Viverone hosts the first ever UIM F2 European Championship from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August, run alongside rounds three and four of the UIM F4 World Championship and round one of the Italian F.Junior Elite championship. The 12th Waterfestival Viverone Lake, organised by Rainbow Team Association on the Strada Lungolago circuit in Biella province, is only the second event of 2026 to combine F2 and F4 on the same water, after Klaipėda in June.
The F4 title race resumes with Ardis Slakteris and Adam Wrenkler level on 30 points after round one at Klaipėda, with Jean Baptiste Thomas four points back in third. Two races at Viverone will move the World Championship on to round four of five.
A European Title, Run Once
The UIM F2 European Championship sits between rounds two and three of the World Championship as a standalone event. Points do not carry over from Edgaras Riabko’s win in Brindisi, and none of what happens at Viverone counts towards the World Championship, which resumes at San Nazzaro on 28-30 August.
Áron Tábori takes charge as F2 race director for the weekend, his first solo appointment after two seasons training alongside Luis Ribeiro, who directs all five World Championship rounds. Entries for both F2 and F4 close on 19 July, with the full Viverone field confirmed after that date.
Three Championships, One Circuit
F.Junior Elite adds a fourth strand to the weekend, its 2026 Italian championship opening at Viverone under FIM rules rather than UIM’s. Junior pilots race a shorter 1,100 metre lap over eight laps, against the F2 and F4 boats’ 1,500 metre lap.
All three classes race the Strada Lungolago circuit on Lake Viverone, with F2 and F4 sharing Circuit A and F.Junior Elite running the adapted Circuit C layout. Practice, timed trials and race heats run in parallel across Saturday and Sunday, with two-seater demonstration sessions on both the Friday and Saturday programme.
Weekend Timetable
All times are local (CEST, UTC+2). The “Your time” column converts automatically to your device’s time zone.
| Session | Local time (CEST, UTC+2) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 7 August | ||
| Paddock area opens | 08:30 | |
| Two-seater demonstrations | 10:30 – 17:00 | |
| Administrative checks, all classes | 14:30 – 18:30 | |
| Technical scrutineering, all classes | 15:30 – 18:30 | |
| Paddock closes | 20:00 | |
| Saturday 8 August | ||
| Paddock and jetty area opens | 07:30 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F2 & F4 | 08:00 – 08:45 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F.Junior Elite | 08:45 – 09:00 | |
| F4 free trials | 09:00 – 09:45 | |
| F2 free trials | 09:50 – 11:20 | |
| F.Junior Elite Group A trials | 11:25 – 11:50 | |
| F4 timed trials | 11:55 – 12:55 | |
| F2 timed trials | 14:30 – 15:30 | |
| F.Junior Elite Group B trials | 15:40 – 16:05 | |
| F4 Race 1 | 16:15 – 17:00 | |
| F2 Heat 1 | 17:10 – 17:55 | |
| Two-seater demonstrations | 18:00 – 18:30 | |
| Paddock closes | 20:00 | |
| Sunday 9 August | ||
| Paddock and jetty area opens | 07:45 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F2 & F4 | 08:00 – 08:45 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F.Junior Elite | 08:45 – 09:00 | |
| F4 free trials | 09:00 – 09:45 | |
| F2 free trials | 09:50 – 10:35 | |
| F.Junior Elite qualification race | 10:40 – 11:10 | |
| F4 timed trials | 11:15 – 12:15 | |
| F2 Heat 2 | 12:20 – 13:00 | |
| F2 Heat 3 | 14:20 – 15:00 | |
| F.Junior Elite final | 15:10 – 15:40 | |
| F4 Race 2 | 15:45 – 16:25 | |
| F2 Heat 4 | 16:30 – 17:15 | |
| Award ceremony | 18:45 | |
Times are set by the organiser and subject to change on the request of the FIM General Commissioner or UIM Delegate. Check the official notice board in the paddock for updates on race day.
Venue and Access
The circuit sits on Strada Lungolago in Viverone, on the shore of Lake Viverone in the Piedmont region, roughly midway between Turin and Milan. The paddock opens on Thursday 6 August at 15:00 for team arrival and closes overnight between 20:00 and 07:00 throughout the event.
Results are published on the FIM Italia website at fimconi.it and on the Rainbow Team Association Facebook page. Competitors are required to refuel at the Tamoil station on Via Provinciale, with refuelling on the water strictly prohibited under UIM environmental rules.
More UIM F2 Coverage
Follow the inaugural European Championship, the World Championship title fight and every round of the 2026 season.
UIM F2 Coverage
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.
