The UIM XCAT World Championship is the premier international series for extreme catamaran offshore powerboat racing, sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique. It combines high-speed offshore racing with circuit-style precision across coastal venues worldwide, with boats reaching speeds in excess of 200 km/h.

What Is the UIM XCAT World Championship?

XCAT stands for Extreme Catamaran. The series uses Class III 6-litre catamarans crewed by a driver and throttleman, racing over multi-lap offshore courses at speeds exceeding 200 km/h. Races feature rolling starts, designated overtaking marks and a format mixing Grand Prix distance races with shorter sprint and elimination elements.

The series was formally rebranded as the UIM XCAT World Championship in 2018, with updated sporting, media and marketing formats. Earlier iterations ran under the UIM X-CAT World Powerboat Series name, with standings documented from 2012. A key feature of the series is containerised boat transport, which reduces logistics costs by approximately 80% compared to larger offshore classes, making global participation more accessible.

The series places strong emphasis on environmental credentials. The sealed Mercury ROS four-stroke engines reduce harmful emissions by approximately 80% compared to earlier powerboat powerplants.

Boat and Engine Specifications

Boats are twin-hull catamarans between 9.10 m and 10.10 m in length (maximum 10.60 m for container transport fit). Minimum weight including crew in full race gear is 2,400 kg. The cockpit features side-by-side seating with mandatory escape hatches, impact protection, fire extinguishers, bilge pumps, harness cutters and on-board air systems.

Both engines are Mercury 400 ROS four-stroke units with homologated, sealed crankcases, cylinder heads and superchargers. No modifications are permitted from the factory specification. Mercury DTS controls are mandatory throughout. UIM-supplied ECUs are randomly assigned to prevent tampering, and data loggers are fitted to all boats with no live telemetry permitted to teams. Propellers are limited to a maximum of five blades with no forged propellers allowed.

Race Format

Each event weekend includes up to two official practice sessions, a pole position session to set the Grand Prix grid, up to two Speed Cat Run elimination sprints over 700-1,300 metres from a rolling start, an optional Match Race, and up to two Grand Prix races as the primary championship points events.

Grand Prix races cover a minimum lap length of 3.0 nautical miles with a minimum race distance of 50 nautical miles, or approximately one hour plus one lap. Boats start behind a pace cat at around 45 mph, with the pole boat holding the shortest line to the first mark. A speed limit of 100 knots (plus 2%) is enforced via data loggers, with course adjustments made if the limit is exceeded in practice. An X-Point mark designates the primary overtaking zone on the circuit.

Points are awarded for each race with no discards permitted. The Grand Prix awards 35 points to the winner down to 1 point for 15th place and below. Ties are broken by number of wins, then seconds, then average speed across the season.

2026 Season Calendar

2025 Championship Standings and Teams

World Champions