Powerboat team aiming to set new round-Malta world record

Five-time World Champion Aaron Ciantar and two-time World Champion throttleman Dominique Martini will on Saturday be attempting to become the fastest team ever to circumnavigate Malta on a powerboat.

Ciantar, a Maltese national, and Martini, who hails from Corsica, France - together forming Team Chaudron, powered by Enemed - will depart from the Grand Hotel Excelsior at Valletta Marina at 7.45am, with the event scheduled to start at 8am.

The will be driving counter clockwise around the Malta’s 47-mile coast on their mono-hull Chaudron 41’ closed canopy powerboat to take on the Chaudron Enemed V1 Powerboat Malta Circumnavigating World Record Breaking Attempt. The start and finish line will be set up in front of the Diplomat Hotel on Tower Road Sliema.

In order to break the record, the team needs to maintain an average speed of 95mph.

The first ever record was achieved back in 2004 by Adriano Panatta (Team Thuraya) whose time was that of 42 minutes and 50 seconds. This record was then broken by Mario Invernizzi (Team Kerakoll) in 2006, who notched up a new world record at just over 34 minutes and 2.84 seconds.

Aaron Ciantar (right) and Dominique Martini

Team Chaudron’s attempt was originally scheduled to take place in June 2018, but had to be postponed due to an engine blowup during trials. On 30 March, the two world champions hope to have clear blue skies and calm waters, as they gear up to partake in this time sensitive challenge.

“After winning five world championship titles, our current goal is to establish a new round-Malta world record.  Should we manage to do so, the record will be for the first time held by a Maltese national both as a driver and as a boat constructor,” Ciantar said.

Ciantar and Martini are widely experienced and hold multiple World Champion titles in the UIM’s Evolution class/V1 series. They now hope to add this speed record for circumnavigating around Malta to their long list of accomplishments.

On his part, Enemed Executive Chairman Kevin Chircop said ”We are thrilled to be the main sponsor and official fuel supplier for this challenge. This will surely be another seal of approval for our fuels and their quality. Epower petrol was specifically developed by Enemed for high performance, and what better opportunity is there than breaking a world record.” 

This event is being organized under the watchful eye of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the international governing body of powerboating, founded in 1922 in Belgium and  based in Monaco.