After last weekend’s final meeting of the season, the Bermuda Power Boat Association commodore Robert Caldwell hailed the 2022 season as a success despite a series of setbacks.

“Our season did not go quite as well as we would have liked,” he told The Royal Gazette. “Our first three races of the season did not go off as no one showed up. After that, we did get good turnout.”

A new event at Dockyard proved to be a huge success and that venue is likely to feature heavily again next year.

“The Dockyard event turned out to be very popular and it is clearly an awesome venue for our races,” Cardwell said. “This will be repeated.”

Despite the start of the season featuring a lack of competitors, there was no shortage of spectators whenever action did take place on the water.

“We had good turnout of supporters through the season,” he said. “While we had some issues with private vessels impeding on the racecourse at the beginning of the season, that seems to have sorted itself out as we continued.

“It was, overall, a good powerboat season brought to an end in true class.”

That class was on display at Ferry Reach last Sunday when the association staged its season-ending National Championship.

David Selley and co-pilot Steven Bridges reigned supreme in S class with Steven Meireles and co-pilot Phillip Raposo securing top honours in D class and Jody Coreiro and co-pilot Chris Pacheco coming out on top in B class.

Ryan McLean and Santiago Rowse dominated the junior class with a pair of wins each, while Jason Simons and Jahlae Raynor were victorious in the two jet ski races.

“It was another great day of racing,” Cardwell said. “We saw our juniors take to the racecourse in fine style.

“The last race saw a very heated hook between Ryan McLean and Santiago Rowe right to the end with Santiago prevailing with a manoeuvre on turn in the last lap.

“We had two very quick jet ski races and we saw the jet skis moving at speed through the racecourse, with both riders winning a race each.

“Powerboats were in fine form and all the classes competed extremely well.”