UIM in Sintra: Boffi, Ribeiro, Larsson, Van Lancker elected

The UIM's 99th General Assembly, held in Sintra, Portugal, on Sunday 25 October 2026, renewed the leadership of four commissions of the international powerboating union. Fabrizio Boffi, Luis Miguel Ribeiro and Pelle Larsson become presidents; Belgium's Jean-Marie Van Lancker is re-elected at offshore. All serve for 2026-2030.

The new presidents

• COMINSAFE (medical and safety): Italy's Fabrizio Boffi, of the Italian Powerboat Federation, is elected. He ends the 36-year presidency of American Bob Wartinger (American Power Boat Association), who had led the commission since 1990.
• COMINTECH (technical): Portugal's Luis Miguel Ribeiro, of the Portuguese Powerboat Federation, succeeds Sweden's Mikael Lundblad, in post since the General Assembly in Fujairah in 2016 and re-elected in 2022.
• COMINOFF (offshore): Belgium's Jean-Marie Van Lancker is re-elected. His only challenger, Denis Dillon (Powerboat Association of Northern Ireland), withdrew.
• COMINSPORT (sporting): Sweden's Pelle Larsson is elected. Fred Hauenstein did not stand again. Estonian candidate Vahur Joala, of the Estonian Powerboating Union, was also on the list.

Vote counts are not reported in the articles consulted.

Who is Pelle Larsson?

The new president of the sporting commission already chairs the UIM Formulae Committee, which oversees F2 and F4, a post he had left in 2022. He was race director of the UIM F2 World Championship until the end of the 2022 season. He also served as UIM Sports Commissioner at the F2 rounds in Portugal in 2026, and was elected to the board of Sweden's federation Svemo in April 2026.

What changes

A long era ends at safety, a key commission for both sea racing and closed circuits. On the technical side, the presidency moves from northern to southern Europe, from the Swede to the Portuguese. Offshore stays in Belgian hands.

The assembly also scheduled elections for the president of the Pleasure Navigation Commission, for members of the five commissions and for up to five UIM Administrators. Powerboat News will publish the other results once the UIM releases them.