The 2026 Great Loop Challenge Powered by Honda Marine to Launch August 8 from DeLand, Florida
The 2026 Great Loop Challenge Powered by Honda Marine to Launch August 8 from DeLand, Florida.
Ultra-endurance marine marathon to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research, showcasing the performance, reliability and purpose-driven innovation of the Honda Marine BF350 V8 outboard.
WHAT: The 2026 Great Loop Challenge powered by Honda Marine is a mission-driven, 7,300+ nautical mile endurance run raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research through the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
WHO: Led by cancer survivor Captain Scott “Red” Flowers and an experienced crew, including Scott Portā, President and Founder of Portā Products, and Jim “Slim” Berns, Chief Operating Officer of Sharrow Marine, the marine marathon will attempt to set a time benchmark for a customized route inspired by The Great Loop, a network of waterways surrounding the eastern United States, portions of Canada and the Mississippi River system. As title sponsor, Honda Marine will support the initiative with funding and technology, including twin Honda BF350 V8 outboards powering the custom built Portā DARK:30 Velocity to demonstrate reliability, efficiency, quiet operation and high-power performance across demanding freshwater, coastal and open-water conditions.
WHEN: The 2026 Great Loop Challenge powered by Honda Marine is scheduled to launch Saturday, August 8, 2026, at noon ET from Lake Beresford Yacht Club in DeLand, Florida. The crew plans to run 24/7, outside of planned stops, before returning to the yacht club for the finish. Recreational boaters typically take six months to a year to complete The Great Loop.
WHERE: The route includes rivers, lakes, locks, bays, intracoastal waterways and extended open-water passages, with engagement opportunities in boating communities and waterfront markets along the route. Planned stops include Tampa, Florida; Key West, Florida; Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington, North Carolina; Portland, Maine; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, with additional U.S. and Canadian markets to be confirmed.
WHY: The 2026 Great Loop Challenge powered by Honda Marine combines performance boating, endurance, technology and philanthropy to support pediatric cancer research.
For Honda Marine, the effort provides a real-world demonstration of the company’s high-power four-stroke outboard technology, including efficiency, durability, quiet operation, low emissions and long-range reliability under demanding conditions, while reinforcing the Honda Marine commitment to innovation with purpose and community impact. The commitment of Captain Flowers to pediatric cancer research began during his own stage 4 melanoma treatment in 2017, when encounters with young cancer patients inspired him to turn his lifelong boating experience into a fundraising mission. In 2024, Flowers and his crew completed a 6,500-nautical-mile Great Loop run in 19 days, 19 hours and 50 minutes, raising $450,000 for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The 2026 challenge expands the route to more than 7,300 nautical miles and increases the endurance, logistics and equipment demands while continuing to raise funds to meet a $1 million goal set by Captain Flowers.
THE ENDURANCE CRAFT: The challenge will be run aboard a custom-outfitted Portā DARK:30 Velocity powered by Honda Marine—a high-performance, military-style craft developed around a proven Velocity hull and configured by Portā for speed, endurance, safety, communications and crew comfort. The boat brings together the Portā high performance running surface, advanced vessel systems and partner technologies intended to support continuous long-distance operation, data collection and real-world testing throughout the 7,300+ nautical mile route.
THE COLLAB: In addition to Honda Marine, the effort melds marine technology, construction, navigation, safety, stabilization and human-performance partners whose products and expertise support vessel and crew optimization. Participating partners include Portā Products, Portā Performance, Sharrow Marine, Seakeeper RIDE, AkzoNobel, Velocity Powerboats, FARO Creaform, AmeraTrail, Ullman Dynamics, TMS Group, David Clark Company, Power-Pole, STORMR, Raymarine, FLIR, Tocaro Blue, and Hefring Marine.
FOLLOW THE CHALLENGE: National and regional media will have opportunities to follow the challenge through launch coverage, route updates, fundraising milestones, planned market stops, engineering performance insights and community engagement tied to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s mission. Followers can track the progress of Captain Flowers and his crew aboard the Portā DARK:30 Velocity powered by Honda Marine, donate to The 2026 Great Loop Challenge 2026 powered by Honda Marine, and access key media assets for The 2026 GLC at www.hondanews.com.
About Honda Marine
Honda Marine, a division of Honda Power Sports & Products, markets a complete range of marine outboard motors. Its comprehensive product line is powered exclusively by four-stroke engines. Honda Marine pioneered four-stroke engine technology and has been designing and building four-stroke outboard motors for more than 60 years, setting the benchmark for fuel efficiency, quiet operation and low emissions. With models ranging from 2.3 to 350 horsepower, the Honda Marine full line of current production models meets the rigorous California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-star standards, enabling availability and regulatory compliance in all 50 states.
Follow Honda Marine: hondanews.com, www.facebook.com/hondamarine, www.youtube.com/honda, www.linkedin.com/company/honda-marine/, and @hondamarine_USA.
About Portā Products
Portā Products Corporation, founded in 1980 by offshore racing champion Scott Portā, is a New Smyrna Beach, Florida based marine technology and innovation company specializing in high-performance and industrial outboard mounting systems and advanced vessel running surface technologies. Best known for the Portā Hydraulic Transom Bracket, the company engineers solutions that help optimize shallow-water capability, fuel efficiency, speed, handling and endurance across recreational, commercial, military and government marine applications. Building on decades of race-proven design experience, Portā Products also advances performance-focused hull and shock-mitigation technologies through Portā Performance and Perfect Storm; a company that combines all available technology into each vessel.
About The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation® (NPCF)
Established in 1991, the NPCF is dedicated to ending childhood cancer. Through its Sunshine Project™, NPCF unites top physicians and scientists from 41 of the nation's best hospitals to develop and fund groundbreaking research to help find less toxic and more targeted treatments for children battling cancer. The NPCF is recognized as the top-rated cancer charity in the U.S. by Charity Navigator, holding a perfect 100% score for financial health and transparency. Discover more at NationalPCF.org and follow the GLC 2026 Powered by Honda Marine on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X.