SailGP announces star-studded ownership group for the Italian team
by SailGP 27 May 09:53 BST
27 May 2025
Red Bull Italy - Race Day 2 - KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix - Sydney, Australia - February 9, 2025 © Ricardo Pinto/SailGP
SailGP has today announced that the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, has officially been acquired by a consortium of accomplished investors and sports industry leaders, including Hollywood royalty, Anne Hathaway. The consortium is led by Muse Capital founding partner, Assia Grazioli-Venier, and luxury brand entrepreneur, Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, with one of the world's most decorated sailors and SailGP icon, Jimmy Spithill, as CEO and co-owner.
The new ownership group brings together a powerful combination of elite sports leadership, entrepreneurial vision, and celebrity status, with deep-rooted expertise in brand building and media. The acquisition also marks a first for the global racing championship establishing Red Bull Italy SailGP with a female-led ownership group and a firm eye on the growing commercial viability of the mixed-gender championship.
The group of investors includes MFO Certuity, Yeh Capital, Alexander Gilkes, Evan Yurman, and leaders from global business, sport and stardom, with Anne Hathaway, Adam Shulman, actress Miriam Leone, Julie Eddleman, Heather Karatz, Pete Delgrosso, and Dr Jennifer Ashton on board. Tifosy Capital & Advisory acted as exclusive financial advisor to Muse Sport.
With Red Bull as Title Partner, the team's ambition is to become one of the most innovative and brand-driven presences in the championship. The 'Made in Italy' consortium blends expertise not only in the world of elite sport and cutting-edge technology, but culturally resonant storytelling & top-class entertainment — a model representation of a new generation of globally ambitious sports ventures.
Assia Grazioli-Venier, Founder of Muse Capital and Muse Sport, said of the acquisition: "Italy has an extraordinary sailing legacy, and our mission is to be a catalyst for its next phase. Muse Sport is honored to lead this pivotal moment for our sport. SailGP has massive commercial potential for global growth and impact that this ownership group will realize, leaning on elite leadership with strategic entrepreneurial capital. As someone deeply connected to Italian and sailing culture, it's an honor and a responsibility to help guide a team that embodies excellence, innovation, and true inclusivity."
Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman, said: "The new Red Bull Italy Sail GP team embodies a powerful convergence of innovation, athletic excellence, and a deep commitment to inclusive leadership — particularly in advancing the role of women in high-performance sport. Our deep and enduring love for Italy makes this opportunity especially meaningful, and we're so excited to have been invited to support a project that reflects both tradition and transformative vision!"
Russell Coutts, CEO and co-founder of SailGP, said: "We're delighted to welcome Assia, Gian Luca, Jimmy and the wider Muse Sport consortium to SailGP's expanding group of investors and team owners. Together, they bring an incredibly experienced, and exciting lineup of commercially-minded investors to the table, marking another significant milestone in SailGP's growth as a league."
Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, Chairman of the Board, added: "SailGP is far more than a sporting competition—it's a global platform for innovation, entertainment and hospitality. We are building a team that reflects the future of sports business: technology-led, culturally impactful and environmentally responsible."
Jimmy Spithill, CEO, Founder and Co-Owner of SailGP ITA, said: "Being at the top of the sport as an athlete for the last 25 years, it's incredibly exciting to put together such a talented World Class Team-both on and off the water. This marks the next chapter in the evolution of Italian sailing, and I'm thrilled to share this journey with Assia and Gian Luca."
Established using a centrally-owned business model, today's news follows a period of significant growth for SailGP, including a number of record team sales. Told through the lens of Spithill, the journey of the Italian team is highlighted in SailGP's first-ever, long-form premium docuseries Uncharted, launching across global broadcast channels next month.
The Rolex SailGP Championship returns next month with the sixth stop of the 2025 Season, the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7-8, before the European summer events leg kicks off in Portsmouth, UK, 19-20 July.