Maharashtra State, MTDC To Propel India’s First Powerboat World Championship

Following close on heels of the launch of the luxury train, Deccan Odyssey, the Maharashtra government along with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will be staging the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) Formula 1 (F1) Powerboat World Championship in Mumbai from March 5-7, 2004. The contract was signed by Nicolo Di San Germano, promoter UIM F1 Powerboat World Championship, the governing body in charge of regulating the races based in Monaco, France, with Ajit Nimbalkar, chief secretary, government of Maharashtra in Sharjah (UAE) in the first week of December. Practice runs will be held on day one, pole positioning will take place on day two and the final race will be held on the third day, which is March 7, 2004.

The Mumbai race with 15-18 teams from across the globe and 24 boats will be the first on the Formula 1 Grand Prix calendar for the year. An estimated crowd of more than 4,000 F1 power boat fans are expected to witness the event to be held either off Gateway of India or the Marine Drive.

Started in 1981, the UIM F1 Powerboat World Championship has been held in Finland, Germany, Singapore, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Dubai, Sharjah and many other places all over the globe.

The F1 Powerboat World Championship would be available for viewing to approximately 270 million homes worldwide. According to Ashish Kumar Singh, managing director, MTDC, “This event would serve as an excellent platform to showcase Mumbai as an exciting tourism destination internationally.”