What Spindrift does

Spindrift, operating commercially as Sails of Change, is a privately held French professional sailing racing team founded in 2011 by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard and headquartered in Saint-Philibert, France. The organization operates a fleet of high-performance foiling racing vessels, including a TF35 one-design catamaran (1,200 kg, 6 crew, 68 km/h top speed, twin foils) and a 21-tonne Maxi-trimaran (11 crew, 90 km/h) used for ocean crossings and round-the-world record attempts. The team competes in the TF35 professional circuit, Lake Geneva events such as the Bol d'Or du Léman, and transatlantic offshore races.

The team's distinctive feature is the dual integration of elite competitive sailing with environmental advocacy and scientific research. The Maxi-trimaran has been equipped with a microplastics sampling system and collected eight seawater samples during a May 2023 crossing from La Trinité-sur-Mer to New York, contributing to a North Atlantic microplastic distribution study with the University of Alicante, the University of Jaume I, and the University of the Balearic Islands; the resulting data was presented at the CIESM congress in Palermo. In 2025, Sails of Change became a signatory of the Sports for Nature Framework, a joint IUCN/IOC/UNEP/CBD initiative co-led by Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy.

Commercially, Sails of Change is not a product or service vendor: there is no disclosed pricing model, revenue stream, customer base, or external institutional investor. Operating economics are funded principally through the founders' philanthropy. The team markets through its website, Instagram (@sailsofchange), and newsletter, and counts roughly 11–50 employees including co-founder/skipper Yann Guichard, co-founder Dona Bertarelli, skipper Duncan Späth (Sails of Change 10), and TF35 sailors Jules Bidegaray and François Morvan.

Name

Spindrift

Website

https://spindrift-racing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sails of Change is a privately funded French professional sailing racing team, founded in 2011 by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard, that competes in TF35 and offshore ocean races aboard a TF35 foiling catamaran and a Maxi-trimaran while conducting microplastics research and biodiversity advocacy under the Sports for Nature Framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sailing Racing

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Professional sailing racing
• Foiling catamaran racing
• Ocean conservation advocacy
• Microplastic research vessels
• Competitive sailing team

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-philibert

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Spindrift (operating as Sails of Change) is a professional sailing racing team founded in 2011 that competes in elite international sailing competitions including the TF35 circuit and Maxi-trimaran ocean races. The team operates high-performance racing vessels — a TF35 hydrofoil catamaran (1,200kg, 68 km/h max speed) and a Maxi-trimaran (21 tonnes, 90 km/h max speed) — and integrates scientific equipment such as a microplastics sampler for oceanographic research during voyages. Beyond competition, the team conducts environmental advocacy under the Sports for Nature Framework to promote biodiversity conservation.

Product overview

Sails of Change is a professional sailing team operating a fleet of high-performance racing vessels, consisting of the TF35 foiling catamaran and the Maxi-trimaran (Spindrift 2). The team competes in professional sailing circuits including the TF35 season and conducts oceanographic research missions while promoting biodiversity conservation through the Sports for Nature Framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TF35 Foiling Catamaran A high-performance foiling catamaran weighing 1,200 kg, crewed by 6 sailors, capable of reaching maximum speeds of 68 km/h with 2 foils. Used to compete in the TF35 professional sailing circuit.
• Maxi-trimaran (Spindrift 2) A maxi-trimaran sailing vessel weighing 21 tonnes, crewed by 11 sailors, capable of reaching maximum speeds of 90 km/h. Used for ocean crossings, round-the-world record attempts, and transatlantic voyages including scientific sample collection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eight seawater samples collected between La Trinité-sur-Mer (France) and New York (USA) in May 2023 for microplastic analysis

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sports for Nature Framework (IUCN, IOC, UNEP, CBD, Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sails of Change is a signatory of the Sports for Nature Framework — a joint initiative of the IUCN, International Olympic Committee (IOC), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy. The framework aims at delivering transformative nature-positive actions across sports for the protection and restoration of biodiversity.
• University of AlicanteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on microplastic pollution study analyzing the distribution of microplastics in the North Atlantic Ocean. The team provided ocean access and collected seawater samples using their Maxi-trimaran Sails of Change.
• University of Jaume IminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on microplastic pollution research study analyzing the distribution of microplastics in the North Atlantic Ocean. The sailing team collected ocean water samples during their transatlantic voyages for scientific analysis.
• University of the Balearic IslandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on microplastic pollution research analyzing the distribution and concentration of microplastics in the North Atlantic Ocean. Sails of Change provided maritime data collection capabilities using their Maxi-trimaran.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Emirates Team New Zealand: Defender syndicate for the America's Cup and one of the most successful professional sailing operations globally. Relevant as a top-tier professional sailing team with a sophisticated sponsorship, IP, and merchandising operation.
• INEOS Team UK: Sir Jim Ratcliffe-backed America's Cup and SailGP campaign. Comparable as a wealthy principal's high-performance sailing team competing in top-tier international sailing circuits with similar operational scale.
• Team Alinghi: Swiss America's Cup syndicate founded by Ernesto Bertarelli. Historically the closest analogue to Spindrift in family wealth structure and competitive ambition, and remains a benchmark professional sailing team with overlapping Swiss philanthropy ties.
• Charal Sailing Team: Jérémie Beyou's IMOCA program sponsored by Charal. Direct peer as a French skipper-led professional offshore sailing team competing in similar major races and operating on a similar sponsor-supported model.
• Realteam Sailing: Swiss TF35 circuit competitor with an active TF35 campaign. Direct peer in the same one-design TF35 foiling class that Sails of Change races in, sharing calendar, venues, and sponsor pools.
• Malizia - Seaexplorer: Boris Herrmann's IMOCA-class ocean racing team with an explicit climate-ocean advocacy mission. Comparable as a high-profile skipper-led sailing campaign pairing elite competition with environmental messaging and partner activations.
• 11th Hour Racing Team: US-based professional sailing campaign explicitly built around sustainability and ocean stewardship. Closely comparable as another elite sailing team where environmental advocacy is a core identity, creating similar sponsor and partnership overlap.
• Gitana Team (Edmond de Rothschild): French maxi-multihull racing operation owned by the Edmond de Rothschild family, competing in Ultim-class and offshore events. Directly comparable as a French-based, family-sponsored elite multihull sailing team with similar philanthropic framing.
• Sodebo Ultim 3: Thomas Coville's Ultim maxi-trimaran project and Sodebo's branded sailing program. Directly comparable as a sponsor-backed maxi-trimaran team pursuing offshore records in the same category as Spindrift 2.
• IDEC Sport: Francis Joyon's maxi-trimaran campaign focused on Jules Verne Trophy round-the-world record attempts. Directly comparable as another owner-driven maxi-trimaran program competing in the same major ocean races as Spindrift 2.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sailsofchange
• Xx.com/spindriftracing
• Facebookfacebook.com/spindriftracing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spindrift-racing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spindrift