Ares Management invests in the French SailGP team

France SailGP Team helmed by Quentin Delapierre in action during a practice session ahead of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix in New York, USA. Friday 6 June 2025. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 6 Season 2025. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
© Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

SailGP announced today that Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment (“Ares”) funds have acquired a minority stake in the France SailGP team. This strategic investment marks Ares' entry into SailGP, reinforcing the growing momentum behind this global sailing championship. The company joins a consortium of investors in Team France SailGP, which includes international football superstar Kylian Mbappé.

"Today is an important day for SailGP as we welcome Ares to our growing group of investors and team owners. The investment in our French team by an organization with an exceptional portfolio of world-class sports properties underscores the strength of SailGP's global league model and reinforces the commercial potential of our teams. Ares brings both institutional capital and deep strategic insight. It will be a valuable partner in the development of the French team and, more broadly, the Rolex SailGP championship," said Andrew Thompson, CEO of SailGP.

"SailGP has experienced impressive growth in terms of teams, audience, and engagement, and we are thrilled to enter the league and join the current group of owners of the France SailGP team at this pivotal moment. With the team's rapidly expanding ecosystem of athletes, partners, and engaged fans, and Ares' experience investing in leading global sports teams, we look forward to bringing our expertise to the team to help it continue its momentum," said Jim Miller, co-head of Sports, Media and Entertainment Strategy at Ares.

Sportsology Capital Partners was also introduced today as part of the French ownership group, alongside Ares and Mbappé's Coalition Capital. Led by French athlete Quentin Delapierre, the France SailGP team is operated by K-Challenge and proudly supported by Accor, one of the world's leading hotel groups.

"The arrival of Ares and Sportsology Capital Partners as investors in the France SailGP Team, which is managed by K-Challenge Racing, is excellent news for the team, but also for SailGP in general. Numerous announcements of prestigious new shareholders in the various teams (Kylian Mbappé, Anne Hattaway, Sebastian Vettel, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman) and investment funds are proof that SailGP is becoming a leading international sports championship. K-Challenge started the movement in 2022, and it was important to strengthen the team with leading shareholders to accelerate its development. The team had already taken a big step forward with the arrival of leading sponsors such as the Accor Group, L'Oreal Group, and Leyton. France SailGP Team is ambitious and gaining momentum to compete for the title every year," concludes Stéphan Kandler, Co-CEO of K-Challenge.

Ares Management, one of the world's leading alternative investment managers, has extensive experience in investing in sports, media, and entertainment. Ares' investment in the French SailGP team expands its existing portfolio of investments in professional sports teams, which includes Inter Miami CF, McLaren Racing, and Atlético de Madrid.

Founded in 2019 by Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP was created as a centralized business model with the goal of transitioning to private team ownership within the first five years. By the 2025 season, 10 of the 12 SailGP national teams will be owned or managed by private interests, with the league continuing to attract interest from a wide range of investors and ownership groups.

Today's announcement follows several high-profile acquisitions, including the sale of the Red Bull Italy SailGP team to a consortium of investors and Italian sports industry leaders, and the acquisition of BONDS Flying Roos (Australia) by Hollywood moguls Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds.

The team currently sits sixth in the Rolex SailGP 2025 season standings, having finished on the podium earlier this month in New York.