NEWSLETTER UIM Equality Committee ‘The race for inclusivity through diversity’ The 88th UIM General Assembly has been the occasion to get to know Stuart Croxford, manager and UIM P750 racer’s for Team Endeavour; specialised in rehabilitation of Veterans using P750. Focus on the newly appointed UIM Ambassador for Equality and inclusivity.
UIM Newsletter December 2015
STUART CROXFORD UIM Ambassador for Equality and Inclusivity
UIM NEWS
• INSIDE THE UIM • Stuart Croxford, UIM Ambassador • for Equality & inclusivity • UIM Environmental Award • & Special Mentions: Last chance • to enter the green competition! • UIM RACING • F1 WC, The best is yet to come • XCAT Final Rounds • Aquabike WC closing round • in Sharjah 19-20 dec • Out & About
Stuart, tell us a bit about yourself I’m a Captain in the British Army. As an Infantry officer I have served on combat operations in both Iraq (2008) and Afghanistan (2010, 2012). I was injured in 2012 while serving in Afghanistan where a Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded under my armoured vehicle. I spent the next 9 months in a wheelchair while recovering from injuries to both of my feet. Unfortunately in Oct 2014 I had my right leg amputated due to complications in my recovery. After 3 years in the UK Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre I’m looking to change career paths to a management job in the construction industry. I’ve always been an adrenaline seeker in team
and individual sport throughout my life and see it as a key part to my rehabilitation as having these personal goals throughout has created some amazing opportunities to make sure my injury never defines me as a person.
Could you tell us about the missions/activities of the Team Endeavour racing? Team Endeavour Racing aims to inspire, challenge and Develop both injured servicemen and military veterans using powerboat racing as a vehicle to empower and mentor personal and professional skills in order to allow a smoother and rewarding transition into future employment and civilian life. By taking this mission statement we can open
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UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2015
up opportunities into entry level power boat racing with minimal experience and knowledge to create a supportive and challenging experience to support transition.
Why did you chose Powerboat racing ? How did you get into it? I got into powerboating after first being injury in 2012 when I managed to start walking again. I’d previously seen a photo of the P750 racing when serving in the Army and always wanted to give it a go. I saw this as an opportunity to get back into competitive sport post injury. We started Team Endeavour Racing into this sport due to the great accessibility for novice racers and the friendly and supportive community from the racers to officials to help support our racers.
with transition post injury. Empowerment through sport is a key rehabilitation tool to build confidence, understand limitations of injury and change perceptions and understanding in the wider community. We hope that this concept of equality and inclusivity can be supported and mirrored in other series and sports to positively support people coming back from life changing injuries.
Racing onboard the boats throughout the season is a fantastic experience. Post injury you go through a period of not knowing or doubting what you’ll be able to achieve after your rehabilitation. To be able to have the opportunity to compete at a competitive level post injury in the P750 series which offers full inclusivity for racers with both physical and mental injuries is amazing. A lot of sports require you to have your injury classified and to compete at a separate level away from main stream events. Getting in the boat on the start line when the flag goes down sees the limitations of my physical injury disappear and allows me to compete on a level playing field with all other competitors.
What message would you give to injured servicemen and military veterans about powerboating as a sport? Powerboating through Team Endeavour Racing has been a great opportunity for a number of injured servicemen and veterans during 2015. Finding a sport that provides equality regardless of injury in a supportive community is key to helping UIM - 1, avenue des Castelans - Stade Louis II - MC 98000 Monaco - Tél. +377 92 05 25 22 - www.uimpowerboating.com
Photos © Andy Bate
How does it make you feel when you are onboard? What does it mean for you?
UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2014
Encouraged by the success of past editions, the UIM is proud to launch the 2015 UIM Environmental Award and Special Mentions. WHAT ARE THE UIM ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD & SPECIAL MENTIONS? This award recognizes outstanding environmental leaders, whether individuals or organizations, that have excelled in inspiration, vision, innovation, leadership and initiatives to the benefit of the Environment. WHO CAN ENTER? UIM Member Federations, racing teams, boat builders, engine manufacturers, universities, research centers, scientists, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), event organizers, companies and individuals are all eligible for the 2014 UIM Environmental Award and Special Mentions. The Awards can be won through positive and proven actions and efforts favoring the protection of the environment which result in a reduction of the environmental footprint in all types of motorboating activities. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF THE RECOGNITION? The 2015 UIM Environmental Award Winner and the Special Mentions will be announced early February through a press release presenting the company/ organisation and the winning projects. The winners of the 2015 Environmental Award and Special Mentions will be invited to attend the 2016 UIM Awards Giving Gala and will be presented with a personalized trophy in presence of 450 international guests. The winners will also be offered the opportunity to present their projects at the UIM Gala press conference, attended by international press representatives, televisions, photographers and the UIM TV Production. HOW TO ENTER ? Simply complete the Entry Form for the 2015 Environmental Award incl. terms and conditions for application available on the UIM website www.uim@uimpowerboating.com and return it no later than 20th December 2015.
We at the UIM, make it a point of honor to raise environmental performance of powerboating and make our sport a vector of environmental protection and sustainable development. We will continue to promote the optimal use of resources and materials, efficient logistics and transport, continued reduction of polluting, discharges to water and emissions to air. The Environmental Award is the reflection of the values we hold. For this reason we continue encouraging all our stakeholders to showcase their most original initiatives and their most successful innovations in terms of sustainable eco-friendly technologies. I believe that together, we can take up these challenges. Together, we can ensure a bright future for our Sports. Raffaele Chiulli
The 2015 UIM Environmental Award and Special Mentions brochure If you want to be part of the UIM “Green” adventure or simply learn more about the UIM Environmental Award & Special Mentions, do not miss the 2015 Environmental Award brochure. Main infos, conditions of eligibility, former winner’s projects, Sponsor opportunities… everything is included in the brochure. You can read it on the UIM website or directly log in here http://www.uimpowerboating.com/files/6814/4077/64 86/The_2015_UIM_Environmental_Awards_and_ Special_Mentions.pdf For more info please contact UIM Tel: +377 92 05 25 22 Email : uim@uimpowerboating.com www.uimpowerboating.com
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UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2015
Philippe Chiappe Liuzhou GP Winner
Sami Selio of Finland of Mad Croc Baba Racing Team at UIM F1 H2O Powerboat Grand Prix of China
F1 World Championship, the best is yet to come‌ As expected all eyes will be finely focused on a four driver battle for the coveted honor of being named UIM F1 H2O World Champion with the start of back to back Grand Prix's heading to the Emirates highlighted by first on the calendar at the always challenging Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi on the 10th and 11th of December. With forty points still up for grabs in the championship season, most experts believe that French pilot Philippe Chiappe of the CTIC China Team, who is the defending race winner and World Champion from a year ago, is the strong odds on favorite to once again take the title with a comfortable 16 point margin 55-39 over American driver Shaun Torrente of the Victory Team. But here is where the drama comes in: Young second year racer Erik Stark who's vast racing resume includes a plethora of world titles, including four F2 championships, is arriving hoping to "spoil the party" on the "status quo" in the run for the title, coming off two months of rehabilitation following a massive qualifying crash in Liuzhou, China back in early October. The driver with the hometown Emirates Team has really put on a show in 2015, running his boat on the raged edge most of the year and earning podiums in each of the two races he's finished this season. Is he ready to come back and "spoil the party" in Abu Dhabi? "Yes, it's been the longest two months of my life as my left hand has healed remarkably quickly," stated Erik. "I've been doing a lot of rehab training everyday to get my strength and movement back as much as possible in my fingers." "I think my strength is maybe 60% while the movement is around almost 80% and my plan is to win my first F1 race in Abu Dhabi since I've come close twice with a pair of Thani Al Qamzie, Team Abu Dhabi, Liuzhou GP
the championship the last two years. Not far behind the Miami driver, in third, is Kuwaiti star Youssef Al Rubayan of the GC F1 Atlantic Team who has a strong and steady season, winning for the first time in Evian, France in early summer and who is coming off a fourth place finish in China more than a month ago to keep his hopes alive for his dreams of capturing his first crown. This years event will mark Youssef's fifth start in Abu Dhabi and he has had little success thus far looking for his first topfive finish but knows he also has to win to have any chance for the crown. Right behind Youssef is Swedish veteran Jonas Andersson with 29 points and fourth in the title chase and also dreaming of winning his first title as he enjoys his 10th season of F1 racing. The driver from Fruvi, has a second place finish in Evian after just missing the podium at the opening round in Doha back in March. He'll need a little more than a lot of luck as he races at a circuit that isn't his favorite with only one podium and crashing out or having mechanical problems in half of his starts along the corniche. So, Erik Stark, the 28 year-old driver from Stockholm, in his second season and who sits in fifth place in the championship with 27 points, is going to do his best to "upset the apple cart" as he chases fame and glory along the corniche in the center city of one of the worlds most exciting cities Abu Dhabi, on the 10th and 11th of December at the sixth and final round of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship series. Let's see if the newly named "Scandinavian Shark" can take a bite out of the title chase from his fifth place position in the drivers championship. This story believe me is just one of the many sidebar stories at this years 2015 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.
second place finishes in the last two seasons."Erik will be in the Emirates for three weeks before the Abu Dhabi event and run a preliminary event to judge his hand strength before tackling a true full Grand Prix event. As for the driver from Rouen, Chiappe has had a strong second half of the year winning back to back events in Porto, Portugal and again in Liuzhou, China rocketing to first in the points chase heading into Abu Dhabi. The race will mark his 13th event there in his 13th season as an F1 pilot. Philippe, has started 12 previous events in Abu Dhabi since joining the circuit back in 2002 and last year marked his first ever pole position of his career in Abu Dhabi. He's hoping for a repeat to lock up the championship with a repeat victory this time around. Meanwhile, for the Florida driver Torrente, he had been the points leader in the championship for most of the year, despite being forced to change teams after his long time racing organization the Qatar Team disbanded in early April. This left Shaun without a ride until he approached the very successful racing group from Dubai who have been known chiefly for their offshore success rather than in F1. Shaun, since his opening season win in Doha, has strugBoat gled with an older Pos No Driver boat hull he has used 1 1 CHIAPPE Philippe finishing fourth, fifth 2 4 TORRENTE Shaun and eighth in his last 3 9 AL RUBAYAN Youssef three events. 4 14 ANDERSSON Jonas Torrente knows he's going to have to 5 51 STARK Erik win in Abu Dhabi to 6 5 AL QEMZI Thani have even the sligh7 6 CARELLA Alex test chance of win8 12 ROMS Filip ning his first world 9 11 SELIO Sami title after finishing second and third in 10 50 STROMOY Marit
Nat FRA QAT UAE SWE SWE UAE ITA FIN FIN NOR
Total Points 55 39 36 29 27 20 19 19 19 13
China GP Liuzhou Podium 1-Philippe Chiappe 2-Thani Al Qamzi 3-Sami Selio
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UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2015
Al Zaffain & Bin Hendi 2015 champions
Fifth round of the UIM XCAT World series Dubaï GP The fifth round of the UIM XCAT Powerboat Word Series held on 19-21 November saw the introduction of the new Mercury Racing four-stroke engines which were officially launched in the USA early november. The UAE’s only female XCAT driver Fatima Al Zaabi and Italy’s Gianpaolo Montavoci were testing the environmentally friendly engines in the #NewBoss boat to give the Dubai crowd a sneak peak of what’s to come when the XCAT Series make the switch to the new engines next year. In the meantime, UIM XCAT Dubai GP was packed with elation and despair with the Italian team, Videx, eventually emerging as the race winners on Saturday. Joakim Kumlin and Alfredo Amato outlasted a field that diminished at a rapid rate as half of the 14 teams didn’t make it to the finish line thanks to the massive waves and rough conditions. Fellow Italian team T-Bone Station (Giovanni Carpitella and Luca Fendi) fi-
nished second with Team Abu Dhabi (Rashed Al Tayer and Faleh Al Mansoori) overcoming initial problems and
Not only did that mean disappointment for Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi in front of a home crowd, but also that the Series were remaining up for grabs with the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. Team Abu Dhabi were just one point behind XDubai going into that race. Meanwhile, Saturday’s race in Dubai also saw the Six team of Tomaso Polli and Matteo Nicolini taking an underwater dive while leading the race on lap nine but still managing to keep the engines running and making it to the penultimate lap. That meant they still could have claimed 12 all-important championship points, which kept them in third spot overall. Had they avoided the dip and held their lead to win the race, the Italians would now have been leading the Series heading into the final race. But the day belonged to Videx in the end and Kumlin was thrilled with the victory. “It was a really tough race. We
Dubai GP Six
overtaking a heartbroken Swecat team (Erik Stark and Mikael Bengtsson), who broke down on the final lap, for third spot. Overall Series leaders and defending champions XDubai, who started the race in Pole Position, succumbed to a gear casing fault in the sixth lap of the race, meaning they could not continue.
started very well from the beginning and then Fazza had a problem, Abu Dhabi had a problem and we just kept on going,” explained Kumlin. “After they dived we had a chance to take boat Six and we were leading the race right after that.” It was far from smooth sailing from there, however, as the Videx boat’s engine cowling came loose in the closing laps. Had that come off and the engine taken in water, it could have spelled the end of their chase for the race win – the first for an Italian team in two and a half years of XCAT racing. T-Bone Station’s Fendi was equally thrilled with second spot after a hairraising start to the race.“These were the worst possible conditions for our boat but Giovanni is so good at managing this.” X Dubai power to Abu Dhabi GP win for fourth XCAT title The XDubai team of Nadir bin Hendi and Arif Al Zaffain wrapped up the 2015 UIM XCAT World Series with a masterclass in powerboat racing, leading the Abu Dhabi GP from start to finish to take the overall title for the fourth consecutive season. Heading into the sixth and final race of
Podium Dubai GP
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UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2015
aimed to keep our position in second.” As for just missing out on an overall Series podium spot (they would have claimed third had they won Saturday’s race but eventually finished in fourth place) the Italian was not particularly concerned. “I was just racing to win this race and wasn’t really thinking about third place in the Championship,” he said. XDubai’s closest challenger in the Series, Abu Dhabi Team, whose only race win of the season came in the opening round in Fujairah, eventually finished in third place in Saturday’s race and settled for second spot overall in the Series. The Italian duo of Tomaso Polli and Matteo Nicolini in Six held on to third
Dubai GP - Abu Dhabi Team
Dubai GP winner Videx
Pole Position - XDubai
T-Bone Abu Dhabi GP 1st turn
the year, and starting in third position after a number of problems in Pole Position, Bin Hendi had admitted to a few butterflies, with the Abu Dhabi team of Rashed Al Tayer and Faleh Al Mansoori just five points behind them in the overall standings. But the massively experienced defending Series champions mastered the rough conditions on the start lap to reach the first buoy, and the safety of the flat water, in first position. The T-Bone Station team of Giovanni Carpitella and Darren Nicholson, who started in second spot, had come close to challenging them when taking a tight line into the first turn, but could just not edge ahead and stayed in second spot for the remainder of the race. Al Zaffain explained there were a few nervous moments in the boat when he thought they were experiencing gear problems at the start. “At the start we saw the Abu Dhabi Team doing a big jump and we didn’t want to do the same so I put my finger on the right engine trim,” he said. “But then we pushed again and it was good to finish the race without any problems,” he added. Bin Hendi said there was much elation in the boat once they crossed the finish
and the successful defence of their title was secured. “It was a feeling we can’t express. We screamed in the cockpit very loudly. We were so hungry for it. Thank God we got it,” he said. Meanwhile, Carpitella explained that he knew beforehand the start would be vital. “We had to do everything we could at the start because the rest of the race was flat and we knew we couldn’t Boat win it in those Pos No conditions,” he 1 3 said. “Once we reached the flat water 2 5 the race was over 3 6 and then it wasn’t 4 10 worth it to take any 5 2 risks so we just 6 7
spot overall in the Series despite a disappointing 12th place finish on Saturday after losing power in one of the engines. Mathematically the pair could still have claimed top spot in the championship but it was not their day. The Dubai team of Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali, who started in Pole Position in Saturday’s race, had a horrible start and were well back by the first turn but managed to recover to finish in third spot. XCAT racing will take a short break now as the 2016 season kicks off in March with some exciting new venues on the cards. The official 2016 calendar will be announced in the coming weeks.
Driver FAZZA-XDUBAI ABU DHABI TEAM HOORSENBUHS-SIX T-BONE STATION SWECAT RACING DUBAI
Total Points 180 166 126 122 101 92
DDF Speed Cat Run - semifinal
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UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2015
Rok and Nac
UIM - ABP AQUABIKE CLASS PRO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLOSING ROUND 19 - 20 DEC GRAND PRIX OF SHARJAH Rok versus Nac for Freestyle World Title
In the extraordinary inside out upside down topsy-turvy aerial world of Freestyle the world title will be won by a ‘Florjancic’. The question as to which one, will be answered in the much anticipated season showdown in Sharjah in December [19/20] between brothers Rok and Nac. After three events in Qatar, Italy and China just six points separates them, Rok moving to the top of the standings after Liuzhou and after trailing his younger brother all season. The two brothers from Maribor in Slovenia have made the sport of Freestyle their own inter-family battle field and have dominated the sport since their UIM-ABP championship debut in China in 2011, Rok winning both heats to take the GP title, Nac finishing second twice to take the runner-up slot. China signalled the start of an incredible run by Rok going unbeaten in 24
heats to claim 12 consecutive Grand Prix titles, winning the World Championship in 2013 and 2014. His absence from the final round in 2012 opened the door for Nac to go on and claim his first world title. But the momentum changed this year and after finishing second in heats to his brother 19 times, taking countless second step podium slots and just one GP title, Nac hit a purple patch winning both titles in Qatar and Italy. The title will stay in the Florjancic trophy room but whose name will be on it this year will be decided in Sharjah.
Can Emma-Nellie hang on to win world title or will Jennifer steal it
Out of all the titles that are up for grabs in the final Grand Prix of the year in Sharjah on 19-20 December, the closest is being fought out in Ski Ladies. Just three points separates Sweden’s Emma-Nellie Ortendahl and France’s defending world champion Jennifer Menard. Both have claimed a Grand Prix win this Emma Nellie
year, Ortendahl has one race win, Menard three and seems to have the momentum after the last round in China and going into the decider. If the 17-year-old from Alvangen is to become the youngest champion she is going to have to show the same steely determination and fierce competitive spirit that handed her first race win and maiden GP title in very tough conditions in Italy, after taking third overall in the season-opener in Qatar. In China she was clearly still feeling the effects of a protracted summer illness, her points lead eaten into after two third place finishes. Menard on the other hand is now fully fit after an operation to fix and ankle injury that plagued her mid-season and showed she was back to her very best last time out winning twice. But should the 27-year-old fail at the final hurdle she will rue the DNF in Qatar in race 2, breaking down on the penultimate lap whilst leading easily and after winning the opener. What both Ortendahl and Menard need to be wary of are the three behind them, Estelle Poret, Beatriz Curtinhal and Jonna Borgstrom, who could well play a part in the title outcome if they can take points away from either of them.
Jennifer Menard
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UIM NEWS DECEMBER 2015
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UIM officials at the
Assembly 88th UIM General ct 2015 Monaco 24-31o
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