A former US and world jetski champion, Glennon is driving for Marc Anthony’s Team Miami in the E1 World Championship, where she quickly overcame her scepticism of the all-electric Racebird boat.

Note: The original Column by Anna Glennon appears in YACHT STYLE Issue 76.

Anna Glennon, Team Miami

In total, I spent about three weeks in Saudi Arabia as Jeddah hosted E1’s opening event, which ended with an epic race weekend. Of course, our team wanted to win, but being the fastest qualifiers by 10 seconds and getting second overall in the first E1 event in history is not too bad. I have confidence in our abilities despite it being so early in the series.

The Racebird is one of a kind! Initially, as someone who loves big powerboats and loud engines, I was sceptical. E1 has limited the top speed of the boats this season to make things fair across teams and I assumed this would make things boring. I was so wrong.

While these boats aren’t going over 100mph, the added element of the foils makes them very delicate to drive. I may not be white knuckling the wheel, but I’m constantly on high alert and actively making small adjustments to keep the boat on its foils and moving as quickly as possible.

It takes a lot of harmony with the boat and the controls to get the most speed out of the Racebird. It’s a thrill and I love it. The limited top speed means we’re all close in every race, and can change positions at any time. There’s a lot of strategy and precision.

Jeddah was the first leg of the ‘Race to Hong Kong’

TEAM BONDING

Prior to Jeddah, most of our team had not met in person and we had yet to see or drive the Team Miami Racebird. After arriving, I had to finish some of the medical exams needed to complete my UIM Superlicence, then we had four days of training to complete the E1 Pilot Academy.

The goal of our training time was focused on familiarising ourselves with the race track and getting used to driving with other Racebirds on the course. It wasn’t so much about testing for performance.

Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of Erik [Stark] before they let me know we would be teammates, but I was very familiar with Victory Team from Dubai and knew they would have a fast driver. Erik and I clicked quickly. He has a wonderful personality and a great, stress-free attitude. Like me, he just wants to have fun and go fast!

Erik has a lot of experience and we work well together. I appreciate that he listens to my feedback and gives me feedback in a respectful, easy-to-understand way. Our ease of working together paid off in the races.

Anna Glennon, Marc Anthony and Erik Stark

It was also great to have Marc Anthony there. He’s wonderful! He’s a team owner but also emotionally invested. Almost every day, he was there early and stayed late. He has so much energy and passion for what we’re doing and it really trickled down to the entire team.

He was right alongside us and cheering. It made me very proud to be on his team. Didier Drogba (Team Drogba), Steve Aoki (Aoki Racing Team) and Marcelo Claure (Team Brazil) were also in Jeddah, and I know Rafa Nadal (Team Nadal) had a Zoom call with his team.

The first race day was great. I had a strategy coming into it and gave Erik some advice in practice. He took that advice, turned it up to 11, delivered an incredible qualifier and we were really looking good. We didn’t really know what to expect on the lap times until the official results dropped and we were on top, by 10 seconds – crazy! It was really a speechless moment for the entire team.

We came into the event simply hoping to get some time to figure out the boat, and maybe get on the podium, so to come out on top in qualifying was a big shock. Marc and the team were over the moon. It made me realise we have a wonderful group and a chance at being a wild card this season.

FINALS DAY

The second day was a little trickier. The water conditions changed, and Erik and I had to adapt to rally. In my first race, my Joker strategy was my undoing, but Erik gave me some advice and I made up for it with a clean race in the final.

Team Miami finished second to Team Brady’s Sam Coleman (right) and Emma Kimiläinen

In Erik’s final race, he started last but managed to move all the way up to second. I think Team Brady ran a good, smart race, but given how much ground Erik made up, I think his bad start helped hand them the win. However, he kept a cool head and that contributed to us rallying to get on the podium. I’m very proud to have him as my teammate.

Luck and adaptation play a huge factor with these races, and we really lost it all on the start. It’s really anyone’s game on race day. With that said, I know we have a very strong base. Erik and I probably had the least amount of time in a Racebird prior to the event, so I’m over the moon with how we did. Our team clicked really well.

We have an incredible foundation to kick off the season and I’m excited to see where we go. We have the attitude, energy and tools to be competitive – and that makes me happier than a trophy. When we dial things in, I think Erik and I will be a big threat.

E1 Series 2024

Feb 2-3:            Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

May 11-12:       Venice, Italy

Jun 1-2:            Puerto Banus, Spain

Jun 29-30:        Geneva, Switzerland

Jul 26-27:         Monaco

Sep 7-8:           Rotterdam, Netherlands

Nov 9-10:          Hong Kong, China

ANNA GLENNON

Having started jet-ski racing from the age of 16, Glennon has won four US and four Canada national titles, and in 2016 became the first woman in ISJBA history to win the Men’s Classic Two-Stroke World Championship. For 2024, the American is one of two Team Miami pilots in the inaugural E1 World Championship, partnering experienced powerboat driver Erik Stark, who won the F2 World Championship for four straight years before moving to F1.

www.e1series.com