Decoding Offshore Powerboat Racing’s Current Power Struggle

At one point or another in the past several weeks, each side involved with offshore racing’s current division accused the other of lying. And while I have neither the desire nor the time to run down every accusation—a fool’s errand to be sure—I can trace the flashpoint in the conflict back to a closed-door meeting during the 2024 Midwest Challenge in Sheboygan, Wis.

None of the Pro Class 1 teams will compete at next weekend’s offshore racing season-opener in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

During that meeting, the Class 1 team owners voted to replace Union Internationale Motonautique governance of their category with American Power Boat Association governance.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter—including former APBA Offshore Racing Commission chairman Rich Luhrs—the organization subsequently informed the Class 1 owners that their newly dubbed Pro Class 1 category would be an official APBA class starting with the 2025 season.

From the start, the plan had at least one major sticking point: Promoter/producer Powerboat P1 has a multi-year marketing deal for the rights to market and produce the Class 1 racing product, which in turn profited UIM. Neither entity offered any public indication that it was willing to walk away from the deal. So from the start, the road to a compromise was predictably rocky.

And, as it turned out, unpassable.

Most of the Super Stock-class teams will participate in the season-opener.

On April 30, APBA informed the Pro Class 1 group that a decision had been made. It would run as Class 1 under UIM rules and, as such, be unable to hold its own Class 1 world championship in Key West, Fla. Slated to open the season, Thunder On Cocoa Beach was just two weeks away.

At that point, Utah-based businessman and offshore racing sponsor Rick J. Lindsey informed the local organizers in Cocoa Beach, Fla., that none of his XINSURNACE-backed teams—including the specialty insurer’s North and South Pro Class 1 campaigns—would be participating in Cocoa Beach or any APBA-sanctioned/Powerboat P1-produced event if it remained under the APBA/Powerboat P1 umbrella.

The Thunder On Cocoa Beach group already had an existing contract with Powerboat P1 and APBA.

Complicating matters further, XINSURANCE already had signed on as a presenting sponsor for their event. The insurer has since asked that its sponsorship monies be returned.

Centered on issues surrounding the XINSURANCE helicopter and broadcast rights, rancor between the XINSURANCE head and Powerboat P1 owners Azam and Asif Rangoonwala has been ongoing for the past three seasons. That has only heightened emotions and reactions across the sport.

The contentious relationship between XINSURANCE and Powerboat P1 goes back a few seasons.

A week later, Race World Offshore and Professional Racing Offshore—then both APBA-member organizations—announced they were ending their relationship with the longtime race-sanctioning body. The following evening they announced they were forming a sanctioning body of their own dubbed the World Powerboat Racing Association.

Of course, there is far more nuance and detail surrounding the split and most offshore racing insiders believe the entire matter will end up in court. Regardless, the 2025 offshore racing season kicks of next weekend with the 16th annual Keltec Thunder On Cocoa Beach event. Per a Powerboat P1/APBA press release, it is “the first round of the APBA /UIM World Championship series for all race classes and the APBA/UIM Continental Championship for Class 1.

The entire Pro Class 1 group will not be competing in Cocoa Beach. Nor will any of the regular three Super V teams. But three Super Cat-class teams—CR Racing, Graydel and Wicked—are committed to the event, as are 12 to 15 Super Stock-class outfits. At least two new cockpit duos, rookie driver Jeremy Tschida and veteran throttleman Julian Maldonado and former Super Cat-class driver Matt Jamniczky and returning Super Stock throttleman Shaun Torrente will compete in the Super Stock ranks this season. Maldonado has confirmed that and Tschida will be ready in time for Cocoa Beach. At press time, the Jamniczky/Torrente team has not responded to an inquiry regarding its Cocoa Beach plans.

Though the Mod V-class owners group was slated to meet last night, no answer regarding Cocoa Beach participation was available when this story went live.

The balance of the 2025 APBA/UIM schedule is as follows:

• June 25-29—New Orleans Grand Prix.
• August 8-10—Midwest Challenge, Sheboygan, Wis.
• September 4-6—St. Petersburg Grand Prix, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• October 10-12—Englewood Beach Waterfest, Englewood Beach.

“P1 will continue to work toward producing professional, high-quality events for the teams, spectators, and our stakeholders,” said Thomas Covington, commercial director for Powerboat P1, in a press release from his organization. “With the addition of new corporate sponsors like Progressive and the renewal with partners like Monster Energy and Mercury Racing, we feel the future of P1 and the APBA National Championship and UIM World Championship series is in a great place.”

The APBA/UIM group has not released an official venue for its world championships.

The inaugural World Powerboat Racing Association begins with the double-point XINSURANCE Offshore event set for the June 20-22 at Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri. Announced via social media, the group’s remaining schedule includes:

• August 1-3—Michigan City Offshore Grand Prix, Michigan City, Ind.
• August 29-31—Chicago Grand Prix.
• September 26-28—Clearwater Offshore Nationals, Clearwater, Fla.
• November 2-8—Key West World Championships, Key West, Fla.

“Starting the season at Lake of the Ozarks with a race produced by Professional Racing Offshore and concluding with the renowned Key West World Championships by Race World Offshore showcases the collaborative spirit and competitive excellence that define our sport,” said Jeff Harris, a former offshore racer and marine industry veteran representing the World Powerboat Racing Association, in a press release from the organization.

For the past few seasons, the spec-class Class 1/Pro Class , Super Cat, Super Stock, 450R Factory Stock (now 500R Factory stock), Super V and Mod V owners groups have announced their own schedules ahead of the coming season. That happened again last year, but fans of the sport will want to look for official group-schedule changes as they are released. Speedonthewater.com will report on such changes as they become available.