Key Takeaways
- Ryan Reynolds beat Hugh Jackman in a celebrity F50 catamaran race in Valencia after a late penalty cost Jackman’s Australian boat the win.
- The actors leaned into their Marvel rivalry with custom Deadpool and Wolverine helmets, while Reynolds joked that humiliating Jackman is "a national pastime in Canada."
- The showdown preceded Spain’s first Sail Grand Prix, where the Reynolds-and-Jackman-owned BONDS Flying Roos enter atop the 2026 standings.
Ryan Reynolds beat his longtime friend and on-screen rival Hugh Jackman in a head-to-head celebrity sailboat race in Valencia, Spain this week.
Reynolds rode as a 6th sailor aboard Team NorthStar Canada's F50 catamaran, while Jackman joined the BONDS Flying Roos' Australian boat. The race went down to the wire before a penalty against the Australian boat handed the win to the Canadian side, according to MySailing.
The actors also showed up representing their on-screen rival Marvel characters, with Reynolds wearing a red Deadpool helmet while Jackman was in a yellow Wolverine helmet, each custom-designed by artist Painton.
"I've done this one time, one other time, and I realized how rare the air is I breathe by getting to do this once, let alone twice," Reynolds said following the competition. "But I did it once with team Australia a few months ago in Bermuda. I got my ass kicked on that boat."
He continued: "This time I went for it again. I wanted to cross again. And just like last time, I got my ass kicked. But this time I did a little bit better. I think it was really special. And then of course humiliating Hugh Jackman. That's a national pastime in Canada."
The race preceded the Spain Sail Grand Prix, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday (September 4 and 5), and is Event 10 of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship season, marking the first time the championship has raced in Spain, with 13 international teams competing on a course set between the city beach and the harbor breakwater.
The Flying Roos, which Reynolds and Jackman co-own, enter the weekend leading the season standings with a 14-point advantage over Los Gallos, the reigning 2024 champions. Three events remain before the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi on November 28 and 29.
