Key West will once again host the biggest fixture on the Race World Offshore calendar, with the 45th Annual Offshore Key West World Championship, presented by XINSURANCE, set down for November 1 to 8, 2026. It closes out the National Series season, and this is where the year's standings get settled.
As of this week, 100 boats have entered across 14 classes, spanning everything from the Class 1 and Super Cat flagships down through the Super Stock fleet and the various Bracket Classes.
Race week itself runs eight days of testing, racing and shoreside events on the island, all built around three race days at the historic Truman Waterfront Park. Wednesday brings the Truman Waterfront Cup, Friday the Southernmost Continental Championship, and Sunday the Conch Republic Championship.
Things kick off on Sunday November 1 with the First State Bank World's Fastest Boat Parade, boats rolling down Duval Street at 4.00pm. Tuesday brings Opening Ceremonies and official testing. Then the real business starts.
Each of the three race days follows the same rhythm: seven races run from 10.00am to 3.45pm, with podium awards on the Outer Mole once the engines are off. Gates open at 9.00am on Wednesday and Friday, and 8.30am on Sunday.
Super Stock is the biggest class on the water this year, with 14 entries. Bracket Class 500 and Bracket Class 700 both sit at nine boats apiece, while Class 1 and Super Cat each field eight.
Friday night turns into a proper island occasion, with the Keystar Construction Duval Street Party at 6.00pm followed by the UIM World Champion Crowning at 8.00pm. Saturday offers lighter relief in the Build a Boat Contest, where teams construct and race a boat of their own making by the USCG Ingham.
Sunday's finale includes a flyover from the VFC-111 Sun Downers at 12.20pm, before the RWO Awards Ceremony wraps the week at Coffee Butler Amphitheater at 6.00pm.
For those not making the trip, the racing will stream live via YouTube, Facebook and local radio. On the ground, Truman Waterfront Park hosts the Race Village and general admission viewing, while XINSURANCE VIP packages offer front-row seats on the Outer Mole facing the start line, course and wet pits.
No New Zealand entries have been confirmed in this year's fleet, but offshore powerboat racing has long drawn Kiwi interest, and Key West remains the sport's season-ending showcase for anyone following the discipline from afar.
