Sunday’s Conch Republic Championship delivered a spectacular finale to the 44th Annual Offshore World Championship at Key West, with Mike Falco and Billy Moore’s Team Defalco claiming the Pro Class 1 world title in dramatic fashion whilst championship leaders Dirty Money Racing and Spirit of Qatar secured commanding victories in Super Cat and Extreme classes.
The full-points finale saw several championship reversals across 14 racing categories, with Raymarine’s mechanical failure in Super Stock proving the most costly retirement of the day as Shaun Torrente and Matt Jamnickzy capitalised to claim the world title aboard Team Nautical Ventures. Race organisers ran the event under challenging conditions, with several boats suffering mechanical difficulties and multiple competitors receiving breakout and missed buoy penalties.
Pro Class 1: Defalco Claims Thrilling World Championship
Mike Falco and Billy Moore produced a dominant nine-lap performance aboard Team Defalco to secure both Sunday’s race victory and the 2025 world championship title. Their winning time of 23min 37.1sec earned 207 points, establishing a 391-point championship total that proved insurmountable for their rivals.
Myrick Coil and Tyler Miller fought valiantly to defend their championship position aboard Monster Energy/M CON, finishing second just 29.9 seconds behind after posting consistent lap times throughout. Their 186 Sunday points brought their championship total to 389, falling just two points short of the world title in what became the closest championship battle of the day.
Willy Cabeza and Grant Bruggemann delivered their strongest performance of the weekend aboard GC Racing MTI to claim third position, completing the nine-lap distance in 24min 33.8sec to finish 56.7 seconds behind the leaders. Their 167 Sunday points secured fourth position in the final championship standings with 305 points.
Darren Nicholson and Giovanni Carpitella returned to competition aboard 222 Offshore Australia after missing Friday’s race, securing fourth place and 150 points to claim sixth position in the championship standings. Carlos DeQuesada and John Tomlinson’s Pothole Heroes maintained their competitive form with fifth place, whilst JJ Turk and Nick Buis aboard XINSURANCE finished sixth despite consistent lap times.
Brit Lilly and Bill Pyburn completed the race in seventh position aboard XINSURANCE South, whilst Billy Mauff and Jay Muller’s WHM retired after completing five laps following a significantly slower lap five time of 4min 41.7sec.
Super Cat: Dirty Money Secures Third Consecutive Victory
Brit Lilly and Bill Pyburn capped an extraordinary championship performance aboard Dirty Money Racing with their third consecutive victory, dominating the Super Cat class to claim the world title by a commanding margin. Their nine-lap time of 22min 48.5sec earned 206 points, establishing a championship total of 418 points across the three races.
The crew demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the weekend, maintaining lap times in the 2min 36sec range to finish 34.8 seconds ahead of Chris Grant and Jay Muller in C.J. Grant Racing/Graydel. The runners-up secured 185 Sunday points for a championship total of 333 points, comfortably claiming the silver medal position.
Christian McCauley and Anthony Smith delivered their best performance of the weekend aboard Team Farnsworth Motorsports/Hancock Claims to claim third position in 23min 45.3sec, earning 166 points. Their championship total of 327 points secured third place overall, demonstrating impressive resilience throughout the three-day contest.
Rob Unnerstall and Casey Boaz maintained their competitive form aboard CR Racing/South East Services with fourth place, whilst Kelly Kraiss and Ron Gibbs secured fifth position in EWB Racing. Chase Muller and Jax Muller struggled aboard Wicked, finishing more than four minutes behind the leaders to claim sixth position, whilst Sean Conner and Vinnie Diorio’s Rollin Transport did not start Sunday’s finale.
Extreme Class: Spirit of Qatar Completes Perfect Championship
His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and Steve Curtis MBE secured their third consecutive victory to claim the 2025 Extreme class world championship with a perfect score. Spirit of Qatar 96 completed nine laps in 22min 53.1sec, earning 201 points and establishing a championship total of 403 points.
Jeff McCann and Michael Knoblock aboard American Custom Marine finished 3min 14.8sec behind in second position, earning 180 Sunday points for a championship total of 360 points. The two-boat class featured consistent competition throughout the weekend, though Spirit of Qatar’s superior pace proved decisive across all three races.
Super Stock: Team Nautical Ventures Claims Title After Raymarine Drama
Shaun Torrente and Matt Jamnickzy secured the Super Stock world championship aboard Team Nautical Ventures following a dramatic race that saw championship leaders Raymarine suffer catastrophic mechanical failure. The victors completed seven laps in 20min 43.1sec to earn 213 points, overcoming Friday’s penalty setback to claim the world title.
Luis Martins and Nick Imprescia delivered their strongest performance of the weekend aboard NUFF SAID to finish second, just 4.4 seconds behind the leaders. Their 192 Sunday points demonstrated the intense competition throughout the 14-boat field.
Aj Bogino and Pete Bogino claimed third position aboard Coco’s Monkey in 20min 59.9sec, finishing 16.8 seconds behind the winners to secure 173 points. Their consistent performances across the weekend earned third place in the championship standings with 342 points.
Jeremy Tschida and Julian Maldonado aboard Wozencraft secured fourth position ahead of Randy Keys and Bill Allen’s Team Allen Lawncare & Landscaping, whilst David Selley and Steven Bridges’ Team Bermuda finished sixth.
The race proved disastrous for championship leaders Cole Leibel and Gary Ballough, whose Raymarine suffered mechanical difficulties after just two laps, retiring whilst holding a commanding championship position. Their retirement dropped them to fifth in the final standings with 279 points, surrendering what had been a comfortable championship lead entering Sunday’s finale.
Leanna Shadlow and Chad Havens secured eighth position aboard Demon Bikini Race Team, with Chris Hopgood and Jay Muller’s Celsius and David Whelan and Gregg Reichman’s XINSURANCE Moxie Racing completing the top ten. Chad Rudesill and Rusty Williams aboard Say Less MF finished eleventh despite earlier strong showings, whilst Pete Riveiro and Ricardo Maldanado’s Mikalyzed and Dale McEachern and Austin Blocker’s Drink-Kelo both did not start.
Factory Stock: Montlick Injury Attorneys Storm to Championship Victory
Logan Adan and Giovanni Carpitella produced the performance of the weekend aboard Montlick Injury Attorneys to claim Factory Stock honours, posting an eight-lap time of 22min 14.9sec that earned 208 points and secured the world championship. The victory marked a dramatic reversal after Wednesday’s retirement and Friday’s sixth-place finish.
Chad Rudesill and Rusty Williams secured second position aboard Say Less MF in 22min 35.9sec, finishing 21.0 seconds behind. Their 187 Sunday points gave them a championship total of 392 points, enough to claim the silver medal position in the final standings.
Willy Cabeza and Grant Bruggemann claimed third position aboard GC Racing MTI, completing the distance in 22min 39.0sec to finish 24.1 seconds off the winning pace. Their 168 Sunday points brought their championship total to 373 points, securing third place overall.
Ervin Grant and Michel Karsenti’s Heritage – Canados secured fifth place on the day after incurring a one-minute penalty for missing a buoy, whilst Roberto Lo Piano and Alfredo Amato aboard AL&AL claimed sixth position. Reese Langheim and Julian Maldonado’s Jackhammer/Manatee Marine finished seventh despite posting competitive lap times before a significantly slower final lap.
Joe Spoloric and Garrett Coonrod aboard LWR 44 received a one-lap penalty for missing a buoy, significantly impacting their finishing position despite posting the fourth-fastest race time. Christian McCauley and Robert Lockyer’s Good Boy Vodka/GoGPS retired after completing four laps, whilst Caleb Mead and John Tomlinson’s MF Racing did not start.
Super V: Knucklehead Secures Title Despite Team Farnsworth Recovery
Edward Smith and Jay Wohltman claimed the Super V world championship aboard Knucklehead Racing with a commanding five-lap victory in 13min 46.9sec, earning 205 Sunday points for a championship total of 404 points. Their consistent performances across all three races proved decisive in securing the world title.
Elijah Kingery and Anthony Smith demonstrated remarkable resilience aboard Team Farnsworth Motorsports/Hancock Claims to finish second, just 40.9 seconds behind despite Friday’s dramatic rollover incident. Their recovery earned 184 points and secured second place in the championship standings with 364 points, showcasing exceptional determination after the accident.
Ed Wendt and William McComb aboard Dart/Race Winning Brands claimed third position in 16min 52.2sec, though their significantly slower final lap of 4min 46.2sec indicated mechanical difficulties. Timothy Linden and Michael Howe’s DSK Marine finished fourth in 17min 09.2sec.
Kirk Britto and Robert Lockyer’s Cortez Cove Fountain retired after completing four laps, whilst Brian Klinec and Jax Muller’s Twisted did not start Sunday’s finale.
Modified V: Speed Marine Claims Dramatic Victory
Kyle Miller and Jay Wohltman secured Modified V honours aboard Speed Marine with a five-lap time of 12min 30.4sec, earning 210 points to move up the championship standings. Their victory came after mechanical issues had hampered their earlier performances.
Kirk Hanna and Mark Rinda finished second aboard nmbrvresort.com, just 8.8 seconds behind, whilst championship leaders Stephen Kildahl and Steve Kildahl claimed third position aboard Boatfloater.com in 12min 52.0sec. Their 170 Sunday points brought their championship total to 390 points, securing the world title despite Sunday’s third-place finish.
Rick Raab and Scott Jobin’s Safe Cash/XINSURANCE finished fourth in 13min 11.4sec, with Mike Geraud and Damon Marotta Sr’s Fuel1team.com claiming fifth position. Travis Pettko and Loren Peters aboard Relentless retired after four laps.
Travis Pastrana and Jim York aboard Dixxon Flannel/XINSURANCE received a one-lap penalty for missing a buoy, finishing seventh overall, whilst Charlie McCarthy and Anthony Silveira’s Punisher incurred both a one-minute penalty for jumping the start and a one-minute penalty for an overlap violation, dropping them to tenth position despite posting competitive race times.
Bracket Class Championships Decided
Joseph Olivieri and Billy Glueck aboard OC Racing secured their third consecutive Bracket Class 2 victory to claim the world championship with a commanding points total, completing five laps in 16min 20.6sec to earn maximum points. Don Urfer and Richard Davis’ Justice League and Scott Brown and Ed Tamberino’s H2O Performance/Two Conchs both did not start the finale.
Billy Shipley and Chad Woody claimed the Bracket Class 3 world championship aboard Team Woody Racing with their second victory of the weekend, posting a time of 16min 38.9sec. Cade Herbott and Keith Herbott finished second aboard Herbott Racing after receiving a breakout penalty, 11.1 seconds behind, whilst Nick Fanelle and Michael Ogden’s Wehaulboats.com retired after completing four laps.
Ray Evans and Chris Colson delivered their strongest performance of the weekend to claim Bracket Class 4 honours aboard Shocker Offshore Racing in 16min 57.0sec, defeating championship leaders Johnny Saris and Jason Saris by just 5.1 seconds. The runners-up aboard Saris Racing Engines maintained their championship lead despite Sunday’s second-place finish, securing the world title with 397 points.
Thomas Crowley and Francis Vellutato continued their dominance in Bracket Class 5 aboard Rum Runners, claiming their third consecutive victory in 19min 03.7sec to secure the world championship with a perfect score. Vincent Winoski and Robert Winoski maintained their runner-up position throughout the weekend aboard Marker 1 Marine SRQ/BronxPhantom, finishing third on Sunday and second in the championship standings.
Mike McColgan and Jason Govatos secured the Bracket Class 6 world championship aboard MDG Offshore Racing with their third consecutive victory, posting a time of 20min 17.5sec. Michael Lang and Johnny Saris finished second aboard MODERATION, 14.6 seconds behind, maintaining their runner-up position in the championship standings.
Brad Christopher and Conner Langheim claimed the Bracket Class 7 world championship aboard Dirt Legal Velocity Factory Race Team with their third consecutive victory in 23min 36.5sec, defeating Anthony Cruz and Robert Barneschi’s RedRum by just 2.4 seconds in the closest finish of the bracket classes. Johnny DElia and JD DElia aboard 3RD Edition Delia claimed third position, whilst Jeff Pritchard and Scottie Young’s Pist’n Broke finished fourth.
Multiple competitors across the bracket classes received breakout penalties for exceeding their designated speed brackets, including entries in Bracket Classes 3, 4, 6 and 7. Ray Evans and Chris Colson’s Shocker Offshore Racing competed in both Bracket Class 4 and Bracket Class 7, demonstrating the versatility of their equipment across different racing categories.
Cat 300: Jackhammer Claims Solo Victory
Reese Langheim and Julian Maldonado secured victory in the single-entry Cat 300 category aboard Jackhammer, completing two laps in 9min 14.5sec to earn maximum points in their specialist class.
Final Championship Standings
The three-race championship format delivered compelling competition across all categories, with Sunday’s full-points finale proving decisive in several closely contested classes. Team Defalco’s Pro Class 1 championship victory by just two points over Monster Energy/M CON highlighted the intensity of competition at the highest level.
Raymarine’s mechanical failure whilst leading the Super Stock championship demonstrated the unforgiving nature of offshore racing, allowing Team Nautical Ventures to capitalise and claim the world title. The Factory Stock championship saw Montlick Injury Attorneys storm from mid-pack to claim the title with their dominant Sunday performance.
Spirit of Qatar’s perfect score across all three races in the Extreme class showcased the crew’s superior pace and reliability, whilst Dirty Money Racing’s commanding Super Cat championship demonstrated consistent excellence throughout the weekend.
Class |
World Champion |
Crew |
Total Points |
Runner-Up |
Crew |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pro Class 1 |
Team Defalco |
Mike Falco / Billy Moore |
391 |
Monster Energy/M CON |
Myrick Coil / Tyler Miller |
389 |
Super Cat |
Dirty Money Racing |
Brit Lilly / Bill Pyburn |
418 |
C.J. Grant Racing/Graydel |
Chris Grant / Jay Muller |
333 |
Extreme |
Spirit of Qatar |
Sheikh Hassan Al-Thani / Steve Curtis |
403 |
American Custom Marine |
Jeff McCann / Michael Knoblock |
360 |
Super Stock |
Team Nautical Ventures |
Shaun Torrente / Matt Jamnickzy |
364 |
Coco’s Monkey |
Aj Bogino / Pete Bogino |
342 |
Factory Stock |
Montlick Injury Attorneys |
Logan Adan / Giovanni Carpitella |
327 |
Say Less MF |
Chad Rudesill / Rusty Williams |
392 |
Super V |
Knucklehead Racing |
Edward Smith / Jay Wohltman |
404 |
Team Farnsworth Motorsports |
Elijah Kingery / Anthony Smith |
364 |
Modified V |
Boatfloater.com |
Stephen Kildahl / Steve Kildahl |
390 |
nmbrvresort.com |
Kirk Hanna / Mark Rinda |
377 |
Bracket Class 2 |
OC Racing |
Joseph Olivieri / Billy Glueck |
406 |
Justice League |
Don Urfer / Richard Davis |
171.5 |
Bracket Class 3 |
Team Woody Racing |
Billy Shipley / Chad Woody |
395 |
Herbott Racing |
Cade Herbott / Keith Herbott |
364 |
Bracket Class 4 |
Saris Racing Engines |
Johnny Saris / Jason Saris |
397 |
Shocker Offshore Racing |
Ray Evans / Chris Colson |
369 |
Bracket Class 5 |
Rum Runners |
Thomas Crowley / Francis Vellutato |
421 |
Marker 1 Marine SRQ |
Vincent Winoski / Robert Winoski |
359 |
Bracket Class 6 |
MDG Offshore Racing |
Mike McColgan / Jason Govatos |
427 |
MODERATION |
Michael Lang / Johnny Saris |
374 |
Bracket Class 7 |
Dirt Legal Velocity |
Brad Christopher / Conner Langheim |
424 |
RedRum |
Anthony Cruz / Robert Barneschi |
371 |
Cat 300 |
Jackhammer |
Reese Langheim / Julian Maldonado |
200 |
– |
– |
– |

John Moore’s 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 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
