delapierre who assembled a stellar crew line-up when he took over as driver in Season 2. Known for executing stellar starts and performing in wild and windy conditions, the team holds the SailGP racing speed record of 99.94 km/h set in Saint Tropez, Season 4. France are currently sixth in the standings after a recent podium finish in New York. Spain, led by Olympic champion Diego Botin, top the 2024–25 season standings with 46 points. The next race comes at the British Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth on July 19–20. Founded in 2019 by Oracle's Larry Ellison and sailing great Russell Coutts, SailGP has rapidly evolved from centralised ownership to a franchise model that has attracted celebrities and institutional investors alike. Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds recently acquired the Australian team, while a consortium of sports industry leaders took control of the Italian entry. Professional services firm Deloitte will manage the selection process for the two new teams, with initial bids closing in mid-August and final decisions expected by early September.
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Move over, Mbappe: SailGP's France franchise gets new investment from Ares Management
Ares Management has taken a minority stake in the France SailGP team, becoming the latest Wall Street player to invest in an up-and-coming global sports league. While financial terms were not disclosed, the deal places Ares alongside a diverse ownership group that includes Kylian Mbappé's Coalition Capital and is led by French Olympian Quentin Delapierre. The France SailGP Team is operated by K-Challenge and backed by Accor, one of the world's largest hospitality brands. Sportsology Capital Partners also joined the team's ownership group with this transaction. Advertisement Ares, a $428 billion alternative investment giant, is no stranger to sports. Its $3.7 billion sports fund has previously invested in the Miami Dolphins, Inter Miami CF, McLaren Racing and Atlético Madrid. The firm's bet on the high-tech, high-speed world of foiling catamarans signals growing investor confidence in SailGP's model, a centralized league shifting rapidly to private franchise ownership. 'SailGP and the France Team have achieved exciting growth in recent years, attracting dedicated fans and viewership, iconic sponsors and experienced owners,' Jim Miller, co-lead of Ares' Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy told The Athletic. He added that the league is 'at an inflection point,' referencing surging viewership and commercial interest. 'We are excited to contribute our financial and strategic support, including leveraging our deep experience in sports investing, to help access additional growth opportunities that will build on the France Team's success.' SailGP, the professional sailing circuit founded in 2019 by Oracle's Larry Ellison and Olympic sailing champion Russell Coutts, pits national teams against each other in custom-built F50 boats capable of hitting speeds as high as 60mph and has made significant inroads with investors over the past 18 months. Last week, Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman took ownership of SailGP's Australian team. Reynolds also holds stakes in Wrexham AFC and the Alpine F1 team. Meanwhile in May, a consortium led by Muse Capital founding partner Assia Grazioli-Venier and including actor Anne Hathaway acquired the Italy SailGP team, at a $45 million valuation. 'Now in our fifth season, we are at an incredibly exciting stage of our journey as a commercially viable global racing championship that's proving we are here to stay,' Andy Thompson, SailGP Managing Director, told The Athletic. According to Thompson, SailGP is currently selling teams in excess of $50 million and is planning on continuing to expand in 2026.
Reuters
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Spain clinch first SailGP victory of the season in familiar San Francisco
March 23 (Reuters) - Defending series champions Spain looked dominant in the second day of the fifth round of SailGP season on Sunday as skipper Diego Botin steered his team to victory over Canada and France in an exciting final in sunny San Francisco bay. It was the Spaniards' first victory of the season, winning two out of seven races in the weekend, to repeat last season's final round triumph on the same course were they were crowned champions. France had nailed the start of the final, leading towards mark number one, but Spain quickly rallied to take the lead on the third leg as they split the course at gate two, leaving Quentin Delapierre's boat behind in third. Giles Scott's Canada seemed poised to repeat last week's Los Angeles victory after winning two races on the opening day but ultimately settled for second place. Australia, who finished third overall after the fleet races, saw their final hopes shattered in race seven when their boat's wing collapsed after a collision with Italy, allowing fourth-placed France to take their spot in the decisive race. "It's a bit of shock, obviously. A very scary situation," Australian driver Tom Slingsby said. "Fortunately, we're all safe, that's the first priority. Now we've just got to try and save the boat as best we can." Despite the heavy blow, the three-times champions moved top of the championship table with 39 points, one point ahead of Britain, who ended seventh as they could not bounce back after splashing down in the sixth race. Slow starts on day one and another setback in the first race of day two left Peter Burling's New Zealand in fifth place, ahead of Switzerland, who struggled to capitalise on their lone win in race five. Home favourites United States capped a disappointing weekend with an 11th-place finish, failing to score any points after struggling to recover from a challenging first day.
