The UIM E1 World Championship, the world’s first all-electric race boat series, is rolling out a new sustainability-focused league to run alongside its racing competition. The E1 Blue Impact Championship league table will challenge teams to drive positive impact by mobilizing society to reverse the effects on ocean and aquatic ecosystems. The initiative, which is being trailed this season before rolling out in season two, will see the Championship’s nine teams compete to become the E1 Impact Champion.
To climb the rankings, teams must undertake activities such as support for aquatic conservation and restoration programs, and helping advance research and technology to protect marine habitats. At the end of each season, beginning with the current season, fans will vote for the team to be named Blue Impact Champion. These votes, which account for a third of the total score, will be supplemented with the votes of an expert jury, made up of ocean scientists and conservationists, who will account for the remainder of the score.
“The launch of the E1 Blue Impact Championship provides a blueprint and pathway for each of our participating teams to become active partners in our mission and for them to be acknowledged for their innovations and inventiveness in supporting appropriate initiatives,” said professor Carlos M Duarte, E1 chief scientist and E1 Blue Impact Championship committee chair. “It’s an exciting challenge for both us and the teams and provides a new and progressive arena in which to compete.”