World powerboating’s elite hold Monaco gala

Big names from the world of competitive powerboat racing gathered in Monaco on Saturday for one of the biggest dates in the sport’s calendar as its governing body, the Union Internationale Motonautique, known as UIM, celebrated the 10th anniversary of its annual Awards Giving Gala, ahead of the visit of President Xi Jinping to the city-state.

Co-sponsored by Tianrong Sports, the Shenzhen-based promoter of the UIM F1H2O World Championship in China, and H2O Racing, the awards show saw the sport’s biggest stars from around the world come together for an evening of celebration and recognition as the UIM paid tribute to the competitors who triumphed in their individual competitions in the 2018 racing season.

“We strongly believe this event, which echoes China’s Belt and Road Initiative, is a unique opportunity to expand our European network and develop our business from this market,” said Li Haojie, chairman of Tianrong Sports. “The exposure and brand awareness this sponsorship brings us is very valuable and we are looking forward to the next edition.”

Since 2006, Tianrong Sports has been the exclusive institution authorized by the UIM for the promotion of the UIM F1H2O World Championship in China. In that time, it has successfully staged 20 Grand Prix of China, providing an unrivaled platform for Chinese cities to present themselves to a global audience through live TV broadcasts.

In June 2018, for the first time in more than three decades, Tianrong Sports staged a Grand Prix in London, with the hope of further developing its overseas market.

Together with the General Administration of Sport of China, in 2006 Tianrong Sports established the F1 China CTIC Team, which went on to win the F1H2O team world championship title from 2014 to 2016 and finish as runner-up in 2018.

Speaking at the gala, H2O Racing President Nicolo Di San Germano said: “As H2O racing president, I’m very enthusiastic and honored to support the UIM Gala and to celebrate such a strong, successful, and long-lasting partnership.”

The event, staged at Le Sporting Monte-Carlo, welcomed some 400 invited guests from all disciplines of the sport as well as media representatives, business leaders, industry stakeholders and sponsors as well as new world champions.

A galaxy of sporting stars shared the stage with the elite of powerboating, including Olympic gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci, who became the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded a perfect score of 10 at the 1976 Games in Montreal, and was thus the ideal person to help celebrate this event’s 10th anniversary.

The UIM stages contest various classes of intercontinental and international championships every year including F1H2O Power boat, Formula1, Class1, PowerboatP1, Aquabike, F2000, and Jetsprint.

The UIM Formula1 F1H2O World Championship was inaugurated in 1981, and has around 10 events worldwide each year, combining watersport and technology in the world’s highest-level powerboat competition.

“The world of powerboating always looks forward to the annual Awards Giving Gala but this year we will have an extra reason to celebrate as it is the event’s 10th anniversary and our thanks go to Tianrong Sports and H20 Racing for their wonderful support,” said UIM President Raffaele Chiulli.

“Since we launched the awards, we have recognized hundreds of international competitors whose names are synonymous with the best our sport has to offer and this year will be no exception.

“And as the powerboat racing family is spread all over the world, the awards gala also gives us the perfect opportunity to come together not only to celebrate success on the water but also to discuss the key issues that affect the future success of the sport.”

Contact the writer at wangmingjie@mail.chinadailyuk.com