Race World Offshore has signed a five-year agreement with the City of Key West to produce the Key West World Championship Power Boat Races annually through 2031. The deal secures the event’s home at Truman Waterfront Park for the same duration as RWO’s UIM world championship licensing agreement, giving the series a stable foundation through the end of the decade.
Key West Week brings nine days of competition, fan events and offshore racing to the Florida Keys each November. The race village returns to Truman Waterfront Park, with the Sunday Boat Parade down Duval Street, the Thursday night Greene Street Party for Charity, and the Friday night Duval Street block party all confirmed as part of the format.
Larry Bleil, manager of Race World Offshore:
“We’re grateful to the City of Key West and the U.S. Navy for their continued good faith efforts. Key West is the home of offshore powerboat racing, and this agreement ensures the world championships stay where they belong for years to come.”
The reference to the U.S. Navy reflects the event’s operational dependency on Naval Air Station Key West, whose airspace and coastal waters adjoin the race course. Navy cooperation has historically been a prerequisite for the event to run.
The Context
Key West has served as the de facto home of offshore powerboat racing for decades. The 2025 edition attracted 96 boats across 14 classes, with the International High-Performance Race Association contributing a $250,000 prize fund for the IHRA Offshore portion of the event alone. Under the UIM licensing deal executed in April, Key West counts as two championship rounds – the only event on the RWO calendar to do so – and serves as the title-deciding finale for the UIM Offshore Class 1, UIM Offshore Class 2 and APBA Super Cat world championships.
The 2026 Key West World Championship Power Boat Races are scheduled for November 1-8.
The executed agreement between Race World Offshore, LLC and the City of Key West is a matter of public record, available through the Office of the City Clerk under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Race World Offshore on Powerboat News
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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.
