Powerboat News has been running since last September. In that time, the traffic data has told a story that the racing community probably does not want to hear.
Articles about the boating industry – boat launches, company acquisitions, new models, engine technology – outperform racing news by a factor of 50. Not occasionally. Consistently.
Our Sunseeker acquisition piece generated more traffic in a single day than most race reports manage in a year. The stats don’t lie.
This is not an indictment of powerboat racing. It is an indictment of how powerboat racing presents itself.
The coverage gap is not a mystery. It is a choice, and the sport is making the wrong one.
Powerboat News covers every major series. The site has Google News recognition. Articles index within minutes of publication. The infrastructure is there. What is missing is the raw material.
If you are racing in 2026, here is what useful looks like: send us a few words. That is it. No PR agency required. No budget. Ten minutes of your time in exchange for coverage that reaches an audience you cannot otherwise access.
The industry has worked this out. Boat builders, engine manufacturers, and marine technology companies understand that editorial coverage has value. They engage accordingly, and their products get read about by people who buy things.
The racing community is still waiting for someone else to do it.
I am not alone in thinking this. Brent Dillard, an F1H2O competitor, posted this on Facebook last night:
I encourage every powerboat racing social media platform to never have a negative post about our sport – but keep it ethical, no lies. Show numbers. Show attendance. Interview fans. I saw a post where a boat race made a million dollar-plus economic impact where a race was held. That should be everywhere. We need to let the world know. Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t lie. Every city, town, state, country, or any entity that puts on a boat race can see the math. The ROI is very positive. Summer is coming and boat racing can have a huge economic impact in tourism and other aspects of the economy. Let’s make 2026 and beyond the greatest powerboat racing has ever been.
– Brent Dillard
I look forward to hearing from you.
John
[email protected]
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.
