Deadpool and Wolverine are setting sail. Marvel actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman announced Thursday that they are taking over the Australian SailGP Team, one of 12 outfits that compete in races located around the world.
The new controlling owners will oversee the team alongside team driver Tom Slingsby, a co-owner who will continue to serve as CEO. Financial terms were not released; SailGP’s Italy team recently sold for $45 million. The Australian team was previously owned by SailGP, which will retain a minority stake.
The acquisition expands Reynolds’ international sports holdings. Wrexham AFC is set to play in the EFL Championship next season, while Colombian club La Equidad, Mexican side Club Necaxa and the Alpine F1 Team look to leverage their own storytelling and marketing opportunities under Reynolds and his affiliates at Maximum Effort Investments, Reynolds’ firm.
In a statement, Jackman described himself as an avid sailing fan (as well as a proud Aussie). The actors have reportedly maintained a friendship since working together on X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Sydney in 2007. Their 2024 team-up, Deadpool & Wolverine, grossed $1.3 billion worldwide.
SailGP was founded in 2019 by champion yachtsman Russell Coutts and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison. Slingsby’s Australia team won the first three championships, though Spain is the reigning champ.
Other celebrity owners across the league include soccer player Kylian Mbappé (France), actress Anne Hathaway (Italy) and NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (U.S.). In March, SailGP announced DJ Khaled as the global championship’s chief hype officer during American events; he also sits on the United States SailGP team’s board of directors.
SailGP managing director Andy Thompson has said the league anticipates 2025 revenue of at least $100 million. In a statement, Thompson called the new Hollywood arrivals “a landmark moment” for SailGP’s global trajectory.
The next SailGP event will take place June 7 and 8 in New York, between the Statue of Liberty and Governors Island. The league plans to expand from 13 races this year to more than 20 in the future. The Australia SailGP Team also announced its first title sponsor, clothing brand Bonds, beginning with this weekend’s event. With that, the team will embrace a new nom de guerre: the BONDS Flying Roos.
In addition to a series of 15-minute races, SailGP weekends feature festival fare. Each team sports an identical, high-tech, wind-powered racing catamaran that’s 50 feet long and 80 feet tall. Rolex became the circuit’s title sponsor this season in a 10-year deal.
