11:05 AM Fri 1 May 2009 GMT
Valletta's Grand Harbour will be the impressive setting for the start of the 2009 Powerboat P1 World Championship next week (8th - 10th May) as the monohull, offshore racing series returns to Malta for the sixth consecutive year.
Powerboating has a long and prestigious history dating back over 100 years, with an established following in Malta. P1 is a relative newcomer as it enters its seventh season, but in that time it has established a reputation for delivering world class sport and entertainment in vibrant and distinctive host cities.
Asif Rangoonwala, Powerboat P1's Chairman and CEO said: 'At the heart of the Mediterranean, with a rich maritime heritage and the sea in its blood, Malta has been an ever-present in the P1 race calendar since 2004. We are delighted to be here for the opening rounds of what promises to be an exciting and highly competitive season. And we congratulate the Malta Powerboat Federation on winning the bid to host the 2010 UIM Congress.'
Speaking at the official inauguration of the 2008 Powerboat P1 World Championship Malta Grand Prix of the Sea in June last year, the Prime Minister of Malta, The Hon Lawrence Gonzi said: 'Although I am sure that economic considerations have an important role to play in selecting a city or venue for the Powerboat P1 races, I am equally certain that there are other issues at play, too.
'The choice of Valletta and Malta, for example, must have been, and continues to be, a natural choice. Our strengths are, thankfully, many, but can be encapsulated in three words which form the basis of our destination 'promise of performance': Heritage, Hospitality and Diversity.'
The Powerboat P1 event schedule will begin on Thursday evening (7th May) with the 2008 Championship Awards reception at the Corinthia Hotel St. George's Bay, which will be home to the P1 staff and teams for the race weekend. Official testing for the Evolution and SuperSport class boats takes place the following day, with the two World Championship rounds being staged on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. 'We are looking forward to delivering three days of outstanding entertainment and to big crowds turning out to cheers on their very own SuperSport world champion, Aaron Ciantar' added Asif Rangoonwala.
This year's P1 World Championship will feature a number of new teams and venues, with the series heading east to Istanbul in June for the very first Turkish Grand Prix of the Sea and then north to Gothenburg for the inaugural Scandinavian Grand Prix of the Sea in August.
www.powerboatp1.com/
by Powerboat P1 media
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Cape Leeuwin, WA
