American Power Boat Association  The American Power Boat Association (APBA) is an American membership-owned corporation. It was created in 1903 by an act of the New York legislature as a racing association for powerboats, and is based in Eastpointe, Michigan, near Detroit. It is the United States sanctioning authority for the Union Internationale Motonautique, the world governing body for powerboat racing. It is the sole governing body in the United States, and sanctions races in a number of different classes. Each year, the association inducts powerboat drivers into its "Hall of Champions".