Monday, 25 January: Idea Marketing SA has confirmed that the 2016 UIM F1H2O World Powerboat Championship will start in the Emirate of Dubai on 2-4 March.

The announcement of a ten race calendar for the 33rd season of the world’s foremost powerboat championship introduces two new venues in the Middle East and Asia, with confirmation of three venues to be revealed in the coming weeks.

The news that Dubai will open the season extends the championship’s association and footprint in the Middle East and sees the spectacular Emirate, which has a longstanding water sports tradition, making its championship debut and follows on the back of the Dubai-based Victory Team’s full blown entry into the series in 2015.

A return to China in September for a 14th year sees Harbin, the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang province in the North East, become the ninth venue to host a round of the championship in the People’s Republic, with Liuzhou hosting a race for a ninth year in October.

The stunning venues of Evian, France and Porto, Portugal underpin the sport’s position in Europe with Croatia set to make its first appearance on the calendar in June, with the tradition of the penultimate and final rounds of the year being held in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in December continuing.

2016 UIM F1H2O World Powerboat Championship

2/4 March - Dubai, UAE

3/5 June - (tba), Croatia

15/17 July - Evian, France

29/31 July - Porto, Portugal

2/4 September - Harbin, China

1/3 October - Liuzhou, China

14/16 October - Asia (tba)

4/6 November - Asia (tba

7/9 December - Abu Dhabi, UAE

14/16 December - Sharjah, UAE