Normandy 24 Hours 2027 to run as one continuous 24-hour race

Endurance powerboat racing in Normandy is changing format. Rouen Inshore Racing has told teams that the 24 Heures de Normandie will run as a single continuous 24-hour race on 30 April and 1 May 2027. Interested teams are asked to register now, six months before the event.

A new format

The 2026 edition at Poses split its 24 hours into three heats of 12, 7 and 5 hours over three days, the first running into the night. In 2027, according to the organisers, the full distance will be raced in one go. The event is part of the UIM world endurance championship.

Not yet sanctioned

The event is not yet officially approved. Rouen Inshore Racing says it has submitted all official applications, lodged the advance programme and reserved the date on the calendar. It is now waiting for final answers from the UIM, the French powerboat federation (FFM) and local authorities. Nothing is confirmed until those arrive, although the organisers describe the talks so far as positive and say they are getting more support than last year.

Why approach teams now

The reason is practical: crews must fit crash boxes that meet the UIM's 2027 requirements and close out their budgets, and neither can wait for a confirmation that may not land until the new year. The information form asks teams for:

• the team manager and up to four drivers, with contact details;
• the team's nationality and the boat builder;
• whether the crash box will be ready and how far the project has progressed.

A comeback already under way

The 24 Heures Motonautiques ran on the Seine at Rouen from 1964 to 2019, until the city withdrew its authorisation on climate and energy grounds. The race returned in 2026 at Poses, in the Eure, from 1 to 3 May, with Mercury Racing as co-organiser alongside the FFM and the Cercle Nautique Rouen-Poses. Powerboat News adds that the new features held back for 2027 will be revealed once the authorisations are confirmed.

Key points

• 2027 format: one continuous 24-hour race on 30 April and 1 May.
• Status: applications filed, answers from the UIM, the FFM and the authorities awaited.
• Teams must prepare a crash box to the UIM's 2027 standard in good time.