Rafael Nadal Launches Electric Raceboat Team
January 20, 2023
Tennis great Rafael Nadal, who most recently participated in the Australian Open as the defending champion, has become a team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship – the world’s first all-electric race boat championship. Nadal will which is working to restore marine ecosystems.
The World Electric Powerboat Series is a championship racing league created specifically for electric boats. It was created by Alejandro Agag, founder of Formula E and Rodi Basso, founder of Extreme E - the electric racing series that spans the most remote corners of the planet to highlight the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems.
E1 builds on this mission with a focus on “protecting our waters for future generations.” The series is committed to raising awareness of serious threats to marine life and the livelihood of coastal communities, as well as accelerating the development of clean technologies and restoration programs to repair already damaged ecosystems.
Nadal, a Mallorquin islander, is passionate about the ocean and is hugely supportive of E1’s mission to accelerate clean mobility and restore marine ecosystems. He joins a growing list of sports personalities to own an E1 team. “As a professional athlete, I recognize how making marginal gains has a positive impact on performance. To see this same competitive spirit and approach being applied at E1 to optimize the performance and efficiency of sustainable marine mobility is good news for oceans,” he shared.
Beyond the boat racing series, Nadal will also support E1’s Blue Action Program, designed to create a positive impact on local communities through projects aimed at restoring marine ecosystems along city waterfronts. The program links to E1’s Blue Restoration pillar which develops partnerships and education programs to help raise awareness and drive tangible action. The championship will collaborate on initiatives to support the restoration of coastal habitats and produce content to teach young children the importance of ocean health.
The Blue Action program will be led by Professor Carlos Duarte, a fellow Mallorquin islander, and Chief Scientist at E1. Duarte will play a key role in developing E1’s overall sustainability strategy, as well as supporting the Rafa Nadal Academy’s sustainability initiatives and reinforcing its commitment for sustainable sport.
The Rafa Nadal Academy launched in Spain in 2016, combining tennis and education to take the new generation into the future of the sport. Nadal’s partnership with E1 will include the academy hosting a thought leadership event focused on sport and sustainability. The flagship event will bring together the world’s leading sustainability experts in Mallorca to examine the next level of thinking on sustainability and highlight the positive role sport can play in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The first season of the UIM E1 World Championship is scheduled to get underway later this year.