The UIM Offshore World Championship comes to Arendal, Norway, from Wednesday 29 July to Saturday 1 August 2026, with world titles on the line in classes 3B, 3D and 3J. The event also carries the Norwegian and Nordic Championship for Class 3C and the Nordic Championship for Aquabike, and forms part of the wider Arendal Water Festival in the town centre.
The event is organised by Arendal Båtsport Klubb (ABSK), authorised by the Norwegian Motorsports Federation under the auspices of the UIM. Admission is free, with racing run on a course through Arendal’s harbour, watched from spectator areas along the waterfront in the town centre.
Quick facts
Dates: Wednesday 29 July to Saturday 1 August 2026
Location: Arendal town centre, Norway
Classes: World Championship 3B, 3D and 3J; Norwegian/Nordic Championship 3C; Nordic Championship Aquabike
Admission: Free
Organiser: Arendal Båtsport Klubb (ABSK)
What Spectators Will See
Arendal’s harbour becomes a closed racecourse for the week, with offshore catamarans running laps past the town’s waterfront buildings at speeds few spectators will have seen up close. The course has a long lap of 4.2 nautical miles and a short lap of 3 nautical miles, run clockwise, with buoys marking the turns close to the spectator areas.
Friday brings the Speed Cat, a side-by-side knockout drag race for Class 3D boats that doubles as a world speed record attempt, plus two Aquabike motos. Thursday’s Class 3D field parades through the town centre before racing begins in earnest. Saturday closes with the overall prize ceremony for all five championships, followed by the gala dinner at the Tyholmen Hotel.
Who to Watch
Viveka “Vicky” Vapaavuori, the defending 2025 Class 3J world champion, returns in J-1 for VV Racing, now paired with new co-pilot Jarno Frommann. In Class 3D, Serafino Barlesi and Joakim Kumlin defend their 2025 world title in D-20 for Blubanca Racing Team, having already opened the 2026 season at Rodi Garganico in June.
Class 3B sees Rasmus Hamrén and Madeleine Samuelsson enter B-32 for Smuggler Racing fresh off winning the UIM Offshore European Championship at Tvedestrand earlier this month, and chasing the world title on home waters. Norwegian and Swedish crews make up the bulk of the 3B and 3C fields, alongside Finnish teams including PG Racing Team, entered in both 3J and 3B.
Entries in Class 3D also include Italian teams Tessilmare, Marco and Bacchi Racing, French squad CRB Offshore, and Finland’s Johnsson Racing, giving the class an international spread across seven nations when combined with the other three classes.
Full Entry List
Class 3J (8 boats)
| Boat | Team | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-1 | VV Racing | Viveka “Vicky” Vapaavuori | Jarno Frommann | FIN/GER |
| J-23 | Lindahl Racing | Alvin Lindahl | Vincent Lauri | SWE |
| J-88 | Jøstensen Racing | Eirik Leikvangen Jøstensen | Anniken Ager-Wick | NOR |
| J-15 | Team Malmgreen | Vegard Eriksen Malmgreen | Celine Dalen | NOR |
| J-25 | Braaten Offshore Racing | Hans Victor Iversen | Sivert Marcussen | NOR |
| J-5 | PG Racing Team | Hermanni Pöntinen | Hilda Pöntinen | FIN |
| J-10 | Upstad Racing | Sigurd Uppstad | Frida Uberg Sandvik | NOR |
| J-99 | Senum Racing | Lilly Aurora Bjerke Senum | Madeleina Evensen | NOR |
Class 3D (10 boats)
| Boat | Team | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-101 | Johnsson Racing | Marcus Johnsson | Jussi Myllymäki | FIN |
| D-54 | Energima Racing | Lasse Nikolaisen | Stian Isaksen | NOR |
| D-55 | Energima Racing | Erik Sundblad Johansen | Arild Nrede Magnussen | NOR |
| D-6 | Tessilmare | Giampaolo Montavoci | Francis Ciccio Notschaele | ITA/BEL |
| D-8 | Marco | Fabio Magnani | Pietro Scarpa | ITA |
| D-05 | Groth Fyrö Racing | Fredrik Groth Fyrö | Filip Eriksson | SWE |
| D-20 | Blubanca Racing Team | Serafino Barlesi | Joakim Kumlin | ITA/SWE |
| D-96 | CRB Offshore | François Pinelli | Saul Bubacco | FRA/ITA |
| D-17 | Besenzoni | Roberto Lopiano | De Mitri Fernando | ITA |
| D-10 | Bacchi Racing | Lorenzo Bacchi | Andrea Bacchi | ITA |
Class 3C, Norwegian/Nordic Championship (7 boats)
| Boat | Team | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-07 | Spirit of Tvedestrand | Per Anders Bergan | Gunther Hirschel-Haag / Kasper Liltvedt | NOR |
| C-62 | Sahlén Racing | Lovisa Sahlén | Mattias Lind | SWE |
| C-90 | Einerkjær Racing | Kristian Einerkjær | Synnøve Solheim Kristensen | NOR |
| C-91 | Einerkjær Racing | Geir Jarle Einerkjær | Halvor Hirchel-Haag | NOR |
| C-30 | Nising Racing | Kasper Hidle Nising | Felix Frøytlog | NOR |
| C-56 | Meisal Racing | Ruben Hanch Meisal | Andreas Gundersen | NOR |
| C-10 | Uppstad Racing | Svein Arne Uppstad | TBA | NOR |
Class 3B (10 boats)
| Boat | Team | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-13 | Landen Racing | Lauri Landen | Ilkka Landen | FIN |
| B-17 | FIN Offshore Racing Team | Janne Pirhonen | TBA | FIN |
| B-32 | Smuggler Racing | Rasmus Hamrén | Madeleine Samuelsson | SWE |
| B-54 | Kurtén Racing | Johan Kurtén | Axel Lundström | SWE |
| B-57 | Nordli Racing | Oline Nordli | Andrine Goderstad Hirschel-Haag | NOR |
| B-61 | Karnag Powerboat Racing Team | Adam Wrenkler | Matilda Wrenkler | SWE |
| B-62 | Sahlén Racing | Lovisa Sahlén | Mattias Lind | SWE |
| B-65 | Østby Racing | Adrian Østby | Mina Engebretsen | NOR |
| B-85 | M5 Racing | Max Samuelsson | Joel Schönerberg | SWE |
| B-30 | PG Racing Team | Ari Pöntinen | Joona Kummala | FIN |
Entry list correct as of the published Entry Form/Entry List documentation. Late changes and reserve entries may be confirmed on official race bulletins.
Event Timetable
| Wednesday 29 July | ||
| Technical Scrutineering, all classes | 12:00–19:00 | 11:00–18:00 BST |
| Event & Race Administration (ERA) check-in, Thon Hotel | 15:00–17:00 | 14:00–16:00 BST |
| Drivers Briefing, 3J and 3B | 19:00 | 18:00 BST |
| Drivers Briefing, 3D | 20:00 | 19:00 BST |
| Thursday 30 July | ||
| Cranes available in Dry Pits | 09:30 | 08:30 BST |
| Driver inspection of racecourse, 3J/3B | 08:00–08:45 | 07:00–07:45 BST |
| Driver inspection of racecourse, 3D | 08:45–09:30 | 07:45–08:30 BST |
| Practice, 3J and 3B | 10:05–10:55 | 09:05–09:55 BST |
| Practice 1, 3D | 11:05–12:00 | 10:05–11:00 BST |
| Pole Position 3D for Race 1 (fastest lap) | 12:05–12:35 | 11:05–11:35 BST |
| Race 1, Class 3J | 13:35–14:15 | 12:35–13:15 BST |
| Race 1, Class 3B | 14:35–15:05 | 13:35–14:05 BST |
| Parade in town centre, Class 3D | 18:00 | 17:00 BST |
| Friday 31 July | ||
| Cranes available | 07:30 | 06:30 BST |
| Practice, 3B and 3J | 08:05–08:55 | 07:05–07:55 BST |
| Practice, 3D | 09:05–09:55 | 08:05–08:55 BST |
| Aquabike | 10:00–12:00 | 09:00–11:00 BST |
| Race 1, Class 3C (Nordic/Norwegian Championship) | 13:05–13:55 | 12:05–12:55 BST |
| Speed Cat (3D) match race, world speed record attempt | 14:05–14:35 | 13:05–13:35 BST |
| Aquabike Moto 1 | 14:45–16:15 | 13:45–15:15 BST |
| Race 2, Class 3B | 16:35–17:15 | 15:35–16:15 BST |
| Race 1, Class 3D | 17:35–18:30 | 16:35–17:30 BST |
| Aquabike Moto 2 | 18:45–20:00 | 17:45–19:00 BST |
| Saturday 1 August | ||
| Cranes available | 09:00 | 08:00 BST |
| Aquabike Moto 2 (part 1) | 09:00–10:30 | 08:00–09:30 BST |
| Race 2, Class 3J | 10:35–11:25 | 09:35–10:25 BST |
| Race 2, Class 3C (Nordic/Norwegian Championship) | 11:40–12:30 | 10:40–11:30 BST |
| Aquabike Moto 2 (part 2, 50%) | 13:00–13:45 | 12:00–12:45 BST |
| Race 3, Class 3B | 14:05–15:05 | 13:05–14:05 BST |
| Aquabike Moto 2 (remainder) | 15:05–15:50 | 14:05–14:50 BST |
| Race 2, Class 3D | 16:05–17:05 | 15:05–16:05 BST |
| Prize Ceremony, 3J, 3B, 3C, 3D and Aquabike | 18:00 | 17:00 BST |
| Gala Dinner, Tyholmen Hotel | 20:30 | 19:30 BST |
Times shown in local Norwegian time (CEST, UTC+2). The schedule is provisional and subject to change on official race bulletins; teams are advised that all starts run on time regardless of prior notice.
Venue and Practical Information
Racing is based around Arendal town centre, with two Dry Pit areas serving the fleet: Kittelsbukt for classes 3B and 3J, and Kanalplassen for classes 3D and 3C. Both sit within a few minutes’ walk of the Thon Hotel and Clarion Hotel Tyholmen, which also host race administration and the drivers’ briefings. A VIP tent overlooks the course, and spectator areas are marked along the harbourfront on both sides of the water.
Two local ferries continue to operate through the area during the event; race control stays in contact with their captains throughout the week to minimise disruption, though ferries retain right of way under Norwegian maritime law.
More UIM Offshore Coverage
Powerboat News covers the 2026 UIM Offshore World Championship season across all four rounds of Class 3D and both rounds of Class 3B.
View All UIM Class 3 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.
