Race World Offshore and the Union Internationale Motonautique have signed a ten-year agreement establishing Race World Offshore as the official promoter of the UIM Offshore World Championship Series in North America.
Under the deal, Race World Offshore will organise premier offshore events across the United States, with teams competing for official UIM world championship titles including UIM Class 1 and UIM Class 2. The partnership creates what both organisations describe as a long-term framework for the growth of offshore powerboat racing on the continent.
The announcement arrives at a defining moment for American offshore racing. Since October 2025, when the International Hot Rod Association acquired Powerboat P1 USA and entered the sport with a $2 million offshore purse, the discipline has operated under two rival structures. IHRA’s financial commitment drew significant class support – Superstock committed exclusively to the IHRA national championship, and Super Cat followed, aligning the fastest catamaran class with IHRA’s seven-round schedule. The central argument for the APBA and RWO camp was always international recognition – that UIM world championship status was something IHRA could not offer. This deal formalises that distinction.
The tension over the sport’s most prestigious venue had also become public. In January, IHRA posted on social media asking competitors where they wanted to hold its 2026 World Championship, a clear signal that its negotiations with Race World Offshore over Key West had broken down. The UIM-RWO agreement settles the question: Key West stays with Race World Offshore, and now carries official UIM world championship status.
Larry Bleil, founder of Race World Offshore, welcomed the agreement as an opportunity to combine the energy of North American offshore racing with the international credibility of the sport’s governing body.
“This partnership represents an important step forward for the sport. Working together with UIM allows us to combine the energy and innovation of North American offshore racing with the global recognition of the sport’s international governing body. Our goal is to grow the sport, support the teams and competitors, and deliver world-class events for fans.” – Larry Bleil, Founder, Race World Offshore
Race World Offshore runs the Key West Offshore World Championships, one of the most established events on the North American calendar, and has recently confirmed a return to Michigan City, Indiana, as part of a multi-year commitment to that venue. Under the new UIM framework, those events will now carry official world championship status.
The partnership also covers media and fan engagement, with both organisations committing to expanded digital streaming and broadcast coverage to broaden offshore racing’s international reach.
UIM President Raffaele Chiulli pointed to the history of Class 1 as the driver behind the agreement.
“Class 1 has been the pinnacle class for UIM for so many years and it’s part of our history, part of our roots, our tradition, and we are very happy, in close cooperation with Larry, that we are going to revitalize this class and ensure we can be proud of this partnership. So very very happy about this and looking forward to a bright future for the class.” – Raffaele Chiulli, President, Union Internationale Motonautique
Race World Offshore will work alongside the American Power Boat Association, the UIM’s recognised national authority in the United States, to align events with the international championship structure. The APBA, founded in 1903, has been the governing body for powerboat racing in the US throughout the history of the sport.
IHRA’s own offshore season opens on March 27 in St Petersburg, Florida, with a seven-round national championship running parallel to the UIM-sanctioned calendar. The two structures now operate side by side, and teams must decide which pathway they commit to. The question of UIM world championship recognition – which sat at the centre of the divisions that erupted across the community in January – now has a clear answer on the RWO side of the divide.
Full details of the 2026 RWO championship calendar and event schedule are expected to be confirmed in the coming months.
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.
