E1 Series Powerboat Championship names Simrad® Products as official Marine Electronics partner
by Simrad 22 Sep 2021 00:05 PDT
RaceBird launch © Lloyd Images / E1 Series
Simrad Yachting has partnered with the E1 Series to become the Official Marine Electronics Partner of the world's first electric powerboat championship, scheduled to kick-off in early 2023. The announcement coincides with the E1 Series unveiling its first full-size model of the RaceBird powerboat at a presentation ceremony this week at the Yacht Club de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Simrad® is joined by C-MAP® - both part of Navico - which will be designated as the Official Cartography Partner of the E1 Series.
"We are incredibly excited for this partnership with the E1 Series and for Simrad® electronics and C-MAP to be part of the development process together with E1 and other partners towards towards designing and producing the most advanced electric race boats in the world over the next year," said Knut Frostad, CEO of Navico. "The electrification journey is quickly taking hold in the boating industry and we believe the E1 Series is a perfect platform to raise the bar around innovation and encourage action in marine conservation and sustainability."
Both Simrad products and C-MAP brands will assist to support the development of onboard systems and RaceBird's cockpit for use in a future E1 Series powerboat racing championship. Simrad technology will provide specialist navigation and marine electronics for the RaceBirds, the pilots and support craft at race events, integrating Simrad electronics into the cockpits for teams and race management.
In the coming months, the RaceBird engineers will focus on the integration of the battery and controls systems and how they work together with the powertrain. After which the engineers will incorporate the propulsion architecture to the platform ready to hit the water. Other partners include Mercury Racing which will work closely together with SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine to support the development of the outboard motor for RaceBird.
"This is a fantastic day for racing fans across the world as the new RaceBird is unveiled and we look forward to seeing the technologies Simrad and C-MAP can integrate into this new electric powerboat racing championship in the near future," added Frostad.
What is E1 Series: - RaceBird tech specs:
- Up to 12 teams - 50 knots top speed (93 km/h)
- 10 global race locations - 150 kW peak power output
- Knockout-style race format - 35kWh battery from Kreisel
- Short races close to shore - Hydrofoil technology