UAE-based Team Blue Rising, co-owned by India cricket star Virat Kohli and sports tech entrepreneur Adi K Mishra, have signed Monaco's leading female water sport champion Lisa Caussin Battaglia as their official pilot for the coming electric race boat series UIM E1 World Championship.
Battaglia joins Team Blue Rising with an impressive record. She was a 'vice champion' at the 2015 World Cup Doncaster, secured top positions in the French championships across various editions, and also impressed in the UIM World Championship.
Battaglia's appointment to Team Blue Rising reflects not only the team's commitment to gender equality in sports but also sustainability.
Monaco has been at the forefront of global efforts towards ocean conservation, under the leadership of Prince Albert. The Foundation Prince Albert II de Monaco has made notable strides in areas like marine conservation and climate change mitigation.
Team Blue Rising also has conservation at the front and centre of its plans, with particular focus on mangrove ecosystems.
Following the announcement, Battaglia said: "I am honoured to be part of such a forward-thinking team. This role not only aligns with my professional goals in water sports but also with my personal commitment to promoting sustainability and gender equality."
Didier Gamerdinger, the ambassador of Monaco to India, underscored the significance of the alliance, saying: "I am very happy that Lisa Caussin Battaglia, a young lady from Monaco, is now an important member of the prestigious Team Blue Rising. I’m sure she will compete with many abilities and a good spirit. I wish her every success in this competition."
The UIM E1 World Championship is the world’s first all-electric race boat series. The first race takes place in Jeddah on February 2-3 next year. Up to 10 teams will compete in the inaugural season. The championship has several other high-profile names associated with it, including Rafael Nadal, Tom Brady, Checo Perez, Didier Drogba and Steve Aoki.
Kohli, who has been a strong advocate for sustainability and gender equality, said: "Onboarding Lisa as the first official pilot at Team Blue Rising is a proud moment for both Adi and myself. It symbolises our commitment to creating a more sustainable and inclusive future in sports, echoing the environmental and social ethos of both India and Monaco."
This comes on the heels of Team Blue Rising partnering with Princeton Electric from Princeton University who recently broke the speed record for the fastest electric speed boat in the world.
Speaking to The National earlier, co-owner Mishra explained the intricacies of the race.
“There have been two key innovations. One is hydrofoiling – the boats rise above the surface of the water and can race in about 12 feet of water. Now you can have races close to a city,” Mishra said.
“The other one is the electric power train. The way these boats have been engineered is fly by wire. They have done a lot of engineering around the motor and converted that to run entirely on electric.
“For the first couple of seasons, all boats will be the same. So the main decision as a team that you are taking is on propulsion system according to each race; Jeddah will be different from Venice and Monaco.”
