The UIM Formula European Championship for F-500 is decided at Lake Harku in Tallinn, Estonia, from Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26, 2026. Tallinn Powerboat Club hosts the continental title under the Estonian Powerboat Association, with the weekend doubling as round two of the Baltic and Estonian championships across seven further classes: GT-15, GT-30, F4, F2, OSY 400, F-125 and F-250. F-500 drivers pay no entry fee.
The Tallinn entry list draws heavily on the drivers contesting the 2026 UIM Hydro GP World Championship, where the F-500 class points battle is still unresolved. Powerboat News reported on the world title picture after Chodziez, and the top three in that fight are all on the water at Lake Harku this weekend, chasing a separate European title before the World Championship resumes at Ruse, Bulgaria, on August 22-23.
F-500 Hydro GP World Championship points after four rounds: Marcin Zielinski (Poland) 67, Erko Aabrams (Estonia) 63, Attila Havas (Hungary) 56. All three are entered at Tallinn, where Aabrams races as the home name. The full Hydro GP standings are updated after every round, though it is worth noting Tallinn awards its own UIM European title rather than World Championship points.
F-500 Entry List
Ten drivers are confirmed for the F-500 European Championship, per the Estonian Powerboating Union’s official entry system. Late changes and reserve entries may be confirmed on official race bulletins.
| No. | Driver |
|---|---|
| 5 | Marcin Zielinski |
| 23 | Robert Hencz |
| 29 | Attila Havas |
| 36 | Patrik Šipoš |
| 55 | Paul Hart |
| 86 | Marian Jung |
| 87 | Erko Aabrams |
| 91 | Nikoly Surkov-Nixi |
| 98 | David Loukotka |
| 99 | Milen Marinov |
What Spectators Will See
F-500 is the fastest hydroplane class the UIM runs, propeller-driven single-seaters that lift almost clear of the water on two sponsons and the prop, with engines built to 500cc. OSY-400, F-125 and F-250 share the same technical family at smaller engine capacities, while GT-15 and GT-30 are the production tunnel-boat classes that form the traditional route through to F4 and F2. GT-15 is open to drivers from age 10, so the youngest competitors on the water this weekend will be racing alongside the reigning names of European hydroplaning.
Up to 18 boats can start together on the Harku circuit, a triangular course laid out close to the pit area and jetty, with F-500, GT-30, F4 and F2 running the full 12,000m distance over eight laps and OSY-400, F-125 and F-250 racing 7,500m over five.
Event Timetable
| Session | Local time (EEST, UTC+3) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, July 24 | ||
| Pit area open | 12:00 | |
| Race administration and scrutineering, all classes | 14:00 – 20:00 | |
| Organising committee meeting | 20:00 – 20:30 | |
| Pit area closed | 22:00 | |
| Saturday, July 25 | ||
| Pit area and race office open | 07:00 | |
| Scrutineering, all classes except F-500 | 07:00 – 08:00 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, all classes except F-500 | 08:00 – 08:20 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F-500 | 08:20 – 08:40 | |
| GT-15 free practice and time trial | 08:40 – 09:10 | |
| F-125 / F-250 free practice and time trial | 09:15 – 09:45 | |
| F-500 free practice | 09:50 – 10:35 | |
| GT-30 free practice and time trial | 10:40 – 11:10 | |
| OSY 400 free practice and time trial | 11:15 – 11:45 | |
| F4 free practice and time trial | 11:50 – 12:20 | |
| F2 free practice and time trial | 12:20 – 12:50 | |
| Opening ceremony | 13:00 – 13:30 | |
| Lunch break | 13:00 – 14:00 | |
| F-500 time trial | 14:00 – 14:40 | |
| GT-15 Heat 1 | 15:00 | |
| F-125 / F-250 Heat 1 | 15:20 | |
| GT-30 Heat 1 | 15:40 | |
| F-500 Heat 1 | 16:00 | |
| OSY 400 Heat 1 | 16:20 | |
| F4 Heat 1 | 16:40 | |
| F2 Heat 1 | 17:00 | |
| F-500 Heat 2 | 17:20 | |
| GT-15 Heat 2 | 17:40 | |
| F-125 / F-250 Heat 2 | 18:00 | |
| Pit area closed | 22:00 | |
| Sunday, July 26 | ||
| Pit area and office open | 07:00 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, all classes | 08:00 – 08:30 | |
| GT-15 free practice | 08:45 – 09:00 | |
| F-125 / F-250 free practice | 09:05 – 09:20 | |
| F-500 free practice | 09:25 – 09:55 | |
| GT-30 free practice | 10:00 – 10:15 | |
| OSY 400 free practice | 10:20 – 10:35 | |
| F4 free practice | 10:40 – 10:55 | |
| F2 free practice | 11:00 – 11:20 | |
| GT-30 Heat 2 | 11:35 | |
| OSY 400 Heat 2 | 11:55 | |
| F-500 Heat 3 | 12:15 | |
| Lunch break | 12:35 – 13:45 | |
| F4 Heat 2 | 13:45 | |
| F2 Heat 2 | 14:05 | |
| F-500 Heat 4 | 14:25 | |
| GT-15 Heat 3 | 14:45 | |
| F-125 / F-250 Heat 3 | 15:05 | |
| GT-30 Heat 3 | 15:25 | |
| OSY 400 Heat 3 | 15:45 | |
| F4 Heat 3 | 16:05 | |
| F2 Heat 3 | 16:25 | |
| Prize giving ceremony | 17:45 | |
Times shown in Eastern European Summer Time (EEST, UTC+3). Your local time is calculated automatically above.
Venue and Practical Information
The venue is Lake Harku, Sõudebaasi 23, 13517 Tallinn, on the western edge of the Estonian capital. Each team is allocated a 4×6 metre area in the boat park, which closes overnight between 22:00 and 07:00. Camping is available for competitors and guests beside the boat park, with electricity, showers and toilets provided free of charge. Petrol-engined classes must buy their fuel from the Alexela station roughly 1km from the boat park, in line with UIM rules.
Four heats count towards the final classification in every class, all started with a dead engine start under UIM Rule 307. The three top drivers in each class are awarded trophies, the top six in GT-15, and UIM provides gold, silver and bronze medals for the titled F-500 European Championship podium.
Follow F-500 and Hydro GP Coverage
Powerboat News covers the UIM Hydro GP World Championship and F-500 racing throughout the 2026 season.
See UIM Hydros 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.
