Friday, December 2:  Marit Strømøy may be the only female to have broken through the ranks so far and become a regular competitor in the UIM F1H2O World Championship but the fairer sex is pushing the Aquabike racing discipline to a golden future.

 

In a world of diversity, equal opportunities and the emergence of women’s sports like football and golf to a global audience, the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship is attracting a growing number of female participants. 

 

Ladies have their own championship categories in the Ski GP1 and Runabout GP4 sections and compete against the men on equal terms in Ski Division GP2. In the European Continental Championship, ladies have their own Ski and Runabout GP4 classes and compete with the men in Ski Division. 

 

Estonia’s Jasmiin Ypraus is ranked as world number one and claimed victory in three Ibiza races and a first, second and third in Sardinia on her way to clinching the 2022 Ski Ladies GP1 title. She finished 22 points in front of French rival Jessica Chavanne and a further three clear of Sweden’s Jonna Borgström. A dozen female racers from eight European countries scored points this season.

 

Monaco-born Lisa Caussin Battaglia mixed it with the men in Ski Division GP2 and the 28-year-old was classified a superb fifth in the rankings out of 15 racers who scored points over the course of the six races. French girl Lou Dardillat tackled three races in Ski Division GP3 and finished the year in 13th. 

 

Fourteen girls from six nations scored points in a competitive Runabout GP4 Ladies Championship and Italy’s Naomi Benini claimed two win and two second and third-placed finishes to win the title by 21 points from French rival Clara Muchembled. Czech Nikola Dryjalova finished a close third. Italy and Estonia had the strongest representation with six and four racers, respectively. 

 

Portugal’s experienced Joana Graca mixed it with the men in the Ski Division GP1 section of the European Continental Championship and the flight attendant finished the year in ninth of the 15 racers to score points. 

 

Half a dozen ladies from France, Estonia, Sweden, Portugal and Latvia took part in the Ski Ladies category and French car sales executive Virginie Morlaes pipped Ypraus to the title by just three points. Swedish student Janina Johansson rounded off the top three. 

 

While Hungarian racer Christina Maringher mixed it with the men in Ski Division GP3, Estonia’s Katrin Nilbe and Spain’s Cristina Garcia Lazarraga competed on equal terms in Runabout GP4.

 

The most popular of all the categories for the girls was the Runabout Ladies GP4 section and 22 racers scored points during the course of the 10 races to be held in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Hungary.  

 

Dryjalova dominated the season with nine victories and amassed 237 points from a possible 250. Her nearest rivals were the Estonian duo of Ester Rosin and Carmen Roesmaa. Montenegro’s Volia Dzikovich finished the season in fourth. 

 

Ladies also entered the mixed Runabout Juniors GP4 section with the likes of Hungary’s Diana Dudas and the Italian sextet of Michela Tiozzo Celi, Naomi Benini, Daniele Ascione, Carolina Vernata, Siria de Luca and Nicole Cadei.