Edgaras Riabko came home to Kaunas late on Monday afternoon, September 28, as the 2026 UIM F2 World Champion, and was met at Kaunas Airport by a crowd with an oak wreath and chants of support.
Fourth place at Vila Velha de Ródão the day before had been enough to beat defending champion Mathilda Wiberg to the title by four points, his first UIM F2 World Championship.
Still Taking It In
Riabko came through arrivals with his TD Baltic team and went straight to his family. A day on, the result had still not sunk in.
Riabko told Kas vyksta Kaune:
I don’t even know, somehow I just can’t believe it. I’ve been working towards this for so many years, three silvers, three bronzes, there were so many dreams, and now I just can’t believe it. Now that I’m home, I don’t even know how I’ll get to sleep, or what I’ll think about now.
He has been chasing this title since 2015, having first taken up the sport in 1994. He thanked his family, his team and everyone who had believed in him, and admitted that after so many years of fighting for it, he was already wondering what comes next.
No Plans to Stop
Whatever comes next, it will not be retirement. Asked about his future, he laughed the idea off.
Riabko told Kas vyksta Kaune:
No, I definitely don’t want to end my career. I think if I stop, I’ll go grey fast, put on weight, not know what to do with myself and just sit on the sofa. The adrenaline keeps me going and I really need to keep living it.
He also credited steadily improving conditions for powerboat racing in Lithuania, and a growing community around it. The country opened this year’s championship with the Grand Prix of Lithuania in Klaipėda in June, where Riabko finished third in front of his home crowd, and in August Kaunas Lagoon hosted the Formula Future World Championship, where Lithuania took the team title.
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.
