Razor-Thin Finish: DeFalco Captures PRO Class 1 Crown by Two Points as Key West Crowns World Champions

KEY WEST, FLA. (November 10, 2025) – A razor-thin two-point margin separated champion from runner-up as DeFalco Racing claimed the PRO Class 1 world title in the closest finish of the 44th annual Race World Offshore Key West World Championships. The three-day battle came down to Sunday's final laps, with DeFalco edging Monster Energy/M CON 391-389 in overall points.

The championship attracted a record-breaking field of 97 boats including seven international entries, the largest turnout in more than two decades. Unlike most offshore powerboat races held miles from shore, Key West's unique 4.4-mile harbor course brought world-class racing directly to spectators. Fans packed waterfront locations throughout the harbor as boats exceeded 100 miles per hour through tight turns just yards from shore.

Sunday's PRO Class 1 finale delivered championship drama. Driver Mike Falco and throttleman Billy Moore charged to victory in their 48-foot Victory catamaran, posting a blistering 23:37.1 time to finish just 29.9 seconds ahead of Monster Energy/M CON. The comeback victory erased a Wednesday jumped-start penalty and secured DeFalco's second consecutive world title.

Dirty Money Racing dominated the Super Cat class with a perfect sweep. Throttleman Bill Pyburn and driver Brit Lilly never trailed, winning all three races and clinching Sunday's finale with a commanding 34.8-second margin. The team averaged speeds around 107 mph en route to the world championship.

Spirit of Qatar matched that dominance in the Extreme class. Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and British throttleman Steve Curtis, reunited after more than a decade apart, swept all three days of competition in their 54-foot MTI catamaran. They finished with 403 total points—43 ahead of American Custom Marine—capping their return to international racing with a world title.

The harbor's challenging course tested teams throughout the week. Team Nautical Ventures overcame a Friday missed-buoy penalty to capture the Super Stock world championship. In Super Vee, Knucklehead Racing's Ed Smith and Brian Klinec dominated the field, winning with a cumulative time of 48:32.7 in their 40-foot Fountain.

Bracket-class racing delivered photo finishes across multiple divisions. MDG Offshore Racing claimed Bracket Class 6 with the week's fastest cumulative time of 47:58.0. Dirt Legal Velocity Factory Race Team topped Bracket Class 7 by just 2.4 seconds over RedRum, while Saris Racing Engines edged Shocker Offshore Racing by 5.1 seconds in Bracket Class 4.

The championships drew international competition, with Australia's 222 Offshore and Qatar's Spirit of Qatar battling America's top programs. Teams competed across multiple classes on the southernmost city's spectator-friendly course.

2025 Key West World Championship Winners

• Pro Class 1: DeFalco, 62:02.7 (391 points)
  Super Cat: Dirty Money Racing, 60:13.6 (418 points)

• Extreme: Spirit of Qatar, 60:12.0 (403 points)

• Super Stock: Team Nautical Ventures, 364 points

• Factory Stock: Say Less MF, 60:49.8 (392 points)

• Super V: Knucklehead Racing, 48:32.7 (404 points)

• Modified V: Boatfloater.com, 50:04.2 (390 points)

• Bracket Class 2: OC Racing, 53:00.9 (406 points)

• Bracket Class 3: Team Woody Racing, 56:04.9 (395 points)

• Bracket Class 4: Saris Racing Engines, 49:36.4 (397 points)

• Bracket Class 5: Rum Runners, 53:50.0 (421 points)

• Bracket Class 6: MDG Offshore Racing, 47:58.0 (427 points)

• Bracket Class 7: Dirt Legal Velocity Factory Race Team, 55:59.4 (424 points)

• Cat 300: Jackhammer, 200 points

Complete results for all classes are available at raceworldoffshore.com.

High-resolution images and captions are available here.

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