Baoshan’s district government confirmed at a press conference this week that Shanghai will host the UIM F1H2O World Championship and the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship in the same October window, the district’s first time staging both together. The Aquabike World Championship opens the pairing on October 2-3, with the F1H2O Grand Prix of China following on October 4-5, both at the Changtan waters off Wusongkou in Baoshan.
Baoshan officials are framing the double booking as building Shanghai into what they are calling a “dual F1 city” for motorsport, pairing the district’s existing Formula 1 links with the unofficial “F1 of the water” tag both powerboat championships carry. It is the first time the Aquabike World Championship has raced in the district. F1H2O has run there since its return to Shanghai in 2024, after a twenty year absence from the city.
Shanghai’s October Double-Header
UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship: October 2-3, Changtan waters, Baoshan
UIM F1H2O World Championship, Grand Prix of China: October 4-5, Changtan waters, Baoshan
Entries: 65+ Aquabike riders including 13 from China, 18 F1H2O drivers
Tickets: from 135 yuan via Damai, real-name registration, free general viewing area available
More than 65 riders will contest the Aquabike World Championship across sit-down, stand-up and freestyle categories, including 13 Chinese competitors. The F1H2O field numbers 18 drivers, racing through qualifying, sprint races and the Grand Prix itself. Baoshan has added 448 grandstand seats at the venue this year, and officials expect daily spectator numbers to pass 12,500.
Tickets and access
Tickets are sold through the Damai platform with real-name registration, in half-day, full-day, family and early-bird formats, starting from 135 yuan. A free general viewing area is also available for both events. Ticket holders can redeem their stub for discounts on nearby restaurants, hotels and the district’s tourism pass, under a scheme Baoshan is calling its “consumption passport.”
A month-long carnival around the racing
The racing sits inside Baoshan’s “Colourful Baoshan National Day Carnival,” which opened September 15 and runs to October 15 with close to 160 events across the district. The programme includes a drone firework display above Wusongkou, a waterfront running and cycling series, a folk music season, and an art market along the Changtan waterfront. Baoshan is also using the event to push its “Stars of the Future” youth water sports programme, under F1H2O’s UIM-granted status as a permanent race venue.
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.
