The first round of the 2026 UIM Pleasure Navigation World Championship takes place at Sliema, Malta, from Friday April 17 to Sunday April 19. The event is organised by Voomquest Limited under the auspices of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), with the Malta Powerboat Federation as the national authority. Two championship groups compete across the weekend: Group A covers HOCR F1, Sport and Super Sport classes, and Group B covers B300 and S450. The Race Village is at Boilers Wharf, Senglea, on the Grand Harbour. Admission is free.
Event: First Round, UIM Pleasure Navigation World Championship
Dates: April 17-19, 2026
Venue: Sliema circuit / Grand Harbour, Malta
Race Village: Boilers Wharf, Senglea
Organiser: Voomquest Limited
National Authority: Malta Powerboat Federation
Admission: Free
What You Will See
Pleasure Navigation racing puts purpose-built and heavily modified outboard-powered circuit boats on a closed course over open water. The Sliema race circuit runs clockwise across a 3.54 nautical mile loop of buoyed marks off the Maltese coastline, with eleven turning marks and finish buoys set in position for each day of racing.
HOCR (High Output Circuit Racing) classes run from compact 18-foot hulls in F1 trim to 27-foot Chaudron SVR hulls in Super Sport, with outboard power from Mercury and Yamaha ranging from single 150hp units to 450hp single and twin-engine configurations. Group B adds the B300 and S450 classes, with entries from Belgium and Malta at the top of the grid. Race 1 on Saturday is set for Start plus 11 laps. Race 2 on Sunday runs to Start plus 13 laps.
Running alongside the world championship on Friday and Sunday, a National Straight Run event takes place in the Grand Harbour, where competitors make timed sprint passes through one of the Mediterranean’s most photographed stretches of water. These runs produce striking speeds in a setting unlike any on the European powerboat calendar.
Event Schedule
All championship races take place on the Sliema circuit. Straight Run events take place in the Grand Harbour. All times are local Malta time (CEST, UTC+2).
| Session | Local time (CEST, UTC+2) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday April 17 – Grand Harbour Straight Runs (National Event) | ||
| Race boats leave Wet Pits to muster area | 09:45 | 07:45 |
| National Event – Straight Run Races, Grand Harbour (Session 1) | 10:00 – 12:00 | 08:00 |
| Race boats leave Wet Pits to muster area | 13:45 | 11:45 |
| National Event – Straight Run Races, Grand Harbour (Session 2) | 14:00 – 16:00 | 12:00 |
| Saturday April 18 – World Championship Race 1 (Sliema Circuit) | ||
| Official Testing, Sliema – all classes, compulsory | 10:00 – 12:00 | 08:00 |
| Race boats ready to follow Start Boat | 14:00 – 14:30 | 12:00 |
| World Championship Race 1 – Group A and Group B, Start + 11 Laps | 14:30 – 15:15 | 12:30 |
| Sunday April 19 – World Championship Race 2 + Grand Harbour Straight Runs | ||
| World Championship Race 2 – Group A and Group B, Start + 13 Laps | 11:00 – 12:30 | 09:00 |
| Race boats leave Wet Pits to muster area | 13:45 | 11:45 |
| National Event – Straight Run Races, Grand Harbour | 14:00 – 17:00 | 12:00 |
| Podium Ceremony | 18:30 | 16:30 |
All times are Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2). Your time converts automatically to your local time.
Entry List
19 entries across five classes, as submitted to Voomquest. No entries are listed for HOCR F2, HOCR F3 or P150 in the documentation received.
HOCR F1 – Group A
| # | Driver / Co-Pilot | Team | Boat | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 555 | Gabriel Camilleri / Aidan Borg | Team Boosted HOCR | Speedcraft 18 | Mercury 175 2-stroke V6 |
| 25 | Miguel Farrugia / Shamison Zammit | Team Secret Service | Chaudron 18 | Mercury 150 2-stroke V6 |
| 24 | Claudio Gullo / Diego Testa | Team Cinzano | Chaudron Pro S 25 | Mercury 150 V6 |
| 90 | Robert McCarthy / Mark Power | If Only | Bernico F3 Extreme | Yamaha |
| 4 | Matthew Scicluna / Jeremy Galea | Herby Racing Team | Speedcraft 18 | Mercury 150 2-stroke V6 |
| 5 | Dexter Bianco / Joseph Portelli | Vanta Racing Team | Infinity 22 | Mercury 150 Optimax |
HOCR Sport – Group A
| # | Driver / Co-Pilot | Team | Boat | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nigel Camenzuli / Jack Farrugia | Team Infiniti Powerboats | Infinity 22 | Mercury 250 V6 |
| 69 | Danizio Buttiegieg / Kurt Buttiegieg | Team Infiniti Powerboats | Infinity 22 | Mercury 225 V6 |
| 26 | Owen Cassar / Jesorai Arapa | Poseidon Racing Team | Chaudron Pro S 25 | Mercury 300R |
| 18 | Connor Field / Stephen Borg | Dark Secret | Speedcraft 22 | Mercury 300XS |
| 17 | Ramon Galea / Zeyon Fenech | Xkubett Racing Team | Chaudron 22 | Mercury 300XS |
| 71 | Miguel Mamo / Dylan German | Splendid Racing Team | Infinity 22 | Mercury 300XS |
HOCR Super Sport – Group A
| # | Driver / Co-Pilot | Team | Boat | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | Stephen Bezzina / David Borg | Team Cutting Edge | Chaudron SVR 27 | Twin Mercury 200 V6 |
| 88 | Clive Butler / Sammy Grima | Team EL Diablo | Chaudron SVR 27 | Mercury 450R |
B300 – Group B
| # | Driver / Co-Pilot | Team | Boat | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Kurt Mifsud / Sam Howes | Interceptor | Chaudron SVR 27 | Mercury 300XS |
| 63 | Kenneth Himpe / Ignace Mesure | Belgium Offshore Racing Team | Topline Pegasus 27 | Mercury 300 |
| 50 | Buby Bertels / Alfredo Alongi | Taz-A-Mania | – | – |
S450 – Group B
| # | Driver / Co-Pilot | Team | Boat | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 888 | Alain Coppens / Oscar Blondeel | Silver Racing Team | Skipper BSK NC 100C | Mercury |
| 72 | Brandon Bonavia / Dustin Mifsud | Apex Racing | Chaudron SVR 27 | Mercury 400 L6 |
Venue
The Sliema race circuit is 3.54 nautical miles in length, set with eleven buoyed turning marks plus finish marks and running clockwise off the Sliema waterfront. The Race Village, covering dry pits, wet pits, crane area, fuelling and VIP facilities, is at Boilers Wharf, Senglea, inside the Grand Harbour. The Grand Harbour Straight Run course passes through the inner harbour on Friday and Sunday.
The Organiser
The event is organised by Voomquest Limited, Malta. Contact: Aaron Ciantar, [email protected].
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.
