Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė spoke publicly at a ceremony outside the Government building in Vilnius on Wednesday, May 28, in support of the UIM F2 and F4 World Championship coming to Klaipėda on June 5-7. The occasion was the unveiling of Edgaras Riabko’s updated F2 machine for the 2026 season, and Ruginienė, the event’s official patron, did most of the talking.
A sitting head of government speaking at a public powerboat racing ceremony is not something that happens often. For the sport in Lithuania, it does not get much bigger than this.
The Prime Minister Speaks
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, speaking in Lithuanian at the ceremony:
A world championship truly does not happen every day. And to have one of these competitions here in Lithuania. That is a huge event for all of us.
Ruginienė continued:
Our support will be the best and the warmest. We are aiming for something symbolic, truly the first step towards a gold medal.
The Prime Minister closed with a direct appeal to the Lithuanian public:
I would like to invite everyone to come and watch this exceptional competition. Lithuania needs everyone’s support. I am very much looking forward to the race.
The words carry weight. Ruginienė’s commitment to attend Klaipėda began with a personal invitation from Karolis Ramoška, President of the Lithuanian Motorboat Federation, at the first state ceremony in Lithuanian history to honour Dakar Rally winners. Formal patronage followed. Wednesday’s appearance in Vilnius shows that commitment is real, not ceremonial.
New Livery
The familiar silver and light blue of previous seasons is gone. Riabko’s DAC hull arrives for 2026 in a deep navy blue, a clean break from the look that has represented him through his rise to multiple F2 World Championship podiums. The boat drew a crowd at the square, offering the Vilnius public a close-up look at the machine ahead of its competitive debut at Klaipėda.
Riabko, who had also clearly paid a visit to his barber before the ceremony, sporting another new hairstyle, was in good spirits throughout.
He finished third in the 2025 UIM F2 World Championship with 33 points, behind the Wiberg siblings. He goes into Klaipėda as the home favourite, racing on water the Lithuanian crowd knows well from three consecutive years of world championship racing.
UIM F2 World Championship, Round 1, Klaipėda
June 5-7, 2026. Full entry list, session schedule and race coverage on Powerboat News.
F2 Coverage
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.
