Acting President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân (centre) attends opening ceremony of Binh Dinh Grand Prix of the UIM F1H2O World Championship VNA/VNS Photo

BÌNH ĐỊNH – The Binh Dinh Grand Prix of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, the flagship international series of single-seater inshore circuit powerboat racing, kicked off in Quy Nhơn city, the south central province of Bình Định on March 30.

Acting President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân and several leaders of ministries and Bình Định province joined thousands of locals and visitors at the opening ceremony.

At the event, the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over a decision on the establishment of the Vietnam powerboat federation to Trần Việt Anh, Chairman of the Board of Binh Dinh F1 Company who heads the campaign for the federation's establishment.

Highly competitive, intensely challenging, risky and entertaining, the F1H2O World Championship is the ultimate adrenalin rush and regarded as one of the most spectacular and exciting sports in the world.

As many as 295 Grand Prix tournaments have been held in more than 33 countries and territories across the globe.

This is the first time that the prestigious contest held by the governing body Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) is hosted by Việt Nam, with 18 leading drivers from China, Finland, France, Norway, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Việt Nam competing at Thị Nại lagoon, the largest saltwater one in the central region.

Right after the opening ceremony, contestants joined the Sprint Race. On March 31, they will race in the Final Race. VNS