Tuesday, 7 March: More than 450 guests from sport, commerce, the boating industry and media gathered at last weekend's eighth Union International Motonautique (UIM) Word Champions Awards Giving Gala, staged at the iconic Sporting Monte-Carlo, Monaco and sponsored by China’s BUND Holding Group.

While the majority of the winners received recognition for their world titles, the UIM used the occasion to introduce a number of new awards including, the inaugural UIM Hall of Fame which was presented to Formula 1 powerboat legend, Guido Cappellini. “It is indeed a great honour to be the first driver acknowledged by the UIM in this way,” said Cappellini, a ten-time winner of the UIM F1H2O World Championship and a key contributor to improving safety in powerboat racing throughout his whole career who flew in from Abu Dhabi to accept his award.

“To receive the nomination for my work towards increasing safety measures in our sport means far more to me than receiving it for my ten world titles. Our sport’s history is full of wonderful competitors and achievements so to be honoured by the UIM in this way is without doubt one of the highlights of my career.”

Cappellini received his award from UIM president Dr. Raffaele Chiulli and was introduced by Marit Stromoy.