American football legend, Tom Brady, is the latest sports person to become a team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship, the first championship in the world for electric propulsion vessels.

Considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Brady has set himself the goal of winning the competition, bringing to it his ambition, leadership and skill in performing under pressure to this new water sport.

His team is the fifth to be announced, after those of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, F1 icon, Sergio Perez, former Chelsea star Didier Drogba and the Venice Racing team.

Throughout his career, Brady has stood out for his excellence on the playing field, holding the record for most MVP awards in the Super Bowl (five), winning seven Super Bowls in three decades and being nominated twice (2005 and 2021) as Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

Off the field, he has always worked to reconcile being an athlete with being an entrepreneur, which can be seen in the many companies he has co-founded.

Among these is Autograph, a web3 brand, that brings together the most iconic brands and most important names in sports, entertainment, fashion and pop culture. He also founded Brady, a new generation clothing brand, TB12, a brand dedicated to health and wellbeing, and 199 Productions, a global multi-platform production house that develops original quality content like documentaries, film and digital formats.

A PASSION FOR THE WATER AND SUSTAINABILITY

His incessant search for sporting excellence, together with his passion for the water and sustainability, pushed him to enter and become a part of the new E1.

“The E1 – says the seven-time winner of the Super Bowl – combines a lot of things that I love. Speed, energy, being in the water, intense competition and innovative leaders. I’m excited to join Rafael Nadar, Didier Drogba and Sergio Perez, great athletes brought together by the same desire to compete at the highest levels, to work together to contribute to making a more sustainable boating industry, to create incredible events and above all, to win. My message to  my rivals: prepare yourselves for second place, because we are aiming for the top!”

In addition, as a team owner, Brady wants to encourage the next generation to innovate and take action for a sustainable future

“It is fantastic – states Alejandro Agag, co-founder and president of E1 – to welcome Tom Brady to the E1 Championship. Tom is a winner and he will bring his incredible determination to our races. Together with Rafael Nadar, Didier Drogba, Sergio Perez and other great names that we will announce soon, he will fight to win in each race. Having a celebrity like Tom in E1 is an enormous achievement for our championship.”

“It is a great privilege – notes Rodi Basso, co-founder and CEO of the E1 – to welcome a sports icon to E1. But for Tom Brady this is not just another sporting success.  He wants to make a positive impact and inspire the next generation, and all of this is also a part of our DNA. Tom is also particularly enthusiastic about design, technology and the performance of our RaceBird.”

“But, in addition to the races – continues Basso – it is important to highlight the efforts of the E1 for sustainability and social impact. Tom is extremely interested in the ‘Acceleration Festivals’ planned for our races, which will present the start-ups and industry developments for clean tech everywhere we go. Tom is perfectly in synch with our principles and vision.”

THE UIM E1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The much anticipated first season of the UIM E1 World Championship will start at the beginning of 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will continue with races in Venice, Monaco, Rotterdam, and other spectacular locations soon to be announced, alongside other participating teams.

The E1 is the first series in the world for electric propulsion vessels approved by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the international association the manages sporting competitions for motorboats. The championship was created to offer an exciting and competitive platform capable of promoting sustainable electric vessels, so as to protect the marine and lake ecosystems as well as coastal areas.

The event will have up to 10 teams competing with 20 pilots, who will race in closed and technical circuits at the wheel of the RaceBirds, co-designed by SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine.

The organisers are continuing to prepare and over the next few months they will concentrate on defining the details with the candidate cities wanting to host the race, and with the racers, working together with engineers from Victory Marine to build a complete fleet of electric propulsion boats that are ready for the competition.

To find out more about the E1 Series and to keep updated, you can visit the competition’s official website.