Following our editorial this evening, A Word to the Racing Community, Lithuanian F2 driver Edgaras Riabko was among the first to respond – and he confirmed that the 2026 UIM World Championship season for both UIM F2 and F4 will begin in Klaipėda, Lithuania, on June 6-7.
The opening round will be held on the Baltic Sea coast. Racing is scheduled across Saturday and Sunday, with Monday held in reserve as a contingency day should strong coastal winds make racing impossible. The Lithuanian organisers are taking the weather risk seriously given the exposed location.
The event will run alongside a Boat Show festival, incorporating a wide range of boats, marine equipment, and industry exhibitors.
Riabko Targets the Title
He told Powerboat News about his objectives for the season:
I am preparing very seriously for this season and aiming only for the gold medal.
We are investing heavily in our technical package, and there are significant changes within the team, including a new title sponsor.
More details will be announced soon.
At the moment, we are working intensively both in the workshop and behind the scenes, as I am also involved in organising the first round of the World Championship.
I believe this event will be very exciting, especially because of the potentially large number of participants in both classes.
It is a big responsibility to prepare the infrastructure to handle such a scale, but we are ready for the challenge.
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.
