Marcin Zielinski added the UIM F-500 European Championship to his season, taking the title at Tallinn’s Lake Harku over the weekend of July 24-26. David Loukotka finished second, with home name Erko Aabrams third after retiring from the opening heat with a blown engine and rebuilding the boat in 55 minutes to fight back through the field.
The event, previewed here, doubled as round two of the Baltic and Estonian championships across seven further classes.
F-500 European Championship, Lake Harku: 1. Marcin Zielinski (Poland) 2. David Loukotka (Czech Republic) 3. Erko Aabrams (Estonia)
Loukotka’s team described the weekend as an emotional one, full of hard-fought battles, and credited GRM for an engine that ran faultlessly throughout and Lak Propellers for the props that helped them fight for the front of the field.
Aabrams Rebuilds in 55 Minutes to Fight Back for Bronze
Aabrams, a three-time F-500 world champion still chasing his first European title, retired from heat one with a blown engine, costing him crucial points before the series had settled. His team and friends had the boat rebuilt and back on the water in 55 minutes.
He rose from second-to-last on the grid to finish second in heat two, won the start and finished second again in heat three, then closed the weekend with an outright heat win. It was enough to secure bronze in the final classification.
Erko Aabrams:
“The bronze medal at the Europeans is something to be satisfied with, even though we were going for gold at the start. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the boat setup 100% right, and the retirement in the first heat cost us important points. Getting to the second start was only possible thanks to my friends and team, who got the boat back in working order in 55 minutes after the engine failed. We came through from second-to-last to second in the second heat, won the start and finished second in the third, and closed the weekend with a heat win. I want to thank Reigo Virro, Lumiorav and my whole team.”
What It Means for the World Championship
Zielinski and Aabrams arrived at Lake Harku first and second in the UIM Hydro GP World Championship points race, a battle Powerboat News reported on after Chodziez. The European title itself carries no world championship points, but Zielinski’s win at his rival’s home lake sets up the resumption of the world series at Ruse, Bulgaria, on August 22-23. The full Hydro GP standings are updated after every round.
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.
