Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela attended the VOOMQUEST UIM Pleasure Navigation World Championship last weekend, joining the opening round at Sliema and the National Grand Harbour Straight Runs — the events covered in full by Powerboat News across our pre-event guide and round one results.
The visit carries a neat personal note. Abela was born in Sliema on 7 December 1977 — the same waterfront that served as the championship’s 3.54 nautical mile race circuit on April 18-19. He has served as Malta’s 14th Prime Minister and leader of the Malta Labour Party since January 2020, following his election after Joseph Muscat’s resignation. He was returned to office in March 2022 with the largest Labour majority in Maltese electoral history.
VOOMQUEST, the organisation behind the event, marked the visit in a statement from the organiser:
“His visit is a testament to the growing importance of this sport in Malta, and we sincerely appreciate his presence and continued support for our community.”
Aaron Ciantar and VOOMQUEST
At the centre of the championship is Aaron Ciantar, a five-time UIM World Powerboat Champion and Managing Director of Chaudron Powerboats. The Chaudron SVR hulls that dominate the Pleasure Navigation grid are his own company’s product. Ciantar has been racing internationally since 2004, when he first competed in the UIM Powerboat P1 World Championship, and co-founded VOOMQUEST in December 2017 alongside Martin McDonald — who had brought the P1 World Championship to Malta — before later acquiring sole ownership of the company.
VOOMQUEST has since established itself as Malta’s primary platform for UIM-sanctioned circuit racing, expanding to Italy in 2018 and now hosting a full world championship on home water. The 2026 opening round drew 19 boats from Malta, Belgium and Italy across five classes, with Enemed and VisitMalta among the principal supporters.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
