Marc Anthony to represent Miami in new boat-racing event

Latin music icon Marc Anthony is representing Miami in a new boat-racing championship coming here next year.

Why it matters: The UIM E1 World Championship — said to be the world's first electric boat-racing championship — features celebrity team owners like Will Smith , Tom Brady and Rafael Nadal .

• The series, which holds races in glamorous destinations across the world, hopes to raise awareness for sustainable energy and has announced commitments to coastal habitat restoration.

How it works: E1, which held its first race in February , has nine teams with two pilots each.

The teams: Anthony and co-founder Robert Jakobi lead Team Miami.

• There's Team Brady and Team Rafa, too. Owners of other teams include DJ Steve Aoki, Formula 1 driver Sergio "Checo" Pérez and soccer great Didier Drogba.

The boats: Futuristic-looking RaceBirds , which use hydrofoil wings to elevate off the water. They can reach speeds of 57 mph.

The format: Race weekends include practice, qualifying and knockout races. Pilots go head-to-head in multiple heats to advance to the final.

What's next: E1 announced a Miami race for 2025, but specific dates and a location have not yet been revealed.

The intrigue: The international championship is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund , which has been criticized for "sportswashing" its human rights record with massive investments in golf , soccer and Formula 1 .

What they're saying: Jakobi said Saudi Arabia's PIF is a "great partner" and he has "no concerns" about its investment in the sport.

• The combined star power of the teams — and E1's focus on sustainability — should help the racing championship stand out in a competitive sports market, he said.
• "The combined reach of all our teams is half a billion people."

What's next: Jakobi said he envisions Miami's race weekend to include music festivals and fan activations, similar to F1's Miami Grand Prix.

Jakobi calls Anthony "Mr. Miami" and says the Grammy-winning singer is passionate about boats and hungry to win.

• "He's an iconic singer with a huge following, huge fanbase in Miami. It gives us obviously a lot of legitimacy and credibility. There's no better person to partner with than Marc."