Sustainable Superstars: A-List Celebrities and the E1 Series

Tom Brady, Will Smith, Rafael Nadal, Marc Anthony, and other A-list celebrity owners are bringing lots of attention to the E1 Series – a new, all electric-powered hydrofoil-boat-racing league.

This article was written by Bill Springer. Photography courtesy of E1 Series.

We all know Tom Brady is the ultimate competitor who’s won seven Super Bowl rings. And we’ve all seen footage of the future Hall of Famer celebrating aboard the boat that he keeps in South Florida. But, as I found in a recent interview, his interest in boats (specifically E1 Series race boats called “racebirds”) runs way deeper than just cruising around South Florida. In fact, he owns an E1 Series race team that competes in innovative and environmentally friendly all-electric-powered hydrofoiling “racebirds” on a global race circuit. And oh, by the way, his Team Brady has already won several events in the inaugural E1 Series season.

But before we get to Brady’s ownership interest in this innovative new sports league, let me explain what the E1 Series actually is and why he and other high-profile team owners such as Academy-Award-winner Will Smith, legendary tennis champion Rafael Nadal, Grammy-Award-winning entertainer Marc Anthony, and current Red Bull Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez have bought into the E1 Series right from the beginning.

As a yachting journalist who’s been lucky enough to have first-hand experience at the absolute pinnacle of hydrofoiling race boat technology (sailing aboard America’s Cup and SailGP race boats), while also experiencing the massive advancements being made in hydrofoiling all-electric power boats, I’ve been paying close attention since co-founders Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso introduced this new, Formula 1-inspired watersport back in 2021.

In fact, I’m not surprised they’ve been able to build the serious infrastructure needed to launch this global league with serious sustainability goals that makes stops in exclusive destinations such as Venice, Monaco, Jeddah, and others in the short time since. Agag has already launched two separate sustainable racing series (Formula E and Extreme E), and Basso is an aerospace engineer who’s worked with some of the biggest names—Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren—in motor racing. And their commitment to developing greener marine technologies while also promoting world-class competition on the water seems to be making a positive impact right out of the gate.

The racebird fleet is 100% emission-free and is already shining a bright spotlight on the transformative power of all-electric- powered hydrofoiling boats to significantly reduce boat emissions. And the E1 Series also has an influential climate scientist, Professor Carlos M. Duarte, who serves as the E1’s chief scientist helping the league develop ocean-based solutions to global challenges and enhance the sustainability of E1 Series events that can be impactful at other events around the world.

After seeing the action in Venice, I can say that the E1 Series’ highly technical, fully electric-powered hydrofoiling race boats are extremely cool to watch. The racing requires unique skills and provides real excitement and down-to-the-wire drama from racing pilots that were recruited from boat, auto, and motorcycle racing teams around the world. In fact, one of Team Brady’s winning pilots— Emma Kimiläinen of Finland—had never driven a boat before training to pilot a racebird. But then again, piloting a racebird that flies over the water on hydrofoils is more like driving a three-dimensional Formula 1 car!

And since the rules require each team to have both a male and a female pilot, the E1 Series is already making a huge impact when it comes to gender equality. But what may be the most impressive aspect of the E1 Series is that Agag and Basso have been able to attract an impressive list of high-profile owners like Brady.

“I met Alejandro two and a half years ago,” Brady says. “Hetold me about what he was doing with this racing championship. I knew he was one of the founders of Formula E. I love being involved in sports and competition and thought this was a great way, in this second career of mine, to still be involved in great teams and teamwork and enjoy the comradery, chemistry, competition, all the things that I’ve loved my entire life.

“I think that’s what sports are about,” Brady continues with his recognizable smile and honest enthusiasm. “The competition’s always coming. And I love that everyone has the same boat. What’s different are the pilots, the strategy, the tactics, the training, the preparation. We all understand what we’re being subjected to, but at the same time I think we want to go out there and overcome whatever challenge we’re facing. I’ll just be proud of us if we put together a great effort if we’re all in it together. They’re going to see the kind of effort that we put into every race, and I know that they’ve worked extremely hard to get it to this point. I’m really proud of them. Certainly, our drivers and mechanics and engineers, everyone involved in the E1 has done a tremendous job.”

That’s when I turn to Team Brady co-principles Ben King and Joe Sturdy and ask, “So, um, what’s it like to have Tom Brady as the team owner? No pressure, right?”

Before they can respond, Brady says with a chuckle, “God damn it. If you don’t feel the pressure, you should feel it now!”

King, who has plenty of experience in both Formula 1 and Formula E, says in a classically English, understated way, “Yes, there’s some pressure. There’s obviously a lot of pressure to deliver, to carry on the legacy,” he adds with a smile. “But as Tom says, anything can happen. Especially in motorsports. And we have an extra element in terms of a machine and there’s reliability issues that can happen, especially being on the water, freak weather. You can have a gust of wind and that blows the boat off course. We saw that in Jeddah with different teams. So, yeah, there’s the pressure to perform, but I think we try and manage it as best we can. And, actually, we’re super competitive as well, so we put the pressure on ourselves anyway.”

Sturdy, an engineer who also comes from the highest level for Formula 1, adds, “I’ve seen Tom say in the past that you don’t necessarily have to be the best at the beginning, but you have to work hard to improve all the time. The fact that we’re willing to put in that hard work takes the pressure off a little bit because we can only do our best.”

Brady continues, “I get asked all the time, ‘How do you teach people to deal with the pressure?’ And I always say, ‘Well, you better put pressure on them. You better push them every day and make it feel like this is the competition, even when it’s not. So that when they get to the moment, they know how to deal with those feelings and those emotions.’

“The relentless pressure that people put on me really forced me to deal with it as well. Now the tides have turned. Now I get to put pressure on them,” Brady says in a hands-on owner kind of way.

And since Team Brady has jumped out to an early lead in the E1 Series after winning several events, it appears the future Hall of Famer’s unique brand of hands-on ownership is working. Meanwhile, Marc Anthony’s Team Miami had a strong outing in Venice. And Will Smith’s team grabbed the win at the Lake Como event.

And after seeing Anthony watch the racing on the big screen with Brady in the VIP section at the Venice event, it’s obvious that he cares about winning just as much as Brady does. Will Smith and Rafael Nadal have also already fanned the competitive flames at the events they’ve attended.

But to me, the standings in the next E1 Series event will only be part of the story. What really impresses me about the E1 Series and other events like it is the way they combine world- class competition, technological advancement, high-profile celebrities, and exclusive destinations with a real desire to develop sustainable solutions for the oceans and beyond. The reality is the whole E1 Series package can make sustainability cool. And that’s a pretty powerful tool that we all can benefit from.

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