“I seconded myself and went up alone, and nobody contested me.”During his one-year term as commodore Wellman has vowed to build on the foundation left by his predecessor, Brian Smith.“I want to take the whole association to the next level,” he declared. “My administration is going to be more organised and we also intend to put more safety measures in place.“I would also like to see more consecutive races and try to get two Round the Island Races held in the year. There are a few things we have in mind that we are still discussing at the moment.”Wellman admitted he was still raw as far as being an administrator but is confident that, with the support of others, he can be equal to the task at hand.“I am green to all of this and still learning and I told the guys that put me in this position that I am just one person,” he said. “I told them to bring their ideas and suggestions to me and we will go from there.”During his racing career, Wellman managed three podium finishes in the ‘C’ class in the annual Round the Island Race before he hung up his racing gear in the late 1980s.But his passion for the sport gradually got the better of him as he began occasionally volunteering his services on race day.“Last year I was behind the scenes with the crash boats but this year I got more involved,” he said.The retired Government worker believes it was organisational skills and resourcefulness that made him the ideal candidate to be the next BPBA commodore.“I guess that’s where it all started and I was recommended to be the next commodore because some things were not getting done and I was making them happen,” he added. “This is not to say that the other commodore (Smith) was bad . . . he just had a lot on his plate.”After being diagnosed with Lupus, he has suffered multiple strokes, which temporarily paralysed the left side of his body and for four months remained in a coma battling pneumonia at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.“I was unable to walk, talk or anything,” he recalled. “I had two strokes in my sleep and was in a coma for four months.”Through his own personal struggles with his health, Wellman, who still only has minimal movement in his left hand and arm, hopes to inspire his powerboat colleagues.“I just used to race before and so I am new at this,” he said. “But it’s all about planning and doing what’s best for the association.”