Since joining the UIM E1 World Championship Presented by PIF in 2024, we knew our commitment through the Blue Impact Program had to reflect who we are: Mallorca, the Mediterranean, the sea, and a way of competing that goes beyond results.

Because at E1 Team Rafa, we compete to win — but also to leave something positive behind.

That vision brought us closer to Fundación Ecomar, founded by two-time Olympic champion, Theresa Zabell. An organization with more than 27 years of experience and committed to environmental education, sustainable nautical sports, coastal clean-ups, and marine conservation.

At E1 Team Rafa, we have been developing Protect Posidonia as a project deeply connected to Rafa Nadal’s relationship with his homeland and the sea, with a clear mission: helping protect one of the Mediterranean’s most valuable and fragile ecosystems.

Over the last years, our collaboration with Fundación Ecomar has helped strengthen that journey — combining expertise, education, and action to amplify the impact of Protect Posidonia.

Posidonia oceanica plays a critical role in marine health: it generates oxygen, protects coastlines from erosion, and provides refuge for many species.

Over the last two years, we’ve also worked alongside experts and collaborators to raise awareness, educate communities, and use our platform to create meaningful impact.

So far, e1 Team Rafa journey has been intense and responsible contributing to give visibility about Posidonia plant challenge thru: 

• 2 documentaries about Posidonia
• +50 posts and reels linked to Blue Impact
• +1.1M views
• 1,700 hours watched (49 days of content viewed)
• +9,000 interactions
•  6 panels, conferences, and educational spaces

These numbers reinforce something important: when sport, purpose, and strong alliances come together, impact grows.

In 2026, we are taking this relationship one step further by formalizing a partnership with Fundación Ecomar to continue scaling the impact of Protect Posidonia through two priorities:

Education — bringing younger generations closer to marine conservation
Science — supporting conservation, regeneration, and Posidonia replanting projects

Together, our goals are clear:

• Reach +24,000 children and young people through educational programs
• Produce a third documentary about Posidonia
• Contribute to projects focused on the replanting, research, and monitoring of Posidonia oceanica
• Involve our pilots, Tom Chiappe and Cris Lazarraga, in schools and sailing clubs
• Create new content around marine ecosystem protection
• Increase Ecomar’s presence in E1 activations and Mediterranean events

For us, competing in E1 is about more than podiums.

It’s about showing that sport can create awareness, inspire action, and create long-term impact.

The race continues — on and off the water.
And in 2026, through stronger partnerships, Protect Posidonia enters its next chapter.

About Fundación Ecomar:
The Ecomar Foundation has been taking care of the sea since 1999, educating, raising awareness and taking action to create a cleaner and healthier future for our planet. It invites people to be part of the solution by repairing the damage caused to marine ecosystems. It was founded by Theresa Zabell, the only Spanish woman to have won two Olympic gold medals, who, upon retiring from Olympic sailing, wanted to give back to the sea a small part of everything it had given her.

More information: https://fundacionecomar.org