There was plenty of action on the Solent on Saturday 16th May 2026, as 31 powerboats lined up for Round 1 of the 2026 UK Offshore Powerboat Racing Association Championships.
The gruelling 51.8-nautical-mile Round the Island race was won by Good Boy Vodka, crewed by Rob Lockyer and Isle of Wight based Adrian de Ferranti, in a blistering time of 49 minutes. Their average speed of 72.87mph underlined the severity of the conditions, with challenging seas in the Solent caused by a tide against a strong south-westerly wind.
Fleet reduced before the start
The field had already been reduced before the green flag dropped, with four boats withdrawing pre-race and two more forced to stop immediately after the start.
Only eight Class 1/1L/2 boats completed the circumnavigation, with four retirements.
Sunseeker takes on water near Fort Victoria
Among them was the 38ft Class 2 Sunseeker True Blue, owned by Scottish racer Graeme Petrie, which began taking on water shortly after Fort Victoria. Despite repeated attempts to save her, the boat sadly sank. Thankfully, all crew members were rescued safely.
Stoneman leads for more than half the race
The fleet was led by Dean Stoneman for over half the race, racing in his recently acquired Class 2 Donzi monohull ‘Lightning Strikes’. The former Formula 2 Grand Prix champion had only discovered the boat earlier this year, having been stored in a barn in Italy for almost 13 years. Stoneman and Harry Thomas eventually finished second overall while securing Class 2 line honours.
Local crew claims Class 1L victory
In Class 1L, local businessman Peter Hall loaned his historic 36ft Cigarette 36 ‘Dry Martini’ to Tristan Ormiston, owner of Solent Marine Services. Joined by Adam Leal and long-time friend Lee Smith, the team stormed around the course to claim Class 1L victory, delighting race fans around the island.
Debut delight for UFO in Class 3E
‘Eastlands Offshore Racing – UFO’ Impressed in a competitive Class 3E, the striking orange boat owned by Richard Watson who also discovered a boat that had spent years in storage at Island Harbour before being brought back to life.
With crew member Elliott Holman, the team completed the course in 1 hour 7 minutes, averaging 52.61mph—a fantastic achievement on their debut.
In Class 3C honours went to Swedish pairing Anton Modin and Jakob Balter aboard their 23 ft Frode monohull.
Modin, a three-time World Powerboat Champion and reigning Class 3A world champion, said racing with UKOPRA was unlike anything he had experienced in Nordic racing.
World champion stops to assist stricken rival
For almost 80% of the race, the pair trailed Class 1 driver Gary Aldington in his 21ft Phantom ‘Kohaku’, before Aldington suffered engine failure near No Man’s Land Fort. Modin and Balter stopped to assist before continuing to complete the course in 1 hour 45 minutes.
Thunderstreak maintains perfect finishing record
Isle of Wight based Powerboat ‘Thunderstreak’, also owned by Seaview’s Peter Hall, was joined by Bembridge Boatyard owner Will Squibb and Brian Pelham a former Cowes Classic Round the Island winner in 2000 help continue an extraordinary record: Since entering the UKOPRA series under former owner Hugo Peel, and now under Hall’s ownership, the 1963 wooden built Bertram hull has completed every race she has entered with a respectable fourth place finish.
Next Stop: Poole Bay
The championship now moves to Poole Bay 100 for Round 2 on 13th June, where 30 boats are also expected on the start line.
News shared by Steve on behalf of UK Offshore Powerboat Racing Association Championships. Ed
