As of this morning, 90 teams spread across 14 class are signed up to compete in the XINSURANCE Clearwater “Nationals” —set for September 25-27— per the registration list on the Race World Offshore website. Not only is that a record for the Southwest Florida venue, it more than doubles last year’s 43-boat turnout.
Ten Super Cat-class teams are signed up for the Clearwater event this month. Image from Shootout Offshore 2026 byJeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Images.
But first, a few words on the event’s confusing name. The 2026 Clearwater contest is one offshore racing event in two offshore racing series, the American Power Boat National Championships and Union Internationale Motonautique World Championships. It is not a stand-alone “National Championship” event in either. Series championships are awarded based on the total number of points accrued during the races on their schedules.
The name is a hold-over from the Super Boat International days when the Clearwater races determined national champions under the SBI umbrella.
In the interest of avoiding fan-confusion—an endless task in the offshore racing world—a name change wouldn’t be a horrible idea. The “Clearwater Classic” might work better, for example.
But such decisions mercifully tower above this reporter’s paygrade.
Naming protocols be damned, this year’s Clearwater event is going to be a whopper for three reasons. First, the inaugural International Hot Rod Association Offshore Series, which had the majority of racer-driven momentum this season, cratered after four races. Second, the Clearwater affair is the second-to-last chance for teams to qualify for entry into the Key West Offshore World Champions. Teams need two APBA-sanctioned events to qualify for Key West.
And third, as noted above, the Clearwater contest is an event in the UIM World Championship series, which concludes in Key West.
Arguably of course (For what would offshore powerboat racing be without endless internal argument?), all of that makes Clearwater the most important event of the 2026 regular season.
So bring it on. Clearwater-Palooza begins in the less than two weeks.