The Offshore Powerboat Teams Association (OPTA), founded in November 2016 by Australian Brett Luhrmann and the UIM agreed last weekend in Monaco to join forces to organise and promote the XCAT Series (Offshore Class 3S) after the previous promoter, Dubai based World Professional Powerboating Association (WPPA) , failed to renew their mandate.

A joint platform has been formed, comprising of OPTA President Luhrmann, UIM Secretary General Thomas Kurth and the UIM Head of President Office Riccardo La Cognata.

The two entities have started dialogue, which has taken the UIM and Teams to the creation of a common platform, which will eventually assume the organisation and promotion of a series of international Class 3 races for the 2017 season and beyond.

The first step in the process will be the announcement of an international  2017 racing calendar, Luhrmann hopes this will be in the next couple of weeks.