VIJAYAWADA: The long cherished dream of F1H2O power boat racing world championship is coming true in Vijayawada after Andhra Pradesh tourism department entered a MoU with two major private players on Saturday. APTDC has signed an agreement with F1H2O Promotor Management and India Xtreme Adventure Activities to conduct the sixth round of F1H2O power boat racing in Krishna River this November. Addressing the media, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) MD Himanshu Shukla announced the dates that the extravagant event would be conducted on November 9, 10 and 11. The announcement comes following months of comprehensive and successful negotiations that were first entered into in October last year when H2O Racing signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ and which now sees the world’s flagship international powerboat series returning to the subcontinent for the first time since 2004 .The department also managed to negotiate with the delegation and keep the TV rights for themselves which would further aid in garnering revenue for the state. The news coincides with the arrival in Amaravati of a delegation from the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) and the F1H2O Management Committee to homologate the race circuit and make final preparations for the event which will take place in November. “We are delighted that after all the hard work and negotiations that have been carried out on both sides the F1H2O World Championship is returning to India for the first time after 14 years,” said F1H2O Racing president Paolo di San Germano.The confirmation of the Grand Prix in India means that the 2018 UIM F1H2O World Championship will be fought out over eight races, with the remaining five rounds taking place in Xiangyang and Liuzhou in China, Amaravati in India and Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.The nine teams and 19 drivers from 12 countries contesting this year’s championship are now on their traditional ‘summer break’ following three outstanding European events in Portugal, England and France that has seen the 2018 title race swing one way then another.Two different drivers have taken the Grand Prix victories; Shaun Torrente winning for Team Abu Dhabi in Portugal, Erik Stark winning in England for Maverick F1 Racing and winning again in France, a week after signing for Team Abu Dhabi, and now leads’ the title race.Principal secretary of APTDC Mukhesh Kumar Meena stated that Himanshu Shukla and his team will coordinate the event from start to end.

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