John Haggin wen t to Dubai to watch some offshore racing in December and he left the country with a lot more responsibility.

Haggin became a board member of a new racing organization – World Professional Powerboat Association (WPPA) – and plans to race his boat, Platinum Princess, overseas this year. It was a whirlwind trip for Haggin, who sponsors 13 boats that compete primarily on the Offshore Super Series circuit. “I wasn’t expecting this,” said Haggin about joining the WPPA’s newly formed board. “I’m just here to promote offshore racing. I’m doing everything I can.”

The teams that comprise the Class 1 series that races in Europe and the Middle East are parting ways Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the governing body that oversaw the sport. They formed the new WPPA because they were unable to resolve problems with UIM over the running of the sport and its direction.

The new overseas race organization is reminiscent of the fractured state of offshore racing in the United States. A group of racers broke away from the American Power Boat Association in 2003 after a dispute over the direction of the sport and formed the Offshore Super Series. Since the summer, the teams in Class 1 racing – which is similar to the Super Cat class in the U.S. – had been working with UIM to set up their own circuit but still remain under UIM’s auspices. The governing body refused, and that’s when the teams decided to strike out on their own.

“We tried everything we could to solve the problem and stay with them,” said Saeed Hareb, chairman of the new WPPA and managing director of the Dubai International Marine Club. Hareb said the door is sill open to work with UIM. “We have a long history and we don’t want to close that door,” he said. The WPPA will be bases in Dubai and will be funded by fees paid from the race teams. A committee made up of representatives from the United States, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Qatar and the United Kingdom will have a tall task ahead of them. They will have to work quickly to establish technical rules for the upcoming season and finalize details with the various race venues.

For Haggin, his new role is going to mean plenty of flights to Dubai as the organization is established. He also is pledging to race Platinum Princess. He plans to install either Lamborghini engines (preferred power on the tour) or Mercury Racing HP1075SCi mills. Either way, Haggin says he's commited to racing. "If we're racing over here, hopefully some other teams from the United States will follow us," he said.