Mike Price and Callum Macleod will combine their 2026 GT racing ambitions with an unusual detour into competitive sailing, as the duo confirmed plans for a dual programme featuring both the British GT Championship and the prestigious PalmaVela Regatta.
The Pro-Am pairing returns to the grid with Optimum Motorsport and its McLaren 720S GT3 for what will be their fourth British GT season together and their second year campaigning the McLaren. However, their racing schedule will be partially reshaped by an appearance at the prestigious PalmaVela Regatta.
The sailing commitment means the pair will miss the opening rounds of the season, including the blue-riband Silverstone 500 and the following event at Oulton Park. Their British GT campaign will instead begin later in the year at Circuit de Spa‑Francorchamps in late June.
Held in the Bay of Palma and organised by Real Club Náutico de Palma, the PalmaVela Regatta is one of the Mediterranean’s most prominent sailing competitions. The event typically attracts more than 100 teams and over 1,200 sailors competing across multiple classes, with two days of preparation followed by four days of inshore racing around a series of marks.
Price and Macleod will join an experienced 12-person crew aboard a 14.1-metre DK46 high-performance racing yacht competing in the ORC 1 class.
For Price, the opportunity to compete at PalmaVela represents a long-held ambition to experience elite yacht racing.
“Entering the PalmaVela Regatta has all happened very quickly but I have been keen to experience fully competitive yacht racing for some time, and as with all things, at some point you have to stop thinking about it and get on and do it,” he explained.
“The turning point was being introduced to Lucy Jackson at LV Yachting who was able to advise me on options, and then when the PalmaVela was decided upon, to proceed to pull it all together.”
Price is eager to take an active role on the boat rather than simply being part of the crew.
“The DK46 racing yacht will be an exciting boat to be competing with and whilst the make-up of our crew – half of which are professional sailors – should make us a competitive entry, a big part of this adventure for me is to start to learn the art of being at the helm in the races, just as being in the hot seat of a race car,” he said.
“Although it won’t be Callum coaching me on the sea, I am delighted that he is able to join me for the Regatta. I have no doubt his competitive nature will help make him a valuable member of the crew in no time.”
Macleod is equally enthusiastic about the unusual blend of motorsport and sailing that will shape their season.
“I’m really looking forward to this year, and the mixture it will bring us,” he said. “British GT-wise, I’m excited about our second season with Optimum Motorsport.”
The Scotsman believes the experience gained with the McLaren package in 2025 should allow the pair to build on flashes of pace shown during their debut season with the car.
“I feel that both Mike and I showed great pace at times last year so we’ll be looking to add consistency to that pace, which can help put us in the frame for points finishes each weekend,” he explained.
Macleod also highlighted Price’s rapid development since stepping into GT3 machinery.
“Mike has developed hugely across his GT3 career so far, and adapted impressively to the mid-engined McLaren from the front-engined Mercedes we started out with,” he said. “So I’m excited to see what this year can bring with that bit extra experience with the car and team.”
While their season may start later than many of their rivals, the duo’s expanded programme promises to deliver a unique blend of competition across two very different racing environments — the racetrack and the open water.
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