Entries Open for 73rd Raid Pavia-Venezia
Registration is now open for the 73rd Raid Pavia-Venezia, with the Italian Motorboating Federation approving race regulations for the 381-kilometre endurance event scheduled for 29-31 May 2026.
The race dates were announced in November, confirming the event would follow its traditional late-May schedule through northern Italy’s Po River from Pavia to Venice.
Registration Details
Entries close on 15 May 2026, with early registration offering reduced fees. Jet ski competitors pay €450 until 15 March, rising to €550 until 30 April and €650 thereafter. Other classes start at €500, increasing to €600 and €700 at the same intervals.
The organising committee will accept a maximum of 120 entries, allocated by order of completed registration and payment. Up to 10 per cent additional places may be offered as wild cards.
Registration requires submission through the event website at raidpaviavenezia.it, with final changes permitted until 27 May.
Race Route
The route covers 381 kilometres in five sections from Pavia to Brondolo near Venice, with three timed segments totalling 352 kilometres. Rankings are calculated from combined times in the timed sections between Ponte della Becca and Voltagrimana.
Route Summary: Competitors depart Pavia between 07:00 and 12:30 on 31 May, navigating the Po River through Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto before finishing at Marina del Sole in Brondolo. The top three crews in each class continue to Venice Arsenal for the awards ceremony.
The course includes an untimed transfer section from Pavia to Ponte della Becca, followed by timed racing to Isola Serafini lock. After lock operations, the second timed section continues to Torricella di Sissa, where optional official refuelling is available. The third timed section runs 215 kilometres to Voltagrimana, incorporating the 55-kilometre Coppa Montelera special stage between Revere and Pontelagoscuro.
Admitted Classes
The regulations permit entry for boats capable of maintaining 60 kilometres per hour across multiple categories. Formula catamarans with safety capsules, racing boats with engines exceeding 500cc, and pleasure craft under 9.9 metres meeting cruising speed requirements are eligible.
Offshore Class 3 entries require dedicated helicopter rescue services arranged at the competitor’s expense. Endurance Group B, jet ski endurance and pleasure classes, inboard racers up to 2,500cc, water-skiing speed boats and air-propeller hovercraft complete the permitted categories.
Pleasure boat classes are defined by weight-to-power ratios, ranging from the performance-focused Diporto 3:1 category to Diporto 8:1 for heavier hulls. A dedicated CAT D class accommodates production-derived catamarans between 6.4 and 9.9 metres with maximum 300 horsepower.
Event Schedule
Boats must arrive at AMP Pavia by 12:00 on Friday 29 May, with administrative and technical checks running from 14:00 to 18:00. Further checks continue on Saturday morning and afternoon before the mandatory pilots’ meeting at 17:30.
Race day begins with boat launching from 06:00, followed by staggered departures throughout the morning. Competitors must reach Brondolo by 19:00 to be classified, with rankings published at 18:00 and a closed park period of 60 minutes for technical verification.
The awards ceremony takes place at Venice Arsenal at 18:30.
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.
