Powerboat racing-E1 series to make Bahamas debut in 2026

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(Reuters) -Electric powerboat racing’s UIM E1 World Championship will hold its 2026 final round in the Bahamas next year for the first time, organisers announced on Monday.

The eight-race season will start in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah in January before a European leg starting in April on Italy’s Lake Como, then moving on to Dubrovnik in June and Monaco, with a new Team Monaco entrant, in mid-July.

A round in September remains to be confirmed and the world’s first all-electric powerboat series then returns to Lagos for a second year in October and on to North America with a penultimate round in Miami in November.

The Bahamas will end the season on November 21-22.

“The 2026 E1 calendar marks an exciting new chapter for us,” said founder and chairman Alejandro Agag.

“We’re rapidly establishing an exciting, truly global championship that combines cutting-edge electric innovation with iconic coastal cities and new markets.”

Team owners include actor Will Smith, tennis great Rafa Nadal, NBA superstar LeBron James and seven-times NFL Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

Team Brady sealed a second consecutive title this month after holding off a late challenge from Team Rafa at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)