(first picture available of the UIM General Assembly held in 1924)
The International Powerboat Federation, was established in 1922 by a Scot, Dr Morton Smart, and by John Ward. An expatriate Irishman living in Belgium, Ward acted as the first Secretary General of the new organization, while Alfred Pierrard, Director General of the Belgian Ministry of Marine, was elected first President of the International Motor Yachting Union, its first official name.
By 1927 the Federation had acquired a permanent administrative base, promulgated its first sporting rules, published its first racing calendar and, after a further change of name to the now familiar Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), was ready to welcome more nations into its fold.
In 1988, the Belgian Secretary General, José Mawet, completed the move of the UIM Office from Brussels to the Principality of Monaco. As for international powerboat racing’s administrative services today, the registered headquarters of the UIM is located within Monaco´s multisport complex Stade Louis II, in Fontvieille.
To commemorate the centenary of the UIM, a special anniversary logo has been launched and will be used throughout the entire 2022 season to celebrate 100 years of excellence in the sport of powerboat racing.
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