All new electric powerboat series
Alejandro Agag has taken the motorsport world by storm on dry land with his groundbreaking ventures, Formula E and Extreme E. Now, Agag is setting his sights on electrifying water. We take a deep dive into the UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series
T
he name ‘Alejandro Agag’ is synonymous with electric racing. Founder of the Formula E electric single-seater championship and Extreme E SUV off-road racing series, the Spanish businessman and entrepreneur is
widely regarded as an electric mobility pioneer, having recently won the title of “Motorsport Hero” at the 2021 Autocar Awards. The Extreme E and Formula E championships fuse together his vision for a sustainable future with high-octane entertainment. Exhilarating speeds and breathtaking locations see millions of fans tune in to watch electric cars race. Never content to rest on his laurels, Agag sought out the next frontier of electric motorsports: water.
The E1 Series was launched in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and it all began in lockdown. Agag was taking a walk along the River Thames in London with a close friend, Rodi Basso, and the pair mused that marine transportation ought to catch up with the automotive world in adopting electric power.
With an extensive background in Formula One, Basso is no stranger to motorsport, having worked with Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren. Agag mentioned he had previously invested in SeaBird Technologies, a company with a vision for making electric leisure boating accessible to all. From there the conversation turned to an electric powerboating series. The pair exchanged ideas about the technical aspects of the boat and event format, and soon after drafted a proposal to present to the UIM, the world governing body of powerboating.
Only a few short months later, Agag and Basso stood next to Raffaele Chiulli (the President of the UIM) as Co- Founders and CEO, respectively, of the newly sanctioned UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series. With His Serene Highness Prince Albert II present, a 25-year exclusivity
license was signed at the Monaco Yacht Club to promote the world’s first electric powerboat racing series.
Fast forward to June 2021 and the E1 Series is fully funded and a new boat design has been revealed to the public via a digital launch. With the design validated, the RaceBird has entered into production with the expert engineers at Victory Marine at the helm.
We’re already in conversation with a
number of cities. Looking to race in places such as New York, Miami, London and Monaco... THE MISSION
The aim of the E1 Series, like Agag’s other racing ventures, is to accelerate the use of electric technologies, this time with a particular focus on marine mobility. As a keen sailor, Basso was already preoccupied with concerns about ocean health. By providing an exciting, competitive racing platform on the water, the E1 Series aims to accelerate change for a cleaner future in water transport by developing innovations and sharing technology from the motorsport world, while increasing awareness of the perils facing the ocean, rivers and lakes worldwide.
The marine industry has been significantly slower in the uptake of electric technologies than the automotive world. The E1 Series hopes to speed up the transfer to clean energy not only in the racing circuits, but also for leisure day boats. As part of its sustainability mission, the E1 Series will commit to installing permanent electric charging infrastructure in each port where it races. These will remain
126 | SUMMER 2021 | ONBOARD
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