The Cowes-Torquay-Cowes is the longest-running offshore powerboat race in the world and the first such event held outside the United States. First run in 1961, it has been the benchmark of offshore racing in Britain and Europe for more than six decades.

History and Origins

The race was conceived by Sir Max Aitken, newspaper magnate and powerboat enthusiast, and first run on 23 September 1961 as the Daily Express International Offshore Powerboat Race. Seven boats started. The inaugural winner was Tommy Sopwith in Thunderbolt, completing the course in approximately 4 hours 5 minutes at an average of 24.50 mph.

Early editions ran as a one-way race from Cowes to Torquay. The course evolved into the full round-trip Cowes-Torquay-Cowes format to qualify for international championship status under UIM rules. Over six decades the event has carried numerous title sponsors, seen cancellations including 1992 (70-knot winds) and 2020 (Covid), and adapted its format while retaining its character as the most demanding offshore race in Europe.

The British Powerboat Racing Club was established in the wake of the first race to manage and promote it. The event now forms the centrepiece of the Go GPS Cowes Powerboat Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend, alongside a Cowes-Poole-Cowes secondary race.

The Course

The course runs westward from Cowes on the Isle of Wight along the south coast of England to Torquay in Devon, then returns to Cowes. The total distance is approximately 210 miles. Key landmarks and hazards include the Needles at the western tip of the Isle of Wight, Portland Bill with its notorious tidal race, Start Point, and Berry Head approaching Torquay. The course is exposed to Atlantic swell, strong tidal currents and the full range of English Channel weather.

Under the current two-leg format, boats run non-stop from Cowes to Torquay, take an approximately 90-minute refuelling stop in Torquay harbour (a popular spectator occasion), then run non-stop back to Cowes. The overall winner is determined by combined elapsed time across both legs.

Current Format and Classes

Boats compete in BPRC performance classes (120, 100, 80, 60 and others), with peak speeds regularly exceeding 100 mph and the fastest boats reaching 125 mph or more on the straighter sections. The main trophy is the Beaverbrook Trophy, awarded to the overall winner. The Harmsworth Trophy recognises the fastest time, though it has been awarded infrequently in recent years.

Course Records

The outright course record of 94.70 mph was set by Drew Langdon and Miles Jennings in Silverline Bullet in 2021, completing both legs in approximately 2 hours 25 minutes. The previous record of 94.55 mph was set in 2015 by Peter Dredge, Simon Powell, Mal Crease and David Gandy in Vector Martini Rosso.

All-Time Winners

The 2026 Race

The 65th staging of the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes takes place on Sunday 30 August 2026 as the headline event of the Go GPS Cowes Powerboat Festival (28-30 August). The Cowes-Poole-Cowes race also runs during the festival weekend. Good Boy Vodka, the 52-foot Outerlimits SV52 that won in 2025 ending a four-year Silverline Bullet dominance, will be among the entries to watch.