Portsmouth's mid-season press conference for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix offered a vivid illustration of just how rapidly SailGP has grown since its founding. Twenty thousand fans were expected on shore, two new teams are set to join in 2026, and the league's fifth season has produced a leaderboard so tight it barely seems real. If the early years were about proving the concept, the current moment feels like something else entirely.
Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP co-founder, confirmed that hulls 13 and 14 are already taking shape at SailGP Technologies in Warkworth, UK. Electronics and hydraulics are now being fitted, and both boats are expected to be ready in time for the Season 6 opener. Coutts stopped short of naming the nations or ownership groups behind the expansion, though he indicated announcements would come before the 2026 season begins.
“Boat 13’s hulls and crossbeams were just getting connected yesterday,” Coutts said. “Boat 14 is about four weeks behind that.”
Private investment is reshaping the fleet in other ways too. Emirates GBR announced that young British sailor Kai Hawkley has joined its talent pipeline through the Athena Pathway development programme. Co-owner and skipper Sir Ben Ainslie noted that demand for high-calibre athletes across every role is growing quickly as the competition intensifies.
The question of league-owned teams moving into private hands is also becoming more pressing. Several teams have already completed that transition, among them Australia, now co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and rebranded as the Bonds Flying Roos. New Zealand's Black Foils remain one of the few teams still fully backed by the league itself, and Peter Burling was candid about what that means for his priorities as the team's CEO.
“There’s always a sense of urgency,” Burling said. “We’re just trying to make sure we’re working hard to capitalise on getting some new partners on board.”
“We’re 100% focused on growing the Black Foils,” Burling added. “It’s something we’re incredibly passionate about.”
Enthusiasm for the league extended well beyond the New Zealand camp. Hannah Mills, strategist for Emirates GBR, was unambiguous about where SailGP sits in the professional sailing landscape.
“The teams are growing, the events are growing, the sponsors are coming in… it’s an incredible place to be,” she said.“As a female sailor, I feel a responsibility for the next generation… It’s definitely my ambition to be part of setting up a team.”
Tom Slingsby, now co-owner of the Bonds Flying Roos, believes the league's storytelling potential has barely been touched. Reynolds and McElhenney are expected to bring considerably greater visibility through digital content, docuseries, and fan engagement tools.
On the water, the championship picture heading toward Abu Dhabi is as compelling as the business story. Only 10 points split the top six teams, with Spain, Australia, and New Zealand clustered near the summit. Burling reflected on what that kind of closeness demands from every squad.
“You’ve got to keep learning and improving — otherwise you’ll get left behind,” he said.“To win, you’ve got to make the top three and then win the final.”
With the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi now approaching, each race carries weight not only in points but in the confidence and momentum teams carry into the decisive stages. For Burling and the Black Foils, the coming events must serve two purposes at once: chasing the championship trophy while building the foundations of a team with strong private backing and a sustainable future.
“The way SailGP is facilitating the growth of the sport — we’re excited to keep building on that,” he said.
New teams are arriving, ownership structures are evolving, and the leaderboard refuses to separate itself. SailGP's second half of Season 5 has everything to play for.
