The Race World Offshore National Series opens its 2026 season at Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the Atlantic City Sports Offshore Grand Prix taking place from Friday June 26 to Sunday June 28. Racing runs along the iconic Boardwalk shoreline and is free to watch from the beach.
Three classes of offshore powerboat will compete across the weekend: Class 1, Class 2, and Super Cat. Qualifying and racing begin on Saturday, with the full race programme on Sunday. Three evenings of tribute band concerts at the Golden Nugget Hotel round out the weekend.
What You Will See on the Water
The three classes competing at Atlantic City represent some of the fastest machinery in American offshore racing. Super Cat catamarans measure between 38 and 44 feet and are powered by twin 850-horsepower engines, reaching speeds of up to 140 mph. Class 1 boats run twin engines producing well over 1,000 horsepower each, capable of exceeding 150 mph in race conditions. Class 2 rounds out the entry list with slightly smaller but no less spectacular machinery.
Each boat carries a driver and a throttleman. The two-person crew works in close coordination, with the throttleman managing power delivery while the driver reads the water ahead. At the speeds these boats travel, a wave at the wrong moment can launch the hull airborne.
The Atlantic City course runs for approximately 5.0 miles in a clockwise direction parallel to the coastline, with the start line in front of the beach and turns marked by buoy clusters at each end. The course is visible in its entirety from the Boardwalk, which makes Atlantic City one of the best spectator venues in offshore racing.
Weekend Schedule
All times below are Eastern Time (ET). The race schedule is subject to change.
| Session | Local time (ET, UTC-4) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 25 | ||
| Dry Pits Open – Golden Nugget Hotel | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM | – |
| Early Registration | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | – |
| Friday, June 26 | ||
| Registration & Dry Pits Open | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | – |
| Inspections Open (EZ Pass Required) | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | – |
| Dunker Safety Testing | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | – |
| Welcome Party Concert (Van Halen & Journey tribute acts) – Golden Nugget Marina | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM | – |
| Saturday, June 27 | ||
| Mandatory Drivers Meeting | 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM | – |
| Official Offshore Testing | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | – |
| Qualifying – Class 1, Class 2, Super Cat, Super Stock | 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM | – |
| Race 1 | 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM | – |
| Race 2 | 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | – |
| Official Offshore Testing (second session) | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | – |
| Racer’s Party Concert (AC/DC tribute act) – Golden Nugget Marina | 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM | – |
| Sunday, June 28 | ||
| Mandatory Drivers Meeting | 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM | – |
| Race 1 – Starts 1 & 2 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | – |
| Race 2 – Starts 1 & 2 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | – |
| Race 3 – Starts 1 & 2 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | – |
| Race 4 – Starts 1 & 2 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | – |
| Awards Ceremony & After Party (Led Zeppelin tribute act) – Marina Deck, Golden Nugget | 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM | – |
Times shown in Eastern Time (ET, UTC-4). Your local time is calculated automatically.
The Course
The circuit runs approximately 5.0 miles clockwise parallel to the Atlantic City coastline. The start line sits around 1 mile from the finish line, with the straight leg between Turn 1 and Turn 2 measuring 4.00 miles. Boats start in front of the beach, head east to Turn 1 cluster (AB1, AB1A, AB1B) off the Boardwalk’s Steel Pier end, then run back west to Turn 2 cluster (AB2, AB2A, AB2B) before completing the lap. Safety Point buoys SP1 and SP2 mark exclusion zones.
A Milling Circle is designated offshore to the northeast, where boats hold position before the rolling start.
Dunker Testing
Friday’s schedule includes dunker testing — mandatory underwater egress training in which race crews practice escaping from a simulated inverted cockpit submerged in water. All offshore drivers and throttlemen must hold a current dunker certification to compete. It is one of the sport’s most demanding safety requirements and gives an indication of the conditions crews may face if a boat goes over at racing speed.
Venue and Access
Racing takes place off the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The beach and Boardwalk provide free spectator viewing across the full length of the course. Boat launches operate from 400 W Shore Drive, Brigantine, NJ 08203.
The Golden Nugget Hotel at 600 Huron Avenue hosts all three evening events. The Saturday night AC/DC tribute concert is open to racers and crews. The Sunday awards ceremony and Led Zeppelin tribute act conclude the weekend.
The 2026 Race World Offshore National Series
Atlantic City opens a four-round national series that continues at Michigan City, Indiana (July 31 to August 2), Clearwater, Florida (September 25 to 27), and concludes at Key West, Florida (November 1 to 8). The series is sanctioned by APBA and UIM.
Live Broadcast
Both race days are live streamed on the Race World Offshore Facebook page and YouTube channel, starting at 11:00 AM ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Parking
An overflow parking lot is available at 2301 Fairmount Ave, Atlantic City, NJ. The dry pits and team operations are based at the Golden Nugget Hotel, 600 Huron Avenue. Boat launches operate from 400 W Shore Drive, Brigantine, NJ 08203.
Follow Race World Offshore on Powerboat News
Race coverage, results, and championship standings throughout the 2026 season.
RWO 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.
