SailGP confirms two new teams will be added for season six as tender process begins
The next season of SailGP is set to look a little bit different.
After adding two new teams ahead of season five, the global foiling league has confirmed its plans to forge ahead with further expansion.
SailGP has opened expressions of interest for two new teams, set to join the competition in season six, which would bring the fleet to 14 entries.
As it stands, the line-up is already tight on SailGP race courses; however, split-fleet racing formats have been trialled throughout the current season to get the logistics right for the broadcast window.
“We definitely are going to split into two groups in future years, no doubt,” SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts told the Herald earlier in the year.
“We can’t race 14 teams on one of these courses. We just can’t.”
It comes amidst a slew of high-profile celebrity investors joining the league, with the likes of Anne Hathaway (Italy), Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds (Australia) and Kylian Mbappe (France) involved in groups investing in teams.
As it stands, only two of the current 12 entries remain league-owned: Spain and New Zealand’s Black Foils.
However, while the tender process is open for interest in investing in the ownership of the two new teams, the league is also open to interest in stakes across existing teams.
The process is expected to be completed in September.
As well as opening the tender process for new entries, SailGP renewed the participation agreement for all 12 incumbent teams earlier this year.
The renewed agreement runs through to the 2030 season and included a cost cap per season for all teams, a central profit distribution system, and other provisions to benefit teams in the championship, commercially and competitively.
The news comes with the current season now at the halfway point, with the busy European leg on the horizon.
After SailGP’s return to New York last week, the Black Foils have moved up to third on the overall standings following a second-placed finish on the Hudson River.
It was also a big moment for season newcomers Brazil, who claimed their maiden fleet race win during the regatta.
The league is next in action in Portsmouth, England, in late July.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.