After hosting the first edition last year, Yacht Club de Monaco was selected again to host a stage of the 2nd UIM E1 World Championship. It puts the Principality at the heart of elite electric powerboating in a championship that is in line with its collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach.
Each team comprises one male and one female driver and is supported by renowned ambassadors from the worlds of sport and entertainment. The Monaco leg was the fifth stage of the season, after Jeddah, Doha, Dubrovnik, and Lago Maggiore, with a 1.5 km looped circuit set up in Monaco’s bay. The RaceBirds are 100% electric and can reach speeds of up to 60 knots (111 km/h).
On the Friday, a free practice session was followed by the qualifiers. Each driver had to complete a timed lap, with the average of the two crew members’ times determining an initial ranking. The top five and the bottom four then competed in two separate qualifier races to determine the starting order for the main event the next day.
However, this session was marked by an unprecedented event: a high-speed collision involving Team Rafa, driven by the Frenchman Tom Chiappe, and the Brazilian team Claure Group. The collision caused significant damage to Team Rafa’s RaceBird and resulted in the first red-flag interruption in E1 history. Fortunately, Tom Chiappe and his co-driver Cris Lazaraga escaped unhurt.
By Sunday, the tension was at its peak. Cheered on by Yacht Club de Monaco President HSH Prince Albert II, Tom Brady, LeBron James, Marc Anthony, Didier Drogba, Rafael Nadal, Virat Kohli and Marcel Claure, who had all come to support their respective teams, the race was a breathtaking spectacle.
Team Blue Rising, co-led by Virat Kohli and Adi K. Mishra, claimed their first E1 victory in Monaco. Drivers John Peeters (who was voted PIF Pilot of the Race) and Sara Misir received their trophies from Alejandro Agag, founder and president of the E1 series. Team Brady finished second, just ahead of Team Braz
At the heart of the action, Yacht Club de Monaco’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre, continues its mission. Last year, Sara Misir, a Blue Rising pilot completed the UIM E1 La Belle Classe Academy training programme, showcasing YCM’s commitment to nurture talent in electric powerboating. “We were all thrilled to see Sara win in Monaco. She is exceptionally talented and I feel very proud to have trained her at La Belle Classe Academy”, said James Brooke, Chief Instructor for RYA Training at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
As part of its commitment to pass on expertise, the UIM E1 World Championship is continuing its partnership with the La Belle Classe Academy to develop its Pilot Academy which is dedicated to 100% electric race boats. Launched in Monaco in 2024, the academy is now in its second season and is more ambitious than ever to identify and train a new generation of drivers for the E1 circuit.
To fulfil this mission, more training sessions will be held at the La Belle Classe Academy from 25 August, when five pilots will participate in a week of Powerboat Level I & II courses. Run by certified instructors, these courses adhere to Royal Yachting Association (RYA) standards and equip participants with the skills required to operate powerboats up to 10 metres in length. The Academy has been authorised since March 2024 to deliver these certified courses year-round for the public, from young people aged 16 and over to adults looking to retrain or improve their skill An integral part of the UIM E1 La Belle Classe Academy by YCM, the Pilot Academy offers more than just this initial training. It also gives selected pilots an opportunity to compete on iconic circuits in the E1 series aboard the all-electric RaceBird powerboat, thereby providing a bridge between qualifier training and international competition that is at the heart of Yacht Club de Monaco’s DNA.
Yacht Club de Monaco was also very pleased to see five young Indian engineers from Team Sea Sakthi, involved in another major YCM event, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, who brought their expertise to help the Blue Rising team.
At the end of the Monaco stage, the overall ranking is even more competitive. Team Brady is in the lead with 135 points, ahead by a single point of Team Rafa on 134 points, with Aoki Racing Team completing the provisional podium on 125 points. Blue Rising is fourth on 114 points.
The Championship remains wide open. The next stop for the E1 Series 2025 is Lagos in October, followed by the final in Miami in November, bringing to a close a season full of twists and turn
