Powerboating goes green, Prince Albert attends pre-awards reception

The International Union of Powerboating (UIM) has held its eighth edition of its World Champions Awards Giving Gala at the Monte Carlo Sporting, with Prince Albert among the special guests. The awards ceremony, attended by more than 450 people, was broadcast live on UIM TV and the Olympic Channel. 

UIM President Raffaele Chiulli and Bund Holding head Xin Chongjie welcomed Prince Albert at a pre-awards reception, where he was introduced to the innovatory BUND Electric Integrated Propulsion System (EIPS) high-performance marine racing engine. 

The engine is due to be used in the 2018 UIM-H2O Nations Cup World Series and the V20 solar boat for the 2017 Monaco Offshore Solar Race. 

“The eighth edition of the UIM Awards Giving Ceremony and Gala Dinner also coincides with our 95th anniversary, which gives the event an extra special touch,” Mr Chiulli said. “Special thanks go to HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, who regularly honours the UIM with his presence, and to all the world champions and distinguished guests on this special occasion.

“In 2016 the UIM organised close to 150 titled events worldwide in the disciplines of offshore, circuit, pleasure navigation and aquabike and it fills me with honour and pride to welcome the resulting world champions to Monaco.

“This year’s edition also bears witness to our new partner China’s Bund Holding Group who enjoyed a successful 2016 as 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.”

Mr Chiulli announced the appointment of Marco Casiraghi as the UIM’s green energies ambassador.

There was a strong environmental theme to the evening. The 2016 UIM Environmental Award was won by Terra Modena Mechatronic Srl for its full electric engine for powerboat racing. Special mentions were made of the environmentally-friendly XCat Grand Prix in the Swiss city of Lugano, Mercury Racing for the 400S ROS Competition Outboard and Vripack for the V5 solar race boat. 

The first “Sport For All Award” and and the first-ever Junior Driver and Driver of the Year awards, went to Estonia’s Stefan Arand and the late Massimo Rossi of Italy respectively. Formula One powerboat legend Guido Cappellini was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Jean Todt was also an award winner, receiving the UIM Safety Award for his role in the FIA’s “Action for Road Safety” campaign. The accolade was accepted on his behalf by FIA Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker. (Feature image: uimpowerboating.com)

READ ALSO

News

READ ALSO 

News

 

Prince Albert attends surprise party for Ecclestone

Photo: Instagram briatoreflavio
Photo: Instagram briatoreflavio

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was the guest of honour at a surprise party in London this week, organised by Monaco personality and former team boss Flavio Briatore.

Mr Briatore had no problem in assembling top F1 personalities to celebrate the career of the former Grand Prix supremo, who was removed from his executive post earlier this year following the takeover by Liberty Media.

Attending the party were Prince Albert, former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Mr Briatore said later on Instagram: “I organised a ‘surprise dinner’ in London for the 40 years in Formula 1 of Bernie Ecclestone. The amazing thing is that all the people I invited were present. Normally, if you invite 100 people, you have 60 people who confirm they can attend because you are talking about people that are very busy – or who live many thousands of kilometres away.

“But everybody came to London, including Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Salman of Bahrain, Stefano Domenicali, Piero Ferrari, David Coulthard, Max Mosley, Niki Lauda, and many other people.”

Stating that it was a “kind of tribute to Bernie’s career”, Mr Briatore added, “He was not treated well by the new Formula 1 bosses. People forget easily what this man has created. It was a bit of a sad evening, but very beautiful.”

 

READ ALSO

News

READ ALSO

News

Montenegro’s PM in Monaco

Dusko Markovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro and Serge Telle, Minister of State. Photo: Charly Gallo/DC
Dusko Markovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro and Serge Telle, Minister of State. Photo: Charly Gallo/DC

HE Mr Dusko Markovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro, paid a working visit to Monaco on Thursday, March 9, accompanied by a high-level delegation to participate in meetings focussing on economic cooperation.

The Prime Minister was received in audience by HSH the Sovereign Prince, in the presence of Mr Georges Lisimachio, Head of the Sovereign Prince’s Cabinet, Mr Gilles Tonelli, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Ms Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Counsel to the Prince’s Cabinet.

A working lunch was hosted by the Minister of State, attended by the Ministers of Finance and Economy and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. The points raised concerned, firstly, an economic cooperation project with a view to reaching an agreement on tax matters and also on the protection of the environment.

On Friday, March 10, HE Pavle Radulovic, Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, will take part in an Economic Forum organised by the Monaco Economic Board and the Montenegro Chamber of Commerce, during which the economic strengths of both countries will be presented.

The Principality has maintained diplomatic relations with Montenegro since 2007. In 2013, on the occasion of the official visit of Prince Albert, a Framework Cooperation Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable development were signed. A partnership agreement was also signed between the two Chambers of Economic Development.

 

READ ALSO

News

READ ALSO

News