Jamie Copas Named as New E1 Series CEO
Jamie Copas, former chief executive of WPP’s Prism Sport & Entertainment agency, has been appointed CEO of the E1 Series, SportBusiness has reported.
E1 has made no official announcement.
Mercury in Britain: How Big Is the Market, Really?
The last time anyone published a verified annual sales figure for Mercury outboards in the UK, the number was 2,500.
How Barrus Inherited the Contract That was the volume reported by Sowester Simpson-Lawrence, the Poole-based distributor that held the Mercury UK import contract until it went into administration in October 2001.
UIM Delays F4 Cockpit Rules as Compliance Concerns Mount
The UIM has delayed the mandatory 3000N cockpit requirement for F4 and Endurance S3 boats by five months, with UIM Secretary General Thomas Kurth issuing a circular to all member federations confirming the implementation date has moved from January 1 to June 1, 2026.
The 3000N cockpit standard was ratified at the 98th UIM General … Read more
Estonia’s Powerboat Stars and Team AlUla’s RaceBird Headline Meremess 2026
The biggest boat show in the Baltic states is hosting a powerboat line-up this weekend that most international venues would envy.
At Meremess 2026 in Tallinn, the Estonian Water Motor Sports Federation has installed Team AlUla’s all-electric E1 RaceBird in the B-hall exhibition pool, with two of Estonia’s most decorated aquatic motorsport racers on hand … Read more
The Electric F4 That Broke a World Record Is Now a Championship
A new fully electric powerboat racing series will debut in France this year, built on the standard UIM F4 race boat platform rather than the purpose-built hardware that has defined other electric racing concepts.
The Formula 60 Electric Championship has been developed by German electric propulsion company Molabo and French clean energy firm Protenergies, and … Read more
Lithuanian Prime Minister Commits to Attending F2 and F4 World Championship in Klaipėda
Photo: EPA/Olga Posaskova / Lithuanian Seimas Office / Handout Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has committed to attending the UIM F2 and F4 World Championship in Klaipėda, after being personally invited by Karolis Ramoška, President of the Lietuvos techninio sporto federacijų and the Lietuvos Motorlaivių Federacija.
The invitation came during what Ramoška described as a … Read more
F1LIP Junior Team Reveals Four-Driver Lineup for 2026
Filip Roms’ F1LIP Junior Team has confirmed four drivers for the 2026 season, with GT15 multi-champion Leevi Paasonen making the step up to GT30 as the team targets its strongest international campaign to date.
The announcement, made by Roms on social media, also confirms a significant expansion in the GT15 class and two returns to … Read more
Aquabike World Championship heads to Shanghai as 2026 calendar takes shape
The 2026 UIM-ABP Aquabike Circuit Pro World Championship will open in Shanghai, China on October 1-2, H2O Racing has confirmed, with a four-round calendar that stretches from the Far East to the Middle East before the season closes in December.
The announcement came on March 4th and carries an immediate headline: the original Middle Eastern … Read more
H1 Unlimited Introduces New Race Format Debuting at Madison
H1 Unlimited has announced a new race format that will debut at the 76th Madison Regatta on the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana, July 3-5, 2026.
The change replaces draw-based positioning with a cumulative scoring system that connects every session from Time Trials through to the Final.
Dubai Boat Show Decision Looms as Gulf Racing Faces Disruption
Updated 4 March 2026: Aquabike Promotion has confirmed the relocation of the 2026 World Championship Middle East season opener, citing current global geopolitical circumstances.
See below.
World Champions at Sweden’s Biggest Boat Show: Wiberg Siblings to Appear at Allt för sjön
Sweden’s largest indoor boat show opens in Stockholm this week, and the Smedjebackens Båtklubb stand will have company worth travelling for.
The 2025 UIM F2 World Champion Mathilda Wiberg and her brother Hilmer, runner-up in the same championship, will both appear at the club’s exhibit during the two-weekend event.
Sunseeker Acquisition Completed as Staff Notice Reveals KCP Holdings’ Plans
The sale of Sunseeker International to a consortium led by KCP Holdings has been completed, with an internal staff communication seen by Powerboat News confirming the new owners’ plans for the Poole-based yacht builder and the appointment of Andrés Rubio as permanent chief executive.
The completion follows reporting published yesterday that the deal was close. … Read more
UIM Homologates Four Mercury Racing Engines for Offshore International Racing
The UIM has homologated four Mercury Racing engines for offshore international racing, opening them up across multiple classes from Offshore 2 through to the APBA Superstock category.
The approvals were announced by the UIM and cover engines at different power levels, each assigned a homologation number and cleared for specific class eligibility in line with … Read more
Mike Denslow Steps Down as H1 Unlimited Chairman
Mike Denslow will not renew for another two-year term as Chairman of H1 Unlimited.
He confirmed that his decision is unrelated to any individuals, board decisions, or matters concerning the organisation.
Sharrow: Music to the Ears for Recreational Boaters
It started with an orchestra.
Greg Sharrow, a Detroit-based Executive Producer and Director, needed aerial footage of a live concert.
Sunseeker Set for New Ownership as KCP Moves to Acquire British Yacht Builder
Correction, March 3, 2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly named the acquiring firm as KPC.
The correct name is KCP.
Powerboat Racing Joins Douro’s Tourism Pitch at Lisbon Travel Market
The president of the Federação Portuguesa de Motonáutica (FPM) joined municipal leaders from the Douro region at Portugal’s largest tourism trade fair on Thursday, promoting UIM F2 World Championship racing as part of the Douro Valley’s tourism offer.
Paulo Ferreira appeared at the CIM Douro stand at BTL (Better Tourism Lisbon Travel Market) 2026 alongside … Read more
Al Copeland: The Fried Chicken King Who Ruled Offshore Racing
The Popeyes founder spent millions transforming American offshore powerboat racing into a corporate spectacle, won six national championships, and died chasing one final speed record.
The Morning After in California Al Copeland woke up in California in 1980 with the worst hangover of his life.
Race World Offshore Returns to Michigan City as SSR Reaffirms Safety Partnership
Race World Offshore has confirmed its return to Michigan City, Indiana, for July 31 to August 2, 2026, marking year two of a planned five-year commitment to the venue.
In a separate development, SSR Safety and Rescue Services has issued a statement reaffirming its partnership with RWO and revealing that the SFI Foundation has confirmed … Read more
F4 Season Opener at Mons Cancelled
The opening round of the 2026 UIM F4 World Championship at Mons, Belgium, has been cancelled due to ongoing construction work at the Grand Large race circuit.
The event was scheduled for May 16-17 as the first of three World Championship rounds.
Peter Bonham Christie Takes Custodianship of Apache 555
Peter Bonham Christie has announced he has taken over as custodian of Apache 555, the Don Shead-designed offshore racing boat that won the 1972 London to Monte Carlo race and the 1979 World Class II Championship in Venice.
The boat, one of the most decorated hulls in British offshore racing history, changes hands after 14 … Read more
Wellcraft Scarab 38KV Miami Vice Edition Review
With filming set to begin in June 2026 for the Miami Vice reboot, Miami’s waterways are about to get their close-up again.
Joseph Kosinski’s production, starring Austin Butler and Michael B Jordan, returns to 1985 for what the director calls a “full on” period aesthetic.
Falcon’s Story Heads to Screen, With Offshore Racing at Its Heart
Gustavo Falcon, younger brother of 1980s offshore racing champion and cocaine kingpin Willy Falcon, has broken his public silence.
Offshore powerboat racing is a thread running through everything he is now saying.
SWSC Launches British Masters Championship for 2026
Stewartby-based circuit powerboat club SWSC has launched its own three-element British Masters Championship, with four rounds confirmed between April and October.
The move follows the CPA’s advice to scrap the national and sprint championship rounds that SWSC had committed to hosting following the drivers forum.
Andrew Tate Takes First F1 Victory at Bradenton Opener
Andrew Tate won the inaugural round of the 2026 IHRA F1 Powerboat Series at the Bradenton Area River Regatta, completing a commanding weekend on the Manatee River that gave him his first F1 win in the series and also produced victories for Mason Rinker in Tri-Hull and Shelby Love in Formula Lights.
The event marked … Read more
Bradenton Regatta 2026: Full IHRA Powerboat Entry List
Forty-two competitors are entered across three classes for tomorrow’s racing on the Manatee River, with Formula 1, Formula Lights, and Tri-Hulls all competing at the 11th Annual Bradenton Area River Regatta.
The Formula 1 class draws 16 boats, Formula Lights 15, and Tri-Hulls 11, as the International Hot Rod Association runs its first ever sanctioned … Read more
Your Boat Flares Are Expiring? Here Is the Alternative
The U.S.
Coast Guard is retiring pyrotechnic flares from its vessels in favour of electronic alternatives this year, setting an international precedent that could reshape maritime safety requirements worldwide.
2026 UIM-ABP European Aquabike Championship
Aquabike Promotion has confirmed a three-round calendar for the 2026 UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike Championship, with Grand Prix in Portugal, Hungary and France running from July through to September. 3 Grand Prix July 3 Season Opens Sept 6 Season Closes Portugal Opens the Season The championship begins at Barrinha da Praia in the town of … Read more
Bradenton Regatta 2026: IHRA F1 Powerboat Race Guide
The International Hot Rod Association brings its Formula 1 Powerboat Series to the Manatee River this weekend for the first sanctioned event in the organisation’s powerboat racing history.
Here is everything you need to know about the 11th Annual Bradenton Area River Regatta.
Don Johnson’s 1988 World Championship Scarab at Auction
The 46-foot Wellcraft Scarab that carried Don Johnson to the 1988 APBA Superboat Class World Championship is heading to the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction in April, selling with No Reserve.
The boat, known as the Gentry Turbo Eagle and racing under number 99, was originally commissioned by Hawaiian developer and offshore racing champion Tom Gentry … Read more
Malcolm Campbell’s Blue Bird K3 Confirmed for Coniston Festival
Sir Malcolm Campbell’s 1937 world water speed record hydroplane Blue Bird K3 will run on Coniston Water for the first time in May alongside Donald Campbell’s restored Bluebird K7.
The Ruskin Museum confirmed K3’s attendance at Bluebird K7 – The Festival, creating the first occasion both Campbell craft will appear together on Coniston Water.
