UIM Awards Celebrate Powerboating World Champions

The world’s leading powerboat racers were celebrated at the UIM Word Champions Awards this week with over 450 guests in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Sporting Monte Carlo, Monaco. Supported by the Shanghai-based Bund Holding, the awards were broadcasted live on UIM TV and the Olympic Channel.

Bund Holding President Mr Xin Chongjie and UIM President Dr Raffaele Chiulli welcomed HSH Prince Albert II who was introduced to the BUND Electric Integrated Propulsion System [EIPS] high performance marine racing engine – which will be used in the 2018 UIM-H2O Nations Cup World Series – and the V20 solar boat for the 2017 Monaco Offshore Solar Race. 

UIM President Dr Chiulli said,

“The eighth edition of the UIM Awards Giving Ceremony and Gala Dinner also coincides with our 95th anniversary. Special thanks to HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, who regularly honours the UIM with his presence. This year’s edition also bears witness to our new partner China’s Bund Holding Group who were the local organisers of UIM Aquabike and Nations Cup Events in China and whose plans for the future are built on ground- breaking technical innovation with an immense potential to 'green' our sport.” 

UIM President Dr Raffaele Chiulli

Marco Casiraghi was appointed as the UIM’s Green Energies Ambassador and the 2016 UIM Environmental Award went to Terra Modena Mechatronic Srl for their full electric engine for powerboat racing with Special Mentions for the environmentally-friendly XCat Grand Prix in Lugano, Mercury Racing for the 400S ROS Competition Outboard and Vripack for the V5 solar race boat. 

UIM also introduced a number of new awards, including the Sport For All Award which went to Guido Cappellini, Italy’s Formula 1 legend, a ten-time winner of the UIM F1 World Championship and advocate for improved safety in powerboat racing. Further recogniton came with the first Junior Driver award which went to Stefan Arand and the Driver of the Year which went to Massimo Rossi.  

FIA President Jean Todt received the UIM Safety Award for his role in the FIA’s ‘Action for Road Safety’ campaign.