One year after testing its RaceBird electric racing boat in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the UIM E1 World Championship league is returning to World Port Days to demonstrate its nascent sport with two unique race events ahead of its first-ever season.
The UIM E1 World Championship is a young electric boat racing league with roots in sustainable motorsports like Formula E and Extreme E. The league has gained some clout the past year as it has established racing teams led by some notable names throughout the sporting world.
This includes Formula 1’s Sergio Perez, tennis great Rafael Nadal, legendary footballer Didier Drogba, and most recently – the most decorated NFL player of all time, Tom Brady. When UIM E1’s inaugural championship series kicks off next year, these teams along with several others in the works, will compete on the water in electric boats called RaceBirds.
In addition to following E1’s competition progress, we’ve also kept a close eye on RaceBird development as the vessels will be the stars of the show come race day. Last year, E1 took a RaceBird to World Port Days in Rotterdam to showcase its technology on the water and build some hype for the forthcoming racing series.
At that same time, E1 cofounders Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso, alongside RaceBird designer Sophi Horne, met with senior members from both the World Port Days event team and the Port of Rotterdam – signing a letter of intent to bring future races to the port – the largest in all of Europe.
One year later, E1 is returning to World Port Days and is bringing more RaceBirds to Rotterdam this time.
E1 to put multiple RaceBirds on water in Rotterdam
During the annual event in Rotterdam next month, which averages over 100,000 visitors per day, E1 says it will exhibit multiple RaceBirds on the water for the first time ever, giving the crowds a glimpse of what the championship series’ inaugural season may look like. E1 cofounder and chairman Alejandro Agag elaborated:
It’s fantastic to be returning to Rotterdam, from previously exhibiting to now launching multiple RaceBirds on the water. This is truly an amazing milestone for E1.
For the first time, we will be providing a preview of a E1 race weekend, an insight into our format launching in early 2024, also introducing our floating paddock and even better, spectators can watch all the action.
Our electric journey is only just beginning, and I welcome our fans to stay tuned for more exciting developments to come.
The E1 showcase will include two event styles – the Daikin Cup and the ComeOn Challenge. The Cup will consist of time trials in which RaceBird pilots go head-to-head around E1’s “Infinity Course” near Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge. The winner will be crowned to the team with the fastest lap times.
The ComeOne Challenge will be a relay event in which the RaceBird pilots swap places in the electric boat half way through the race and the winner is the team that finishes first. Partner pairings will rotate each day as the showcase events will take place daily from Friday through Sunday.
World Port Days will run from September 1-3 in Rotterdam this year ahead of E1’s inaugural season which will include an official race in Rotterdam. Per cofounder and CEO Rodi Basso:
With Rotterdam on our calendar next year, this event is just a taster of what is to come in our inaugural season. Showcasing at The World Port Days demonstrates E1’s values in such a sensitive time for climate change, especially with our shared commitments towards electrification in the marine industry and building a sustainable future.
Check out the RaceBird’s testing over the past year in E1’s video below:
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