UIM World Championships – Fast and furious action

by RYA on 25 Aug 2015 UIM World Championships – Powerboat GP once more brings Nottingham to the world stage in powerboat racing as they host three UIM Worlds and a UIM European Championship over the August Bank Holiday weekend (28-30 August) for three days of fast and furious action.

Over 60 Competitors representing 13 nations are expected to travel to the National Watersports Centre to compete for three UIM Titles that will see two World Champions and one European Champion crowned. In addition the F4 Catamaran Class will compete for vital points at the penultimate round of the F4 World Series and British Competitors will compete in the F2 Class towards the 2015 Powerboat GP RYA British Championship.

Seeking second World Championship title
Britain’s Ben Jelf (15) will be among the favourites in his class as the former European GT30 Champion goes for his second World Championship title after securing the European title at Nottingham last year. However he will have strong opposition in the form of Sara Pakalen from Finland the current reigning World Champion. Sara is a formidable racer that pushed Ben every step of the way at last year’s Europeans and has been on flying form recently in competition. Some 16 competitors are expected to challenge for the GT30 World Crown with competitors expected from Poland, Russia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Great Britain.

Also vying for a World title will be Britain’s Luke Hugman, Jamie Marr and Jason Mantripp as they compete to knock Estonia’s Rasmus Haugasmagi off the top spot as they compete for the OSY400 World Championship. The reigning European Champion will be looking to make it another double UIM Crown as he looks for another World title to complement the European title he secured earlier this season at Germany in May. Hugman secured a strong sixth place finish at the Europeans and will be hoping with a home crowd behind him along with the other Brits they challenge for the Gold Medal as they lay face first in their boats and skim across the water at over 65mph.

World class affair
Fourteen junior racers between the ages of 10 and 16 will compete for the UIM European GT15 Crown. The GT15 fleet will be a World class affair with a strong British contingent hoping to lead the way. Amongst them Estonia’s Stefan Arand will be looking to claim the European title to compliment his recently acquired World Championship title but following a second place at the World’s Britain’s Thomas Mantripp will be looking to turn the tables on the Estonian as they both fight for the European Crown.

Competition hotting up
The Nottingham GP will also host the third round of the F4 World Series a four round competition that has already visited France and Italy. The competition is really hotting up as Italy’s Alberto Comparato goes head to head with Risto Lindstrom of Finland to defend his World Crown. This will be the first round of the F4 competition to field a British contender this season and with a strong line up from the Brits in the likes of Ben Morse and Sam Whittle they will be looking to upset the current field standings and make an impact on the championship.

Also in action will be British competitors in the F2 class as they compete for vital points in the Powerboat GP RYA F2 British Championship. With little separating the top of the points table the action will be fierce as the catamarans roar into action at 120mph. Following his recent domination at the Powerboat GP Sprint Championships in Bedford former World Champion Colin Jelf will be looking for further glory and will be hoping once more to keep the World class fleet of his fellow competitors in his wake as he challenges Steve Hoult for the championship lead.

Putting drivers to the test
The competition throughout all the classes will be world class and the action intense as the unique course and conditions the National Watersports Centre creates really tests the driver’s skills and capabilities. For spectators it will be up-close fast and furious from the moment the lights go out until the chequered flag is raised. Each World and European Championship class will compete over four heats with the best three results counting to the weekend’s results with the World Round of the F4s Class having a ‘grand prix’ style race each day.

The sport is governed nationally by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and internationally by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the Powerboat GP series continues to develop with rules introduced and modified to ensure that the discipline is as safe and fair as possible for all involved.

Powerboat GP’s Jason Brewer commented: “We are extremely proud to host an event of this magnitude in the UK. All of the Powerboat GP staff have worked very hard to make this event happen and we are looking forward the challenge ahead.

“Powerboat Racing is so exhilarating to watch. The action is fast and furious and what better place to watch it than the fantastic facilities at the National Water Sports Centre where you’ll be able to get up close and personal with all the action.”