Electric champs

Tom Brady's team has won the inaugural UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah.

07 February 2024

The final day of the UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah concluded with a convincing win by NFL superstar Tom Brady’s racing team, after two days of tense competition in front of thousands of fans on the Red Sea.

The world’s first all-electric raceboat championship saw eight teams battle it out under the Jeddah sunshine in high-octane racing, with speeds in excess of 50 knots (92kph / 57 mph), captivating fans as teams competed for the top podium finish.

Hailing from Britain and Finland, Team Brady pilots Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen staged an impressive comeback to beat day one leaders Team Miami, owned by singer-songwriter Marc Anthony. The winning margin was almost 20 seconds with a Team Brady time of 6.58.51.

Cricket superstar Virat Kohli’s Team Blue Rising took third place on the podium.

Season one will continue in some of the most breathtaking coastal cities across the world, with the next stop Venice on 11 and 12 May and the series culminating in a Race to Hong Kong on 9 and 10 November.

The final day of the UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah.

The world’s first all-electric raceboat championship saw eight teams battle it out in Jeddah.

The high-octane racing saw speeds in excess of 50 knots (92kph / 57 mph).

Driver Emma Kimlainen, Team Brady.

Team Brady racing at the UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah.

Team Rafa, headed up by Rafael Nadal.

Ivory Coast footballer Didier Drogba heads up Team Drogba.

Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen said that they are “delighted” to take home the top spot from the first ever E1 event.

Emma Kimiläinen commented, “We’ve already had a message through from Tom and he’s super happy with the win.

“Both Sam and I are so incredibly proud to represent Tom and we’re pleased we were able to make history at E1’s inaugural race.”

Rodi Basso, Co-Founder and CEO of E1 said, “The past two days of competition have surpassed all expectations and the passion, commitment and spirit shown by all of the team pilots has been incredible.

“E1 has firmly landed on the global sporting map, and our next stop Venice is set to be another tremendous event. Huge congratulations to Team Brady for taking home the first ever E1 Championship trophy.”

Alejandro Agag, Co-Founder and Chair of E1 added, “Fantastic. Incredible. Amazing. What a weekend of powerboat racing with packed out crowds and close competition between eight amazing racing teams.”

Sam Coleman was introduced to powerboat racing in 2013 by his sister Daisy Coleman. The Welshman has gone on to become a house-hold name in the P1 SuperStock class where he has won four World Championships.

Emma Kimiläinen is a Finnish racing driver who has been competing on the professional motor racing circuit since 2005. Emma has competed in various series such as the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and W Series, where she finished 5th in her debut season in 2019. Her best W Series finish came in the 2021 season, claiming a place on the podium, finishing 3rd place.

The spectacle of the UIM E1 World Championship will touchdown this May in Venice – bringing the innovation of electrified racing to the historic waterways of the City of Water.

Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen took top spot from the first ever E1 event.

Team Brady celebrating their win.

Team Brady's Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen raise the inaugural trophy.

Results

1 Team Brady 6.58.518
2 Team Miami powered by Magnus 7.17.268
3 Team Blue Rising 7.43.835
4 Team Rafa 7.51.941

About the UIM E1 World Championship

E1 is the world’s first and only all-electric raceboat championship sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), which is the international governing body for all powerboating activities. The UIM E1 World Championship was established to create a new, exciting and competitive on-water racing platform based on electric technologies to protect and restore our urban waters and coastal areas.

The championship will see up to 10 teams and 20 mixed gender pilots racing on the water in iconic cities around the world, with the US due to host a race in Season 2. The E1 pilots will navigate tight and technical circuits behind the wheel of the electric E1 raceboats.

e1series.com