By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The NorthStar SailGP Team from Canada has named surf and lifestyle brand Quiksilver as an official partner, expanding the team’s commercial and licensing portfolio.
The move comes as SailGP continues its explosive growth, attracting a wide range of global consumer brands aligned with performance and ocean culture.
SailGP has become arguable the most popular boat racing sport in the world, driven by the high octane speeds and tactics used by the world’s fastest and most advanced vessels under sail.
Under the partnership, Quiksilver will collaborate with the Canadian SailGP team across athlete apparel, official team merchandise, fan engagement initiatives and branded storytelling. The agreement positions Quiksilver at the intersection of elite sailing and board-sports lifestyle, extending the brand’s reach into high-speed, technology-driven water sports through the SailGP platform.
The partnership will be activated both on and off the racecourse, with Quiksilver branding visible at SailGP events, across digital channels and through exclusive content. Licensed merchandise and apparel are expected to play a central role, blending performance sailing requirements with Quiksilver’s surf-inspired design heritage.
For Quiksilver, owned by Authentic Brands Group, the deal represents an extension of its brand licensing strategy into elite global sports properties that share its core values of performance, innovation and connection to the ocean.
For NorthStar, the partnership adds a globally recognized lifestyle brand to its roster as it continues to build awareness and engagement around the Canada SailGP Team.
It also reinforces the growth of SailGP in general, and also the performance of the Canadian team.
SailGP, which features hydrofoiling F50 catamarans racing in international venues, has increasingly become a platform for licensing and sponsorship partnerships spanning apparel, merchandise and experiential activations.
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The excitement stems from the incredible speeds reached by the high tech boats.
SailGP boats, specifically the F50 catamarans, can reach speeds of up to 56.1 knots, equivalent to about 65 mph or 104 km/h. Incredibly, F50 catamarans can sail up to four times faster than the wind that’s filling their sails.
The main reason for that blinding speed is that the F50s use hydrofoils to lift above the water, reducing drag and allowing for higher speeds, but the wing sail design is a factor too, as the boats are equipped with a modular wingsail that can be adjusted for different wind conditions, enhancing performance.
Crews on the F50s are more like race car drivers than sailors, using high-risk tactics to pass competitors with only inches to spare.
Canada has a young team that, despite being very new to the sport, have quickly risen to place among the mid-range of SailGP teams, placing above more established programs.
NorthStar debuted in Season 3 of SailGP, competing among established national programs and managed to finish seventh overall. They improved to 5th place in their second season, putting them in the top half of the 11-team SailGP league. Their third and most recent season saw NorthStar winning their first event at the prestigious Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, as well as a second-place finish at the San Francisco event.
The NorthStar–Quiksilver collaboration will roll out immediately, with activations beginning at upcoming race events and continuing through the 2026 SailGP season, including the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax in June 2026.
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