Nelson Morin claimed pole position for Round 4 of the UIM F2 World Championship at Peso da Régua, a 41.571 in Q3 enough to head off Giacomo Sacchi and Edgaras Riabko in a qualifying session that produced as much drama off the water as on it.
Mathilda Wiberg’s session ended early after a throttle cable failure. The replacement cable fitted between Q1 and Q2 also broke, leaving her unable to start Q2 and out of contention for the remainder of qualifying.
The session’s biggest talking point came from a technical protest lodged by RPM, Peter Morin’s team, against Tobias Munthe-Kaas over ECU eligibility. The protest was not upheld, but Peter Morin was allowed to take part in Q3 until it was heard.
Munthe-Kaas’s pace through the session, on the Mercury Racing 250 APX four-stroke, suggested the engine can compete at the front of the field.
Bimba Sjöholm impressed on her return to World Championship competition, qualifying inside the top six.
At the front, Sacchi and Riabko both ran out of fuel during their Q3 runs. Riabko’s incomplete lap is understood to have been on course for pole before it ended early, leaving Morin to take top spot instead.
Qualifying Results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Country | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Nelson Morin | France | 43.136 | 42.388 | 41.571 |
| 2 | 74 | Giacomo Sacchi | Monaco | 42.463 | 42.592 | 41.688 |
| 3 | 41 | Edgaras Riabko | Lithuania | 42.747 | 42.798 | 42.080 |
| 4 | 77 | Tobias Munthe-Kaas | Norway | 43.032 | 42.714 | 42.088 |
| 5 | 70 | Hilmer Wiberg | Sweden | 43.227 | 42.851 | 42.331 |
| 6 | 11 | Bimba Sjöholm | Sweden | 42.891 | 42.857 | 42.876 |
| 7 | 111 | Peter Morin | France | 43.375 | 42.968 | 43.004 |
| 8 | 45 | Duarte Benavente | Portugal | 43.491 | 43.291 | – |
| 9 | 14 | Ian Blacker | United Kingdom | 44.214 | 43.992 | – |
| 10 | 3 | Owen Jelf | United Kingdom | 44.278 | 44.002 | – |
| 11 | 2 | Johan Österberg | Sweden | 44.812 | 44.943 | – |
| 12 | 1 | Mathilda Wiberg | Sweden | 44.113 | DNS | – |
| 13 | 7 | Frode Sundsdal | Norway | 45.640 | – | – |
| 14 | 91 | Buby Bertels | Belgium | 46.349 | – | – |
| 15 | 15 | Dainis Podžuks | Latvia | DNS | – | – |
Two rounds remain to decide the 2026 title.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
