Lisbon is hosting the 2026 UIM Mid-Term Meetings this weekend, with more than 40 delegates assembled at the Jupiter Lisboa Hotel for commission and council meetings that will shape the regulatory framework for the remainder of the season.
The meetings are hosted by Paulo Ferreira, President of the Federação Portuguesa de Motonáutica (FPM), who is also celebrating his birthday today, Thursday 9 April. Powerboat News was invited to attend by Ferreira, whose federation has become one of the most active in the UIM family, delivering UIM F2 World Championship rounds for over six seasons.
UIM President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli and Secretary General Thomas Kurth checked into the Jupiter Lisboa Hotel on Thursday evening ahead of the opening sessions.
Chiulli was re-elected as UIM President at the General Assembly in Shanghai in October 2025, where more than a hundred delegates gathered to review the regulatory framework for the 2026 season.
Kurth, a Swiss national who joined the UIM in 2014 following a decade as Head of Competitions at UEFA, where he was involved in the creation of the Champions League, has run the organisation’s Monaco headquarters for over ten years.
The annual mid-term meetings bring together the UIM Council alongside the commissions responsible for powerboating’s principal disciplines, to refine the regulatory framework and advance key initiatives midway through the season calendar.
Portugal’s hosting of the meetings reflects the growing weight of the FPM within the international federation.
Powerboat News will report further from Lisbon as the meetings progress over the coming days.
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.
