Pål Virik Nilsen is coming back. The Norwegian will race with Erik Sundblad Johansen and Team Energima in the 2026 UIM XCAT World Championship, the team announced on Facebook. Energima’s post says the team is “excited to announce” the line-up, and refers to new engines for the season.
The announcement reverses the story Powerboat News ran in January, when Nilsen retired after a 33-year racing career.
Nilsen’s XCAT history goes back to Team Australia, where he was on the throttles for the Luhrmann family’s “The Blue Roo” in 2017 and 2018. The team lost the 2017 title by one point in the final round. He then spent more than two years away from the series while he was ill. His planned return with Maritimo in February 2022 was delayed when a positive Covid test kept him in Norway on the eve of the Fujairah opener.
Marit Strømøy, Sundblad Johansen’s co-driver in 2025, is not in the boat this year and races F1H2O with her own Strømøy Racing team. The pair finished the 2025 season seventh in boat 55 on 49 points. Their last race together, the Dubai finale in December, ended when they rolled at the opening turn and were struck again while inverted.
Nilsen’s first race back is the XCAT Fujairah Grand Prix, on December 4-6. It is Round 1 of a two-round season, with Dubai following on December 11-13.
UIM XCAT Coverage
Powerboat News follows the UIM XCAT World Championship through the 2026 season, from Fujairah to the Dubai finale.
UIM XCAT News
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.
Cite as: John Moore, "Pål Virik Nilsen Returns to Racing With Energima for the 2026 XCAT World Championship", Powerboat News, 11 November 2026. https://powerboat.news/pal-virik-nilsen-returns-energima-xcat-2026/
