| E1 Series | |
| Image-Size: | 160px |
| Category: | Electric powerboat racing |
| Country/Region: | International |
| Inaugural: | 2024 |
| Drivers: | 18 |
| Teams: | 9 |
| Website: | e1series.com |
| Current Season: | 2024 E1 Series Championship |
The UIM E1 Series is the first and only Union Internationale Motonautique-sanctioned all-electric international offshore powerboat racing series. The main focus of the series is sustainability and marine conservation.
The first season began with the E1 Jeddah GP in Saudi Arabia in February 2024.[1]
The E1 Series began in early 2020 as a project created by Rodi Basso, former Formula One engineer and McLaren Applied business director, and Alejandro Agag, founder of Formula E and Extreme E.[2] [3] After coming up with the initial idea, the duo approached Sophi Horne to design the race boat. Horne had previously been focused on electric leisure boats.[4] [5]
The series was announced at the Monaco Yacht Club on September 25, 2020.[6] The boat was unveiled in June of 2021, alongside the announcement of a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.[7]
On April 21, 2022, the RaceBird took to the water for the first time, piloted by former powerboat champion Luca Ferrari. The prototype completed a series of tests and performance runs on the River Po in Italy.[8]
In June 2022, the boat was exhibited on the water at the Venice Boat Show, with model Cara Delevingne assisting with the launch.[9] [10] In September 2022, the series raced in front of an audience for the first time, with Sam Coleman piloting the RaceBird at the World Port Days in Rotterdam.[11]
The series returned to the World Port Days in September 2023, marking the first time four RaceBirds were in the water at the same time. Coleman was joined by Ieve Millere-Hagin, Gianluca Carli, and Oban Duncan to compete in a series of races, with Duncan emerging as the champion.[12]
See main article: articles and 2024 E1 Series Championship.
The inaugural season consists of 9 teams and 18 drivers. It began in February in Jeddah, and was won by Team Brady.[13]
A race weekend consists of testing, free practice, and qualifying on the first day, while the semi-finals, play-off race, eliminator race, place race, and finals all take place on the second day. The pilots switch off for each session, with the teams deciding when the female pilot will drive and when the male pilot will drive.[14]
Each race is 4 laps, with an additional joker lap around the long lap configuration, which can be taken at any point during the race. The course boundaries are marked by electronic anchorless buoys, which are much less invasive than traditional buoys.[15] [16]
The Blue Impact championship is being trialed during the inaugural season, and will fully roll out during the 2025 season. It will see the teams competing to become the E1 Impact Champion, by working towards a better future through activism such as aquatic conservation and restoration programs and marine habitat research. At the end of the season, fans and an expert jury will vote for the champion.[17]
The RaceBird is an all-electric hydrofoil boat. It is 24 feet long, with aluminum hydrofoils which raise the boat when reaching a speed of 17 knots. The 200-hp electric motor can reach a power output of 150 kW and has a battery capacity of 35 kWh. It can reach a top speed of 50 knots (58 MPH/93 KPH). The cockpit is designed for one pilot, with a steering wheel and pedals like a single-seater race car.[18]
Designed by SeaBird Technologies, the RaceBird is manufactured by Victory Marine, with an electric powertrain developed by Mercury Racing, and rechargeable batteries from Kreisel Electric.[19] [20] [21] E1 is currently a spec-series, which means all the teams are running the same boats. However, the goal is to move towards teams designing their own vehicle in future years.[22]
The series was originally designed to have teams representing various cities and countries around the world, with the Venice Racing Team being the first team to join.[23] [24] However, as the series continued its development, the teams instead moved towards celebrity owners like Tom Brady, Will Smith, and Rafael Nadal.[25] [26] There are currently nine teams competing in the championship, but the goal is to have up to twelve.[27]
Similar to Extreme E, E1 regulations require each team to select a male and female pilot, who share equal driving duties.[28] The UIM E1 Pilot Academy was created to train a new generation of racers to compete in the E1 Series. Female and male athletes with experience in motorsport, cycling, Esports, extreme sports and high-speed sports were invited to apply. A total of 34 racers took part in the training in 2023, with 18 being selected to compete in the inaugural season of the series.[29] On October 1, 2024, it was announced that the Monaco Yacht Club would be partnering with the Pilot Academy for 2025.[30]
The inaugural season saw locations that were relatively close to each other, in order to limit the carbon footprint of the series.[31] There is expected to be up to fifteen race locations as the series continues to expand.[32] On September 30, 2024, Doha, Qatar was revealed as the first location for the 2025 season.[33]
| Location | Season | |
|---|---|---|
 Jeddah | 2024 | |
 Venice | 2024 | |
 Puerto Banús | 2024 | |
 Monaco | 2024 | |
| Lake Como | 2024 | |
 Doha | 2025 |