An athlete practises for the UIM-ABP Aquabike Grand Prix which will take place on March 22-29 in Bình Định Province. Photos of organisers

BÌNH ĐỊNH — The central province of Bình Định will entertain water sports lovers and tourists with two famous international competitions with jet skis featuring high speed action and stunning performance and control techniques on the surface of Thị Nại Bay, Quy Nhơn City, next week.

The UIM-ABP Aquabike Grand Prix will take place on March 22-29, while the UIM - F1H2O Grand Prix will follow on March 29-31.

These are two highlighted activities of the Amazing Bình Định Fest Week, celebrating the 49th anniversary of the province's Liberation Day (March 31, 1975 – March 31, 2024).

"Việt Nam is a country that is highly passionate about sports. F1 Powerboat Race is a new sport here, so we aim to promote this high-speed and adventurous sport to a wider domestic audience. We hope to see more Vietnamese teams participating in international competitions in the future," said Bình Định F1 Company CEO Trần Việt Anh.

Raimondo di San Germano, General Manager of H2O Racing, was excited to see the tournament in Việt Nam, saying: “We are extremely happy since Việt Nam pays high attention to the H2O Racing World Championship. Every H2O Racing participant is looking forward to racing in Vietnam for the first time in March and to observe the expansion of this sport in a new region of the world.”

Apart from competitive races, athletes will entertain supporters with their slalom and freestyle performance on the water.

The UIM-ABP Aquabike is the second race after the Grand Prix of Indonesia held earlier this month. Việt Nam does not have representatives in this tournament which will feature over 70 drivers from around the world.

In addition to competitions, athletes will also demonstrate their skills through slalom and freestyle performances.

In the second event, the Bình Định - Việt Nam Team which features world stars Jonas Andersson (Sweden) and Stefan Arand (Estonia) will race for the hosts against rivals from 20 countries.

The reigning world champion Andersson will be the team leader and rookie Arand will be his teammate for the upcoming season 

Andersson and Arand finished third and fourth, respectively, in the finals of the Indonesian Grand Prix.

F1H2O is an extraordinary experience for adventurous speed enthusiasts. This is the highest-level high-speed powerboat race globally, sharing the prestigious F1 title similar to Formula 1 car racing. 

The allure of the water race lies in its top-tier format: speed, danger and competitive rules. Each official race usually lasts about 45 minutes, with each lap spanning over 2,000m. The watercraft, weighing up to 400kg each, can reach maximum speeds of 250km/h.

Regarding the rules, the race is divided over 3 days. Day 1 involves Qualifying, Day 2 includes Sprint Race, and Day 3 concludes with Final Race. Daily performance directly affects the overall results, providing spectators the chance to watch athletes showcasing their outstanding skills.

Athletes in action at the world opening event in Indonesia in early March.

In addition to watching sports, spectators can enjoy street food, street music performance, street carnival, international music night with world-famous stars, Aquabike show performances and a special performance by the South Korean K-pop idol Taemin.

“With high determination, love for high-speed sports, and the sponsors' high commitment to provincial cultural and sports activities, I believe that the Bình Định-Việt Nam Team will be successful, opening up new directions for the development of the country's powerboat racing," said Lâm Hải Giang, Bình Định's Vice Chairman of the People's Committee.

He added that the tournament would help the province attract both domestic and international tourists, stimulating local tourism development and creating new opportunities for sports-related economic activities associated with international events.

The image of Bình Định's people and landscape would be widely introduced to the world. VNS