Tobias Munthe-Kaas hasn’t had the best of seasons, but when he spoke to me under a hot Portuguese sun, the final race of the season could change his 2025 fortunes.
“I’m quite confident that we have done some changes that are making everything more driveable,”
“In the last race we had some struggle with the power steering, we had some struggle with leakage inside the boat. We have done a lot of work this week.”
The key to Munthe-Kaas’s optimism lies in the presence of his boat builder, Roger Lønnberg, who has made the trip to Portugal specifically to help the Norwegian racer.
“Roger is here with us, so we have done the work together, me, him and my guys.
Now everything should be fine and hopefully we can push even more,” he explained.
The collaboration represents a crucial intervention for a driver whose season has been derailed by a development process.
From engine troubles in Klaipėda to fuel tank and steering problems in Peso da Régua, Munthe-Kaas has been fighting his equipment rather than his rivals.
Faith in Finnish Innovation
Despite the frustrations, Munthe-Kaas remains convinced he has the right equipment beneath him. His boat features distinctive design elements, is making this boat very interesting. Roger has developed everything in his garage in Finland.
“I really like the design of the new boat. It’s very different from others, everything made in Finland. We’ve been part of this development and have been talking about it for years actually, but we needed some time to get a deal done.”
The long development process suggests this isn’t just another quick fix, but a considered engineering solution that could finally unlock the Norwegian’s pace.
Modest Ambitions
With the championship battle raging at the sharp end between the Wiberg siblings and their challengers, Munthe-Kaas has more humble goals for Sunday’s finale.
“I hope for top six,” he said when asked about his qualifying expectations, a modest target that reflects both his season-long struggles and his determination to simply get back in the hunt.
With Lønnberg’s expertise and a week of intensive preparation behind him, the Norwegian finally has reason for optimism heading into Vila Velha.
John Moore’s 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 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
