Jimmy Shane won the 2026 APBA Gold Cup at Madison on Sunday, taking the U-27 Miss Apollo to victory in his first H1 Unlimited race since stepping away at the end of the 2022 season. It is the sixth Gold Cup of his career.
The result came at the end of a delayed final day. Large amounts of debris on the Ohio River held the course on Sunday morning, and organisers and the City of Madison kept racing open longer than planned so every boat could complete the three qualifying heats required to reach the five-boat Gold Cup Final. Full detail on the build-up and schedule is in PBN’s Madison Regatta preview.
Tate Demoted After Crossing Second
Andrew Tate, the two-time defending Madison champion, crossed the finish line of the Final in second place in the U-1 BWR Racing entry but was handed a bearing out penalty, dropping him to fifth in the official classification.
Corey Peabody took the runner-up spot in the U-3 Tahoe Miss, with J. Michael Kelly completing the podium in third in the U-00 Maverick. Brandon Kennedy brought the hometown U-6 Royer Miss Madison through as the non-qualifying trailer boat.
| Position | Driver | Boat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Shane | U-27 Miss Apollo |
| 2 | Corey Peabody | U-3 Tahoe Miss |
| 3 | J. Michael Kelly | U-00 Maverick |
| 5 | Andrew Tate | U-1 BWR Racing (bearing out penalty, crossed 2nd) |
| Trailer | Brandon Kennedy | U-6 Royer Miss Madison |
H1 Unlimited’s own release gives two different final placings for the U-6 Royer Miss Madison, fourth in one section and sixth in another. PBN has left that boat’s exact position out of the table above pending confirmation and will update once the official timing sheet is available.
A Six-Time Gold Cup Winner
Shane’s win takes him to six Gold Cups and continues a career that BWR Racing described, when it announced his signing in November 2025, as one of the most accomplished in H1 Unlimited history. At the time, team owner Bruce Ratchford called the signing “a statement of intent.”
Shane himself said:
I’m beyond excited to be back in H1 Unlimited racing, especially with BWR Racing. Stepping away in 2022 to focus on my family was the right decision, but the passion for this sport never left. I’m coming back motivated, focused, and ready to give everything I’ve got.
Shane drives the U-27 Miss Apollo, the hull Dave Villwock took to his record 68th career win and 11th Gold Cup at Tri-Cities last year before retiring. H1 Unlimited now moves on to Tri-Cities, Washington, for the next round of the 2026 season.
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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.
