The 2026 UIM Hydro GP World Championship reaches its fifth and final round at Ruse, Bulgaria, from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 August, alongside the European Championship for GT15. Racing runs on the Danube River, with Romania visible across the water from the pit area.
Marcin Zielinski leads the F-500 world title fight by four points over Erko Aabrams after four rounds, with Attila Havas a further seven points back in third. Zielinski’s win at the F-500 European Championship at Tallinn carried no world points, so the picture arrives at Ruse unchanged from Chodziez in June: three heats, one round, and a four-point gap at the top.
What to Expect
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, engines built to 500cc. GT15 is the entry-level tunnel-boat class, standard Tohatsu engines with modifications prohibited; for this event, UIM rules set the minimum age at 12 and the maximum at 16.
It is the first major UIM powerboat event held in Bulgaria, run by the Bulgarian Powerboat Federation with backing from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Municipality of Ruse. The GT15 field includes home name Nikola Todorov, a two-time European champion and world vice-champion racing in front of his own crowd.
The race course is a closed heptagon circuit on the river: 1,500 metres per lap for F-500, run over a start lap plus eight scoring laps, and 1,100 metres per lap for GT15, over a start lap plus six laps. F-500 heats count three toward the results; GT15 run four. Both classes start with a dead engine, and a maximum of 16 boats are permitted on the course at once.
F-500 Hydro GP World Championship points after four rounds: Marcin Zielinski (Poland) 67, Erko Aabrams (Estonia) 63, Attila Havas (Hungary) 56. Full standings are updated after every round.
Weekend Timetable
All times are local (EEST, UTC+3). The “Your time” column converts automatically to your device’s time zone.
| Session | Local time (EEST, UTC+3) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 21 August | ||
| Pit area open | 12:00 | |
| Race office open and registration | 12:00 – 20:00 | |
| Scrutineering | 14:00 – 20:00 | |
| Opening ceremony | 20:30 | |
| Saturday 22 August | ||
| Drivers’ briefing, GT15 | 08:30 – 09:00 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F-500 | 09:00 – 09:30 | |
| Scrutineering, all classes | 09:30 – 10:30 | |
| Free practice, GT15 | 10:30 – 11:30 | |
| Free practice, F-500 | 11:30 – 12:30 | |
| Time trials, GT15 | 14:30 – 15:30 | |
| Time trials, F-500 | 15:30 – 16:30 | |
| Heat 1, GT15 | 17:00 – 17:30 | |
| Heat 1, F-500 | 18:00 – 18:30 | |
| Heat 2, GT15 | 19:00 – 19:30 | |
| Sunday 23 August | ||
| Drivers’ briefing, GT15 | 08:30 – 09:00 | |
| Drivers’ briefing, F-500 | 09:00 – 09:30 | |
| Free practice, GT15 | 10:00 – 11:00 | |
| Free practice, F-500 | 11:00 – 12:00 | |
| Heat 3, GT15 | 12:00 – 12:30 | |
| Heat 2, F-500 | 14:30 – 15:00 | |
| Heat 4, GT15 | 15:30 – 16:00 | |
| Heat 3, F-500 (title-deciding) | 16:30 – 17:00 | |
| Prize giving ceremony | 19:00 | |
Times are set by the organiser and subject to change. Check the official notice board in the pit area for updates on race day.
Venue and Access
The course is on the Danube River at “Pristanishtna” str. 24, 7000 Ruse, Bulgaria. The pit area runs alongside the river with camping available on site, and the main event hotel is the Hotel Riga. Results are published live at time4.racing, with GPS tracking of every boat via racetracking.org.
More Hydro GP Coverage
Follow the F-500 title fight through every round of the 2026 season.
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.
