The first free practice session in Peso da Régua saw Portugal’s own Duarte Benavente set the pace in front of the home crowd. The Atlantic Racing Team driver completed 34 laps, clocking a best time of 42.647 seconds.
Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi and Britain’s Matthew Palfreyman rounded out the top three, both within three-tenths of a second from the leader.
Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg impressed with the 4th fastest lap, while reigning champion Rashed Al Qemzi finished 5th. The session saw close margins throughout the field, with less than half a second covering the top six.
Here are the full free practice results:
| Pos | Number | Name | Country | Laps | Best Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 | Duarte Benavente | POR | 34 | 42.647 | |
| 2 | 74 | Giacomo Sacchi | MON | 35 | 42.753 | +0.106 |
| 3 | 14 | Matthew Palfreyman | GBR | 22 | 42.880 | +0.233 |
| 4 | 7 | Mathilda Wiberg | SWE | 29 | 42.974 | +0.327 |
| 5 | 1 | Rashed Al Qemzi | UAE | 32 | 43.192 | +0.545 |
| 6 | 96 | Roope Virtanen | FIN | 25 | 43.372 | +0.725 |
| 7 | 70 | Hilmer Wiberg | SWE | 49 | 43.407 | +0.760 |
| 8 | 41 | Edgaras Riabko | LTU | 35 | 43.408 | +0.761 |
| 9 | 33 | Nelson Morin | FRA | 29 | 43.582 | +0.935 |
| 10 | 11 | Peter Morin | FRA | 37 | 43.960 | +1.313 |
| 11 | 18 | Stefan Arand | EST | 45 | 44.011 | +1.364 |
| 12 | 36 | Salem Al Yafei | UAE | 50 | 44.740 | +2.093 |
| 13 | 9 | Mette Bjerknæs | GBR | 15 | 44.769 | +2.122 |
| 14 | 3 | Owen Jelf | GBR | 40 | 45.229 | +2.582 |
| 15 | 25 | Tino Lehto | FIN | 43 | 45.627 | +2.980 |
| 16 | 2 | Johan Österberg | SWE | 44 | 45.800 | +3.153 |
| 17 | 77 | Tobias Munthe-Kaas | NOR | 34 | 46.817 | +4.170 |
| 18 | 29 | Egidijus Dagilis | LTU | 29 | 47.103 | +4.456 |
| 19 | 27 | Andrè Solvang | NOR |
With free practice complete, all eyes turn to qualifying where the margins are expected to be even tighter.
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.
