Tom Brady Now Two-Time Boating Champ with Second E-1 Racing Title
- BoatBlurb Contributor
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Tom Brady isn't just a football legend. The hall of fame QB has also become a boater in recent years, starting with a sweet Wajer 55S yacht when he moved to Tampa Bay to join the Bucs. He liked the #BoatLife so much, he took the 55S to his own Super Bowl parade, then promptly upgraded to a Wajer 77.
He followed that up by purchasing an E-1 race team in 2023, cementing himself as a "boat guy" with a commitment to the community.
And now Team Brady is a two-time E-1 champion after securing the hardware at the season finale in Miami on November 8th.
Team Brady edged out Team Rafa, owned by tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, to clinch the title of Champions of the Water at the inaugural E1 Miami GP. The victory also gave Brady and team the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship crown. Team Brady's racebirds were piloted by Britain’s Sam Coleman and Finland’s Emma Kimiläinen,. The team held their nerve over a nine-race, four-continent campaign that included stops in Nigeria, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, among others, and came through on the final lap of the final race to retain their title.
The series features nine teams with high-profile owners including Brady and Nadal, as well as soccer star Didier Drogba, musician Steve Aoki, and actor Will Smith. The series also has partnerships with yacht manufacturers including Sunseeker and Azimut. Teams race on closed circuit courses in a 'Racebird' - a hydrofoiling trimaran powered by a 150 kW motor — roughly 200 horsepower — and capable of reaching speeds over 50 knots (57 mph). Built with a carbon fiber hull and secretive lithium battery system, the Racebird is ultra-lightweight, highly efficient, and exceptionally agile for handling the intense G-forces on E1’s tight, technical courses.
Entering the weekend, four teams — Team Brady, Team Rafa, Blue Rising (owned by Indian cricketer Virat Kohli), and Aoki Racing — were all still in contention for the title. Team Brady had been dominant all season, but they arrived in Miami knowing the margin for error was slim.
Qualifying weekend also brought fresh drama. Team Brady arrived with a modest points lead over Team Rafa, but after qualifying, the Spaniard-backed team closed the gap to just two points, setting the scene for a Saturday afternoon showdown.
In the finale, Team Brady made a strong start. Coleman sat second at the end of the first lap. Meanwhile, Team Rafa’s pilot, Cris Lazarraga, found herself last across the line following an early mishap but immediately tried to recover by opting for a “short lap” on her second lap, attempting to regain lost time in smoother water. The strategy paid off — she moved into the lead, but only briefly.
By lap four the lead had shifted again. Team Brady’s Coleman and Blue Rising’s US pilot John Peeters closed the gap on Lazarraga. While Lazarraga held off Peeters for second, Coleman and Kimiläinen surged ahead. By the finish line, Kimiläinen had crossed 15 seconds ahead of Team Rafa’s Chiappe, giving Team Brady the victory.
Kimiläinen expressed her delight after the race:
“I’m so proud of the team. The calls, the strategies, everything went extremely well today, and Sam, you crushed it. Absolutely crushed it.” Coleman added: “It was great to show that we’ve learned from our mistakes earlier in the season and we’ve been able to apply it as we’ve gone forwards. Every time we’ve gone on the water we’ve learned something and we get better.”
Team Rafa’s second-place finish also gave them the runner-up spot in the championship standings. Blue Rising claimed third overall, with Aoki Racing and Westbrook Racing (owned by actor Will Smith) rounding out the top five.
Tom Brady told E-1 after the finale, “I couldn’t be prouder of Team Brady for bringing home two straight E1 World Championships. Sport is about strength, resilience, and consistency — the same mindset that drives us every single day on the water. Two championships don’t just happen. They’re earned through relentless effort, total commitment and belief in each other. We’ve proven what’s possible when you chase greatness with everything you’ve got — and trust me, we’re only getting started. Let’s go!”
Alejandro Agag, Founder and Chairman of E1, also reflected on the Miami finale and the awesome show for the fans.
“Congratulations to Team Brady who fought hard all season to retain their Champions of the Water crown," said Agag. "This Miami finale captured everything that makes E1 so special — speed, spectacle and purpose. Congratulations also to Team Rafa who battled hard until the very last moment. The fans watching here and around the world were treated to E1 at its best and a final worthy of an incredible year of racing. After a break, teams new and old will be back vying for race wins and the title in 2026.”
Kimiläinen also earned the “PIF Pilot of the Race” award for her performance under pressure.
As the upstart racing series heads into its next season, Team Brady will be firmly atop the list of favourites. The 2026 season calendar hasn't been announced yet, but is expected to once again have stops in Miami, Jeddah, Doha, Dubrovnik, Monaco, and Lagos.
You can watch the full race replay of the Miami finale below:
