Duro Ikhazuagbe

Curtains will fall on the first UIM E1 World Championship Race leg to hold in Africa today in Lagos as Team Rafa and Team Brady go head-to-head with seven other teams also in the fray to win the international offshore powerboat racing series which debuted in Jeddah last year, and is competed across selected cities in different countries.

The two top all-electric powerboat race teams are separated by just one point in the global standing. Team Brady managed by Tom Brady, former American football quarterback, leads the standing with 135 points while Team Rafa owned by tennis great, Rafael Nadal, is on 134. 

Below the two top contenders is Team Aoki owned by popular American DJ and Producer, Steve Aoki  on 125 while Team Blue Rising supported by Virat Kohli is on 114. And of course , there are other teams in the race like Team Drogba supported by former football icon, Didier Drogba; and Team AlUla, owned by NBA basketball star, LeBron James; Team Westbrook Racing, funded by actor Will Smith; and Team Brazil, funded by the Claure Group.

The high point of the series before this Lagos leg was the high speed crash in Monaco between Team Brazil and Team Rafa that cut  the Championship qualifying short. Aficionados of the water sport are waiting with excitements to see how the event turns out at the end of the race this evening!

The Lagos leg grand finale promises much excitements and thrill with the E1 Championship RaceBirds (as the hydrofoil electric powerboats) designed to glide at high speeds with zero emissions are manned by top pilots.

All through the week, the excitement has been in the air with host Lagos Governor Babajide Sanyo-Olu leading the cast of eminent personalities to the pre-race formalities, starting on Friday. Saturday set the stage of what to expect in this grand finale.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described it as a major milestone. “This is a major milestone — not just for Lagos, but for the entire continent,” he said.

 “It’s a powerful signal that Lagos is ready to lead the global conversation around clean energy, sustainability, and technological innovation in marine transport”.

Speaking during the press conference to herald the race, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of E1 Series, Mr. Rodi Basso, confirmed that Lagos competed with other global cities to secure the hosting rights, which would open the state up to more investment opportunities in international sports and entertainment.