Norvill and Foster Tackle Englewood Ahead of Key West

UKOPRA regulars James Norvill and Andy Foster head to Englewood Beach, Florida this weekend for crucial practice ahead of November’s Key West World Championships.

The British pairing will campaign a Phantom 32 V-bottom powered by a Mercury Racing 520 sterndrive in the Class 400 category, targeting speeds around 85mph. The weekend serves as their competitive debut before tackling the Race World Offshore World Championships on 2-9 November in the Florida Keys.

Norvill acquired the boat just three weeks ago, with the duo travelling to Florida last Monday to begin testing at the Suncoast venue. Both racers have competed stateside before, but this marks their first campaign together across the pond. Englewood hosts the 2025 APBA-UIM World Championship from 9-12 October, with over 50 teams competing for more than $50,000 in prize money. The compressed timeframe makes the event a critical shakedown for the Anglo team to dial in their Florida-built V-bottom.

Norvill’s championship credentials

Norvill, a South Wales entrepreneur and property developer, brings a wealth of international powerboat experience spanning more than a decade. The Newport businessman made his competitive debut at the 2012 P1 SuperStock Championship with the Oval Insurance team, immediately securing two podium finishes.

His breakthrough season came in 2014 when, partnering with navigator Charlie Parsons-Young aboard the GD Environmental Services entry, Norvill claimed both the UK and US P1 SuperStock Championships. The pairing secured the British title at Gosport before crossing the Atlantic to win the P1 St Cloud Grand Prix of The Sea, entering the final race with a slender three-point advantage.

More recently, Norvill teamed with Christian Parsons-Young in the 2025 UKOPRA season, competing in the newly acquired Dragon powerboat “Piston Broke” and securing third overall in Class 1L at the opening round with an average speed of 75.82 mph.

Foster’s UKOPRA pedigree

Foster brings considerable UK offshore experience to the partnership, having secured multiple Class 3D victories in UKOPRA competition. Racing Renegade 2 with regular navigator Charles Morris, Foster claimed line honours at the 2023 Cowes-Poole-Cowes race and took Class 3D victory at that year’s Lymington Challenge, completing the 74-nautical-mile course in testing conditions.

The West Country-based racer has proven consistently competitive across the UKOPRA circuit, with Renegade 2 featuring regularly on Class 3D podiums throughout the past two seasons. His technical understanding of offshore racing in varied conditions positions him well for Florida’s challenging waters.

Phantom and Mercury package

The Phantom 32, built by Will Smith’s Sarasota-based operation, represents a purpose-designed offshore race platform developed specifically for canopied V-bottom competition. Smith’s design extends the running surface by three feet compared to the Phantom 30, whilst incorporating an eight-inch wider beam and reduced profile for enhanced aerodynamics.

Powering the package, the Mercury Racing 520 delivers 520 bhp through an 8.6-litre multiport fuel-injected V-8. The naturally aspirated engine features a forged micro-alloy crankshaft, precision-balanced for maximum performance, with Mercury Racing aluminium cylinder heads optimised for improved airflow. The unit produces 592 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, providing strong mid-range punch essential for offshore racing.

Eyes on November prize

The Englewood outing provides Foster and Norvill with race-specific preparation time on Florida waters ahead of Key West’s notoriously challenging conditions. Having arrived in Florida last Monday, the pair have been conducting intensive testing sessions at Englewood Beach to familiarise themselves with both the boat and local conditions.

The tight three-week window between purchase and competition leaves minimal margin for error, making their pre-event testing crucial. The November world championships attract the planet’s top offshore teams across multiple classes, with racing scheduled for 5, 7 and 9 November from Truman Waterfront Park.