E1 Series partners with Navico and unveils electric RaceBird

Navico has announced a partnership with the E1 Series, the world’s first electric powerboating championship, and will integrate Simrad electronics and C-MAP chart technology in the championship’s RaceBird hydrofoil boats.

The announcement coincides with the E1 Series unveiling its first full-size model of the RaceBird electric powerboat at the Yacht Club de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

The new global racing championship is scheduled to kick off in 2023 with up to 12 teams set to race on a tight, technical course reaching speeds up to 50 knots.

Simrad electronics will be the official marine electronics partner of the E1 Series, while C-MAP becomes the official cartography partner. Both brands will assist to support the development of onboard systems and RaceBird’s cockpit for use in the future E1 Series powerboat racing championship.

“Navico is incredibly excited for this E1 Series partnership featuring Simrad and C-MAP and to be part of the development process together with E1 and other partners towards designing and producing the most advanced electric race boats in the world over the next year,” says Knut Frostad, CEO of Navico. “The electrification journey is quickly taking hold in the boating industry and we believe the E1 Series is a perfect platform to raise the bar around innovation and encourage action in marine conservation and sustainability.”

The full-size Racebird model was revealed during a presentation ceremony hosted at the Yacht Club de Monaco, where E1 Series co-founders Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso were joined by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, the boat’s designer Sophi Horne (founder of SeaBird Technologies), Brunello Acampora (founder & CEO of Victory Marine), and Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) president Raffaele Chiulli.

Alejandro Agag, co-founder & chairman of E1 Series, says: “Seeing the full-size boat like this for the first time, it’s starting to feel like the E1 Series is coming to life.

“We revealed the digital designs ahead of World Oceans Day in June earlier this year, but to see the physical model is a massive step forward in terms of our preparations and shows the fans what to expect when we start racing in early 2023.”

The RaceBird was designed by SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine and features an electric outboard motor, enclosed safety canopy and hydrofoil technology. The boats will be powered by a 35kWh battery from Kreisel and a motor with 150 kW peak power output, with a projected top speed of 58mph (93 km/h). Using innovative hydrofoil technology, the RaceBird powerboats will rise high above the water’s surface, allowing for minimum drag and maximum energy efficiency. The boats will be manufactured by Victory Marine and prototype testing of the Racebird is expected to start in early 2022.

At the presentation, the E1 Series also announced a partnership with Mercury Racing. Mercury Racing, official propulsion and propeller partner, is set to work closely together with SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine to support the development of the outboard motor for the RaceBird.

Rodi Basso, co-founder & CEO of E1 Series, says: “We were stood at this same location only one year ago to launch the championship and now we’re standing next to the powerboat that the pilots will race with in the E1 Series. There’s been a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes, not only with the RaceBird development but also in growing the team and identifying potential host venues, partners, teams and pilots. I’m delighted to be partnering with Mercury Racing and Navico on this electric adventure and I’m super excited to announce that Monaco will feature on the calendar for the inaugural season. We’re looking to add more races over the next few months and we’re having active conversations with more than 70 cities around the world, with positive progress being made in Rotterdam and Hungary where feasibility studies are starting soon.”

(L-R) Alejandro Agag, Louise Houghton, Raffaele Chiulli, Sophia Horne, Rodi Basso and Brunello Acampora. Image courtesy of Lloyd Images/Getty Images.

In the coming months the RaceBird engineers will focus on the integration of the battery and controls systems and how they work together with the powertrain. After which, the engineers will incorporate the propulsion architecture to the platform, ready to hit the water.

President of the UIM, Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, says: “On behalf of the UIM, I feel very privileged to have seen for myself this incredible E1 boat in such an amazing setting. To be in Monaco with the full engagement of HSH Prince Albert II is a clear demonstration of how much attention the energy transition in nautical mobility deserves. With this new boat, we’re all one big step closer to the realisation of a very ambitious and vitally important vision. Very ambitious because E1 is entering new territory with this first electric-propulsion powerboat racing series. Vitally important because of the role E1 will play not just in raising awareness of the climate crisis but also in leading the delivery of solutions. 

All images courtesy of Lloyd Images/Getty Images.