54 brought the spectacle of the E1 Puerto Banus Grand Prix to life in Marbella on June 2 as the world’s premier electric-powered speedboat format captured the imagination of thousands.
With just a three-month window to prepare for the challenging event build in the busy Andalusian port, 54’s event’s expertise came to the fore as the third round of the 2024 UIM E1 World Championship saw a victory for Marc Anthony’s Team Miami, piloted by Swede, Erik Stark, and American, Anna Glennon.
Although the conditions were warm and sunny, the waters were choppy and unpredictable off the coast of southern Spain, leading to qualification and race timings being shifted accordingly.
Team Brady were eliminated on qualifying day due to a power outage while Team Blue Rising suffered a detached nose cone during fierce racing, forcing them to pull out of the second final run before securing fourth position overall.
"Racing has been closer than ever, we had some surprise results, and it was a delight to see the shoreline packed with over ten thousand fans over the weekend," said Rodi Basso, CEO and Co-Founder of E1.
The challenge for the 54 team in preparing the site was formidable, constructing VIP, hospitality and viewing areas in a tight 900m breakwater by the harbour, all while allowing local restaurants, shops and businesses to carry on as normal.
The complex site build, which had to use one narrow pedestrian access in which all equipment had been transferred to and from vehicles, also required the team to ensure a protected species of mollusc wasn’t harmed or damaged throughout the race week.
The operation also required liaison with a multitude of civic stakeholders including port owners Civitas Puerto Banus, Regional and Local Governments and the National Police to ensure all safety and emergency protocols were met.
Just under 10,000 spectators attended in viewing areas and along the natural viewpoints around the harbour as the Racebirds and their pilots turned on the style.
Over 630 guests watched the action over the race weekend from the hospitality venues and 100 global media covered the event, which is thought to have raised around €20m for the local economy.