In Super Cat, C.J. Grant Racing / Graydel and Dirty Money Racing remain locked in a duel that began on the Great Lakes and now carries into the Florida Straits. Super Stock, the fastest-growing fleet in the championship, is wide open with Hi-Tech Deck, Wozencraft, Demon Bikini and Coco’s Monkey all capable of ending their year on top.
Further down the order, El Bandido Tequila heads the Mod V division, while Simmons Marine (Bracket 400) and Proven Marine / Fuel 1 Team (Bracket 700) lead the pack of precision-driven bracket boats that have defined the grassroots face of RWO’s independent campaign.
Racing through the week
The action began Sunday with the traditional Duval Street parade before teams moved into full testing at Truman Waterfront Park. From mid-week, the Truman Waterfront Cup opens racing proper, followed by Friday’s Southernmost Continental Championship and Sunday’s Conch Republic Championship finale.
Between races, the harbour comes alive with flyovers, pit-row fan zones, and a festival atmosphere that has made Key West the sport’s equivalent of Monaco. With more than 80 boats entered across ten classes, the stage is set for the year’s most spectacular racing.
Rivalries and redemption
For M•CON, the mission is clear: back-to-back wins to close the season and claim the crown. For GC Racing MTI, this is a chance to convert their Clearwater breakthrough into a championship-defining result. XINSURANCE South, still leading the overall standings on points, know that consistency could yet secure them the title even without a race win.
Elsewhere, Graydel will try to keep Dirty Money Racing behind them one last time in Super Cat, while the Super Stock field, often separated by mere seconds, promises the kind of door-to-door spectacle that has turned the class into RWO’s crowd favourite.
RWO’s first fully independent season has been hailed a success. Freed from its former APBA framework, the organisation has built a modern, GPS-enforced and safety-focused series that rewards skill as much as horsepower. The Key West finale will be its ultimate validation.
Spotter’s guide: boats and classes
Pro Class 1 contenders
- XINSURANCE South
- 45-foot Victory catamaran, twin inboards, renowned for straight-line pace and poise in bigger water.
- GC Racing MTI
- 48-foot MTI catamaran, the newest hull in class, strong qualifying speed and high-average race pace.
- Monster Energy / M•CON
- 40-foot Skater catamaran, agile in traffic and clinical on restarts, Clearwater overall winner.
Super Cat
- C.J. Grant Racing / Graydel
- 38-foot Skater, balanced setup that favours rhythm on longer straights.
- Dirty Money Racing
- 38-foot Douglas Marine hull, powerful mid-race pace with proven form on the Great Lakes.
Super Stock
Near-identical 32-foot outboard catamarans powered by twin Mercury 300s. Expect photo-finish margins.
- Hi-Tech Deck
- Wozencraft
- Demon Bikini
- Coco’s Monkey
Mod V and Brackets
- El Bandido Tequila (Mod V)
- Deep-V setup that rewards throttle discipline when the sea state changes.
- Simmons Marine (Bracket 400)
- Proven Fountain-based package tuned for GPS-capped precision and consistency.
- Proven Marine / Fuel 1 Team (Bracket 700)
- Light, quick and precise in the turns, a benchmark for grassroots execution.
Watching from New Zealand
For Kiwi fans, the timing could not be better. With New Zealand’s second 2025 offshore meet being held at Lake Taupō on 15 November, the Key West World Championship serves as a global curtain-raiser and a reminder of how fiercely the sport is evolving abroad. Many of the same design philosophies, safety systems and class structures now influence the New Zealand circuit, bridging hemispheres through shared innovation.
