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.
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1aD0Cm_0szmgPSF00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1aD0Cm_0szmgPSF00)
Model Cara Delevingne poses on an E1 RaceBird in 2022. Photo: Lloyd Images/Getty Images
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."
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