The world‘s first circuit of electric racing boats, also convinces Rafael Nadal. Enough to make him the owner of a stable. The tennis star, 22 times Grand Slam winner, will in fact be team owner and with his team will debut in the E1 UIm, the world championship that Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso are preparing for 2023.
Sport and sustainability, a Rafael Nadal team in the electric racing boat circuit
Nadal will be in good company. The Venice Racing Team has already been presented and another champion has already come out, the current Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez, team owner of another team with the Mexican flag. Other teams have signed, but are still being kept confidential by the duo Agag/Basso, who can count on the support of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and who are building the circuit, a series of stages in iconic locations around the globe where the models of Racebird, the first electric raceboat in the world, the boat with which the E1 Series will be raced.
Rafa Nadal at the signing of the contract for the team with Alejandro Agag
The Formula E of the sea, because this is what it is about, is a carbon foiling monotype that can run at 50 knots. A vision of the Norwegian Sophi Horne of SeaBird Technologies translated into reality by the Italian designer Brunello Acampora with the help of other Italian excellences such as Mario Caponnetto and Refraschini. A boat that is also a message: the challenge is to change the world, to transform mobility on the sea as well and to make it sustainable, so as to safeguard the environment and, of course, the sea itself.
Rendering of the livery of Nadal’s E1 team boat
“I’m really excited to be involved in a project like E1 that values sustainability and will have a positive impact on the whole society, especially on coastal communities – says Nadal. I also particularly appreciate the fact that E1 has such a precise mission and is committed to preserving marine ecosystems. As a professional athlete, I recognize that marginal gains have a positive impact on performance. E1 applies this same competitive spirit and approach to optimizing the performance and efficiency of sustainable marine mobility and this is great news for our oceans.”
The Racebird prototype
The tennis star will also support the E1 Blue Action program, created precisely to create a positive impact on local communities through the implementation of projects aimed at restoring the marine ecosystem along the coasts. The program will be led by Professor Carlos Duarte, also a native of Mallorca like Nadal and chief scientist of E1. An event is already planned that will bring together the world‘s leading experts on sustainability in the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, to “examine together the next steps to be taken in terms of sustainability and to turn the spotlight on the positive role that sport can play in achieving sustainable development goals of the United Nations”.
“Talking with Nadal, I immediately understood how important sustainability is to him and how strong his passion for the ocean is – says Agag -. E1’s mission is to accelerate the transition to more sustainable mobility and restore marine ecosystems, goals also strongly shared by Nadal and his team ”. “It’s incredible to see how motivated Rafa is both on and off the field, especially how interested he is in everything related to the ocean and marine life-adds Basso-. Nadal’s academy is the perfect expression of that, focused as it is on creating a better world for future generations and improving the lives of young people. E1 shares this philosophy: we want people to be able to enjoy our oceans and precious coastal areas for many years to come.”