High octane jet ski action

Ayia Napa joins Monte Carol and Madrid on top championship circuit

THE Cyprus Jet Ski Association (CJSA) has announced ambitious plans to bring high-powered international racing action to the coast of Cyprus.

Ayia Napa is to join jet-set venues Monaco and Madrid on the UIM World Aquabike racing circuit from 2008, when the town hosts the World Championships in May. The racing spectacular promises to be one of the most exciting events ever staged in Cyprus, and could be the first of many international competitions for the country.

One hundred and fifty of the world’s top jet ski professionals will compete in the Union Internationale Motornautique (UIM) races watched by thousands of spectators from Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Many more of the sport’s fans will be able to catch live action via global satellite links, placing Cyprus firmly under the international spotlight for the three days of high octane racing.

A deal to host the UIM event was initiated by CJSA president, George Ioannides, who has had the championship in his sights for some time. The competition is part of the association’s ambitious long-term strategy to build Cyprus’ reputation as a venue for elite, high profile sports, beginning with entry of a team in the UIM championships five years ago. Since then, the JSR team, which includes world no.3 freestyle pilot Yiannos Ioannou, has moved rapidly up the world rankings in which they now hold 3rd place overall.

The JSR team’s success caught the attention of UIM Vice President, Fabio Ravena, who paid tribute to their achievements: “I want to congratulate the Cyprus team. It has been four years that we have had Cypriot pilots in the UIM races and they have proved they are pilots of quality”, he declared. Ravena added that the UIM was looking forward to racing in Cyprus, “It will be great to have an event in Cyprus because it is a wonderful place as is proved by the number of tourists that go to the island every year,” he said.
Staging the championships is a major coup for Cyprus and will provide a significant boost to the island’s flagging tourism revenues. Event plans were presented this week to the board of Ayia Napa Municipality, including Mayor Antonis Tsokkos and a representative from the Cyprus Hotel Association. “Everybody was happy with the ideas and agreed that Cyprus needs this type of event,” announced a thrilled Ioannides after the meeting, confirming the dates had been set as May 9-11, 2008.

Ioannides estimates the event will cost around £100,000 and is pushing for financial assistance to stage a showpiece for the competition. It is vital, he says, that the championship venue impresses both the UIM and overseas visitors.

“This is a big, big event; you can’t just hold a race in Ayia Napa,” he warned, adding: “The people that will come to watch in Cyprus are the market that the country wants – tourists from Europe and the Middle East who will fill the hotels early in the season.”
A lucrative contract to host an annual UIM ‘World Pro’ competition in Cyprus rests on the success of the 2008 championships and the CJSA is pulling out all the stops to create a spectacular inauguration. Plans include a dramatic opening ceremony featuring skydiving display teams and fireworks to kick off three days of racing, freestyle displays, parties and exhibitions.

The championship’s international profile makes it an attractive proposition for sponsors and according to the CJSA, several large commercial organisations, including airport management company Hermes, have already confirmed their involvement.

Although firmly focused on the 2008 event, Ioannides revealed his aspirations to add more international high-speed competitions to the island, including the long-awaited return of power boat racing, last seen in Cyprus in 1973. “I believe it’s a very good event which I will tackle in the future. I must finish the World Championships for the jet skis first and after that we will go for the powerboats,” he announced.
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