After weeks of uncertainty, Malta has been confirmed as the host of the second round of the 2010 UIM Powerboats World Championship this weekend.

This year's championship has been plagued by massive logistical problems after P1, the event's promoters, pulled out in April, leaving governing body UIM facing a race against time to stage the season opener in Yalta last month.

Despite all these troubles, the Ukrainian Powerboat Federation, headed by Victor Shemchuk, managed to put on a great show in Yalta as around 300,000 spectators gathered to watch the three-day event.

Four weeks on, all eyes are on Malta where the second race of the season will be held in Sliema on Saturday and Sunday.

Jean-Marie van Lacker, president of the UIM Pleasure Navigation Commission, is confident that the Malta organising committee will provide a treat to the hundreds of spectators who are expected to throng the Sliema shoreline at the weekend.

"Malta has been on the powerboat calendar for the past seven years and every time we've been here, it has been a great event for both the teams and the spectators," Van Lacker told reporters at the launch of the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea.

"The organising team here always do an excellent job and I'm confident that this year will be no different. For this year's race, we have changed the course to ensure that the public have a better view of the competing boats.

"Aaron Ciantar's success has generated a lot of interest among the locals and I'm sure that the Maltese people will turn out in large numbers this weekend to support their world champion."

Van Lacker also said that the Grand Prix may reap commercial benefits for Malta in the future.

"We are expecting around 100 foreign investors to attend this weekend's race," he revealed.

"Their presence could be beneficial for the country as they could start talks on potential investment with local firms."

The Malta Grand Prix of the Sea gets underway tomorrow when the Powerpole is held at the Marsamxett Harbour, starting at 6 p.m.

On Saturday, the 15 participating teams in both the Supersport and the Evolution classes will compete in the Sprint race which starts at 5 p.m. in front of Quisisana in Sliema.

The second leg of the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea will take place on Sunday with an endurance race over the same course as Saturday.

Ciantar's Ukrainian Spirit have had a disappointing start to their debut season in the Evolution Class after engine problems forced them to pull out of both races in Yalta.

Teddy Borg, president of the Malta Powerboat Federation, said Aaron Ciantar and his father Charlie are engaged in a race against time to fit new engines into their boat in time for this weekend's races.

"The 2010 season has been very unfortunate for the Ukrainian Spirit so far," Borg said.

"After their engines were damaged in Yalta, the Ciantar family have been waiting impatiently for new engines to arrive this week. They are currently busy at their factory trying to install the new engines ahead of this weekend's event.

"Hopefully, they will finish the job on time so that Ukrainian Spirit can challenge for at least a place on the podium this weekend."

Second Malta date

After the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea, the 2010 championship will continue in Sardinia between July 9 and 11.

UIM chief Van Lacker said the championship will then resume in September and he did not rule out a second Malta Grand Prix this season.

"It's still early to say what will happen," Van Lacker told The Times.

"This week, I will be speaking to the authorities to see whether they are prepared to give the financial guarantees to make this proposal a reality. I know that holding these races requires a lot of money and I don't want to cause a financial headache to the Maltese organisers. But we will have a clearer idea of what might happen after I've met the Maltese officials."

Also present for yesterday's news conference was KMS chairman Bernard Vassallo. He praised the efforts of the Malta GP organisers, headed by Reuben Caruana, to keep the Malta Grand Prix on track despite all the problems that surfaced earlier this year.