Race World Offshore secures UIM licensing agreement for Offshore Class 1, Class 2 and Super Cat world championships

Race World Offshore (RWO) has confirmed the signing of a multi-year licensing agreement with UIM Events S.A.R.L., the commercial arm of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). The deal assigns RWO the rights to conduct and operate the World Championship Series of the UIM Offshore Class 1, UIM Offshore Class 2 and APBA Super Cat across North America for the 2026 through 2031 seasons.

Under the contract, Race World Offshore is the designated promoter and exclusive commercial rights holder for the championship territory, defined as the United States and Canada. The series will be promoted as offshore racing comprising the UIM Offshore Class 1, UIM Offshore Class 2 and APBA Super Cat World Championships.

The UIM, recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the world governing body of motorized water sports, is the international organization responsible for the administration, recognition and development of every form of powerboating. Headquartered in Monaco, the UIM owns the "UIM World Championship" and "UIM Continental Championship" titles and the rights connected to them. The American Power Boat Association (APBA) serves as the UIM's national authority in the United States, and championship rules under the agreement align UIM and APBA rulebooks for technical compatibility.

For the first time in years, the three classes will compete on a single, fully sanctioned international stage. The world champions crowned in each class will join the UIM's global honour roll in Monaco.

"This is the moment our drivers, owners and crews have been waiting for," said Larry Bleil, president of Race World Offshore. "The UIM Offshore Class 1, UIM Offshore Class 2 and APBA Super Cat are now world championships in the truest sense of the word, and the champion of each class will be recognized at the 2027 UIM Annual Awards Ceremony in Monaco -- on the same stage as the best powerboat racers on the planet. That kind of recognition is what this sport deserves, and what our community has earned."

"The UIM is proud to partner with Race World Offshore and to welcome Larry Bleil as the promoter of what is now a fully sanctioned international Championship Series," says Thomas Kurth, Secretary General of the UIM. "Bringing the UIM Offshore Class 1, the UIM Offshore Class 2 and the APBA Super Cat together on a single World Championship stage is a significant step for the Powerboating Sport in North America and on global scale, and ensuring that the champions of each of these three Offshore classes shall be recognized at the UIM Annual Awards Ceremony in Monaco is what this level of Powerboat Racing deserves. We also wish to thank our American Member Federation APBA for their continued support in making this possible. We look forward to a strong season and to a defining Finale in Key West."

The 2026 RWO season consists of five championship races across four host venues. It opens in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with further stops in Michigan City, Indiana, and Clearwater Beach, Florida, before closing in Key West, Florida. The Key West Offshore World Championships count as two events for the purpose of calculating the four-event minimum required by the UIM.

On the operational side, RWO retains full responsibility for race organization, race control, course design, event logistics and safety coordination. The UIM retains responsibility for sporting integrity and championship recognition. The UIM logo will appear on the podium at every event and will be integrated into broadcast graphics, official event materials and championship trophies.

Race World Offshore, LLC is based in Key West, Florida, and is the home of the Key West Offshore World Championships. The Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), founded in 1922 and headquartered in Monaco, is the world governing body of motorized water sports, recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

©PressMare - All rights reserved