News

Italy, Venice – June 8, 2025:The Abu Dhabi Speedboats Team achieved a new historic milestone in the world of marine sports, as the experienced Italian racer Guido Capellini led his team’s boat to set a new world record in the Pavia–Venice race, the longest riverboat race in the world.

The race started from the city of Pavia in northern Italy, passing along the Po River, the longest river in the country, and finishing at the coastal city of Venice, covering a distance of approximately 415 kilometers.

Capellini completed the race in a record time of 1 hour, 41 minutes, and 54 seconds, achieving an astonishing average speed of 207.26 kilometers per hour, surpassing the previous record set by Italian racer Dino Zantelli, who clocked 203.34 kilometers per hour in 2005.

This achievement crowns Capellini’s illustrious career, as he is considered one of the most prominent racers in the history of speedboats, having led the Abu Dhabi team to numerous world championships since joining them.

The Pavia–Venice race is one of Europe’s most prestigious competitions, requiring racers to have exceptional control and navigation skills through a long and winding river course, facing environmental challenges such as currents and narrow turns.

This achievement adds to the UAE’s impressive record of successes across various fields and reflects the Abu Dhabi team’s commitment to enhancing the country’s position on the global sports stage.