E1 and SeaBird Technologies are joining forces with marine engineers at Victory Marine to develop, manufacture and assemble the electric RaceBird powerboat that will feature in the UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series.
The first RaceBirds will be unveiled on 8 June, to coincide with World Oceans Day, with prototype testing scheduled to take place in October.
Competing in the global E1 Series, each RaceBird powerboat will be driven by a single pilot and will be targeting speeds of up to 60 knots.
Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, president of the Union Internationale Motonautique, said: “The UIM is proud to join the extremely exciting journey towards this new competition of electric powerboat racing. Together with E1, we are co-developing a new championship that will set a whole new standard for our sport. As well as creating an exciting high-performance sport, the technology and development of the vessel engineered by Victory Marine will progress electric boat mobility and help revolutionise our industry for decades to come.”
The UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series launched in September last year at the Monaco Yacht Club, where the organising team revealed plans for a global short course racing series, set to take place against stunning city backdrops and in spectacular remote locations – all aimed at accelerating the electric revolution on the water.
The E1 Series organisers are working with the UIM to address the sporting regulations, event format, venues and track layouts to ensure a competitive, fair and exciting racing experience.
Alongside building and developing the full fleet of race-ready RaceBird powerboats specially for the E1 Series, Victory Marine has also been tasked with engineering and manufacturing the sister SeaBird model, a six-person electric foiling powerboat that will be made accessible to anyone through a shared booking platform.
