Round 5 of the 2026 UKOPRA Offshore Championship, the Gunwharf Quays Grand Prix, was cancelled on Saturday 19 September after sea conditions in the eastern Solent reached three to five metres. Race boats remained in Gunwharf Quays Marina, Portsmouth, and did not go afloat.
UKOPRA’s Dave Sheldon confirmed the cancellation to Powerboat News. Round 5 was the final round of the five-round 2026 season, and with no re-run scheduled, the championship is decided on points from the four rounds already completed.
Class Championships Decided on Points
The following boats lead their classes after Round 4, the MDL Marinas Mercury Offshore Grand Prix at Hamble on 25 July. Powerboat News understands these stand as the final 2026 UKOPRA class championship positions, though Round 4 results remain provisional pending official confirmation from UKOPRA.
| Class | Boat | Crew | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Good Boy Vodka / Notareal | Rob Lockyer / Adrian de Ferranti / James Norvill | 800 |
| Class 1L | Sixty9 | Alex Welham / Neil Raven | 1500 |
| Class 2 | Lightning Strikes | Dean Stoneman / Harry Thomas | 1200 |
| Class 3B | Team JB-R | John Bunyan / Luke Cloudsdale | 1200 |
| Class 3C | Charlie Thirty Five / Joker / Frode Racing (tied) | Elliott Holman & Jon Gray / Richard Dean & Michael Barnes / Anton Modin & Jakob Balter | 400 |
| Class 3D | Carpe Diem | James Winkworth / Harry Winkworth | 1200 |
| Class 3E | Rush Racing | Gary Godden / Abigail Godden | 1325 |
Class 3C ends the season with a three-way tie at the top on 400 points each, as none of Charlie Thirty Five, Joker or Frode Racing scored in more than one round.
A Wet Weekend Finale That Never Started
Round 5 had been due to run across Friday 18 and Saturday 19 September at Gunwharf Quays, presented by Mumford Marine Services Ltd and organised by World Powerboat Events UK, with racing scheduled off Dean Elbow buoy in the eastern approach to Portsmouth Harbour. Twenty-two boats across seven classes had been confirmed for the entry list. Instead, the fleet stayed in the marina as conditions in the eastern Solent were judged too rough to race.
2026 UKOPRA Standings
See the full points table across all classes after Round 4.
2026 UKOPRA Offshore Championship StandingsFollow UKOPRA
Powerboat News covers every round of the UKOPRA Offshore Championship through the 2026 season.
More UKOPRA 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.
