Three years ago, during the pandemic, Alejandro Agag was walking along the River Thames with Rodi Basso, a former F1 engineer who later became his business partner, and was contemplating the creation of a new vessel – the electric motorboat “RaceBird”. He probably couldn’t have imagined that he would be the pioneer of a new sport, “E1”.
The race of electric-powered racing boats is a new sport that currently attracts the attention of the wealthiest elite, and it has already gained its own championship on a global level – the UIM E1 World Championship.
The championship began in Jeddah and will end in Hong Kong
The championship includes nine teams competing against each other in races held in some of the most tourist-frequented cities, including Jeddah, Monaco, and Hong Kong. Their owners are sports and Hollywood stars.
One of the participating teams is Westbrook Racing, owned by Oscar winner Will Smith, named after his entertainment company. Westbrook Racing will make its debut on May 12th in the championship race in Venice.
In this endeavor, the Hollywood actor joins Tom Brady, the American football star, tennis player Rafael Nadal, and cricket star Virat Kohli as investors in the electric boat championship, who also have teams in the championship. Other participating teams include Aoki Racing Team, Sergio Perez E1, Blue Ricing, Brazil by Claure Group, Team Drogba, and Miami powered by Magnus (backed by singer and producer Marc Anthony).
A new chapter in water sports
“Dive into the UIM E1 World Championship, an area where relentless innovation, sea preservation, and thrilling racing converge, unveiling a new chapter in water sports,” said the famous owners of the nine teams on the official E1 sports website, emphasizing how this championship goes beyond traditional races, advocating a vision of revolutionizing maritime transport. The introduction of chargers at racing venues marks the beginning of a shift towards greener maritime practices.
What makes the races even more exciting is the fact that the crews compete on equal terms using the same model of RaceBird boats, which look more like a spaceship.
This single-seat electric motorboat features two bright green hydrofoils that enable it to rise up to a meter above the water while accelerating, and it is the first prototype of Agag’s racing vessel for the E1 series, Forbes writes.
