2026 Key West World and Continental Championships

[Serious News]

THE EVENT

45 YEARS OF FULL THROTTLE.
Every November, the southernmost city in the continental U.S. becomes the capital of offshore powerboat racing. The Key West World Championships close the Race World Offshore season at historic Truman Waterfront Park, where a harbor course puts the world's fastest offshore teams just yards from the crowd instead of miles out at sea.

45TH ANNUAL EDITION OF THE KEY WEST WORLDS

100 RACEBOAT ENTRIES FOR 2026

5+ COUNTRIES ON THE ENTRY LIST

140+MPH TOP SPEEDS OF THE FASTEST BOATS

14 CLASSES, 14 WORLD CHAMPIONS CROWNED

4 UIM WORLD TITLES DECIDED HERE

5.0 MI PER LAP ON THE HARBOR COURSE

$30M+ PROJECTED ECONOMIC IMPACT

50,000+ PEOPLE EXPECTED OVER RACE WEEK. HOTELS ARE SOLD OUT.

NEW FOR 2026 HOW THE TITLES WORK

FRI NOV 6
The UIM World Championship is settled for Class 1, Class 2, Super Cat and Super Stock, the first time all four are decided in Key West. Champions are crowned at 8 PM at the Duval Street party and honored later at the UIM Awards in Monaco.

SUN NOV 8
Final day of racing. Key West World Champions in all 14 classes are crowned at the awards, 6 PM at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

WHO IS WHO
UIM: Union Internationale Motonautique, the world governing body for powerboat racing, based in Monaco.
APBA: American Power Boat Association, the national authority for powerboat racing in the U.S.
Race World Offshore: the Key West based producer of the championship, holding UIM offshore racing rights through 2031.

 

[Serious News]

LAPS & DISTANCE BY CLASS / 5.0-MILE LAP

CLASS - LAPS, WED & FRI - LAPS, SUN
Class 1 UIM - 9 - 12
Class 2 UIM - 7 - 10
Super Cat UIM - 8 - 12
Super Stock UIM - 7 - 10
Super Vee - 7 - 10
Modified Vee - 6 - 9
Bracket 2 - 6 - 8
Bracket 3 - 6 - 8
Bracket 4 - 5 - 7
Bracket 5 - 5 - 7
Bracket 6 - 4 - 6
Bracket 7 - 4 - 6
Vee Limited - 4 - 6
Cat 300 - 4 - 5

 

[Ratickle]

UMI World Titles now on the line during 45th running of Key West tradition​

Bring more than 100 offshore powerboats capable of reaching 140 mph into Key West Harbor, add four titles to the stakes, and the stage is set for a week of high-speed racing as the 45th annual Key West World Championship returns Nov. 1-8.

For the first time, four Union Internationale Motonautique world titles will be decided in Key West, adding Class 1, Class 2, Super Cat and Super Stock championships to the week’s action.

“Key West is where this sport comes to settle things. For 45 years the best teams in the world have built their seasons around one week on this island, and this year four world titles will be decided in our harbor,” said Race World Offshore President Larry Bleil.

Entire Article: https://www.yoursun.com/apgstate/um...cle_c70beb8b-4588-47d6-945f-1aa2a4c2617f.html

 

[Ratickle]

There are a few things wrong in most stories and announcements. I'll do my best to clear it up.

Three of the four UIM Monaco approved classes, Class 1, Class 2, and Super Cat, will have their World Championship's based on their total combined points from their four title events consisting of Atlantic City, Michigan City, Clearwater, and the Wednesday and Friday races in Key West.

The fourth UIM Monaco approved class, Super Stock, will have their World Championship based on the total points from Michigan City, Clearwater, and the Wednesday and Friday races in Key West. They did not become a part of the RWO/UIM contract for 2026 until after Atlantic City.

All four of those teams will receive their World Championship Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the Friday Night street party down on Duval Street.

All four of those classes will also be the first ever recipients of the first ever UIM/RWO/APBA North American Continental Championship run in Key West. UIM Continental Championships have occurred in other Continents, and are a really big honor, but never in the North American Continent as far as we can tell. The Championships for the UIM/RWO/APBA North American Championship will be awarded based on the total points from Wednesday's, Friday's, and Sunday's races. That will be a different set of Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals awarded at the Sunday evening awards.

The other 10 APBA/UIM Recognized Classes; Super Vee, Mod Vee, Vee Limited, Cat 300, and Brackets 200 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700, will have their World Championships awarded based on their total points from Wednesday's, Friday's, and Sunday's races. They will receive their Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the awards on Sunday evening.

This may help to explain why there are more racers coming from other countries, and why there are 100 boats currently entered. It may even beat last years 98 boats enrtered, (where the IHRA offered the giant purse to attract boats and weasel their way in with false promises for this season).

Hope this is clear........