A record 90-boat fleet will race in the Gulf of Mexico off Clearwater Beach starting Friday, Sept. 25, with free viewing from the sand and Pier 60.

The 17th annual XINSURANCE Clearwater Offshore Nationals runs through Sunday, Sept. 27, featuring 14 vessel classes across a five-mile course. Racing director Rodrick Cox told WUSF that classes "range in size from 60 mile per hour bracket classes to 130 mile per hour Super Cat or Class 1 boats." Each boat carries a two-person crew: a driver and a throttleman who controls engine power. About 65 boats will compete on the course each race day.

The 2026 entry more than doubles last year's 43-boat turnout, Speed on the Water reported, making it a record field for the Clearwater venue. As we reported Sept. 22, the larger field pushed organizer Race World Offshore to expand beyond its dry pits at Sand Key Park to two additional staging locations.

The event is the third stop on both the American Power Boat Association (APBA) National Championship Series and the World Championship Tour sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), powerboating's global governing body. It is presented by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.

One pairing drawing attention is Super Cat team owner Michael Howe and throttleman Shaun Torrente, a Super Stock-class racer pulling double duty in Clearwater. Howe told Speed on the Water he trusts Torrente in a raceboat more than anyone but joked, "We are just going to have to see how good he is throttling a bus."

Cox said the Clearwater course is known for favorable conditions, describing the water as "pretty flat" with a light chop of one to two feet. Before each race, a helicopter sweeps the course for manatees.

There is no prize purse. Winners in each class receive a trophy.

How to watch

Spectators can watch for free from Clearwater Beach and Pier 60, where vendors will be set up. Spectator boats are also welcome on the water. Races will be livestreamed, and Race World Offshore plans to film footage for a one-hour ESPN special airing in early 2027.

Schedule (times tentative)

  • Friday, Sept. 25: Offshore testing, noon to 3:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 26: Five races starting at 11 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 27: Six races starting at 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m.: Awards ceremony at Marina Cantina, 25 Causeway Blvd.

The four-race APBA National Championship Series wraps up next month in Englewood Beach.