There will be no sprint races in the UIM F2 World Championship in 2027. The proposal to add two sprint races to every Grand Prix weekend was withdrawn before the UIM Council vote in Sintra, Portugal, on Saturday 24 October, according to the UIM’s published results.
The Council adopted the other F2 proposals entered by the F2 & F4 Committee, including another year of homologation for the Mercury SST200 engine, a maximum distance to the first turning buoy, and longer Continental Championship practice sessions than originally proposed. Pelle Larsson, elected COMINSPORT president at the General Assembly the following day, is named as author of the proposals. The changes take effect on 1 January 2027.
Sprint Races Withdrawn
Proposal 2 would have run two sprint races of 10 to 12 laps on the day before the Main Race, with a partly reversed grid for the second sprint and points for the top ten in each. The results document lists it as “Withdrawn” and gives no reason. The justification section of the proposal was blank when it was published.
SST200 Homologation Extended
Proposal 5 was supported by COMINSPORT and COMINTECH and adopted without amendment. It moves the SST200’s homologation to 31 December 2027, with an option of a further year to 31 December 2028, and removes the rulebook’s statement that the current extension is the final one.
The justification said the switch to the Mercury Racing 250 APX had not progressed as expected, with five APX engines in the class and only two actively racing in 2026, mainly because of cost.
Two Classifications Can Continue in 2027
An additional proposal, numbered 9 Add., was also adopted. It carries the 2026 engine classification rule into 2027 by changing the year in Rule 11.1. If at least five drivers are registered for the first round with a Mercury Racing 250 APX engine, there will be two separate overall classifications for the World Championship, one for SST200 boats and one for APX boats. If fewer than five are registered, there will be a single classification, and points scored count towards it even if a driver changes engine during the season.
The justification reads:
We must continue to give drivers who want to aim for the F2 World Championship the opportunity to do so with the new APX engine. It will take some time, but of course our goal is that, in the near future, there will be more APX engines than Optimax engines.
A Maximum Distance to the First Turn
Proposal 4 was adopted with a text modification. Rule 6.4 keeps its minimum of 300 metres between the starting line and the first turning buoy and gains a maximum of 450 metres, measured from the starting position of the last boat on the grid. The adopted text adds a sentence to the wording originally proposed:
Splitbouy and split start (delaystart) may be used. Sufficient angle for start jetty and length are to be followed.
Longer Practice Than Proposed for the Continental Championship
Proposal 3 gives the F2 Continental Championship its own session format. As published, it set 45 minutes of free practice and a 30-minute warm-up. The adopted version, supported with a text modification, sets a minimum of one 60-minute free practice session and one 45-minute warm-up, “if the entry numbers do not exceed the water approval”.
The three-part knockout qualifying format is unchanged from the proposal. Q1 runs for 20 minutes with the fastest 12 going through, Q2 for 15 minutes with the fastest six going through, and Q3 for 15 minutes to decide pole.
Race Numbers, Crane Priority and Livery
Three proposals covering both F2 and F4 were also adopted:
- Race numbers (Proposal 1): drivers applying for a Super Licence must also apply to reserve their race number for the coming season, with priority to the first application received.
- Crane priority (Proposal 7): the top six finishers are lifted out first so they can go directly to Parc Fermé, with boats in difficulty taking priority regardless of position.
- Boat design (Proposal 8): a boat must carry the same basic design, colours and markings on both port and starboard sides. The word “basic” was added to the proposed text before adoption.
The 2027 UIM rulebooks are due to be published on the UIM website by Wednesday 23 December 2026 at the latest.
UIM F2 rule proposals for 2027
Adopted: Proposals 1, 3 (modified), 4 (modified), 5, 7, 8 (modified) and 9 Add.
Withdrawn: Proposal 2, sprint races
Implementation date: 1 January 2027
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.
