Steven Bridges and David Selley had plenty of cause for celebration after securing an impressive podium finish in the Super Stock Class Series in the United States.

The Bermudian duo finished third in the overall series, flying the island’s banner in their 32-foot twin-engined catamaran, S25 Team Bermuda/GL Construction, in Super Stock class.

“Not too shabby for our first full season of racing, our first time in fresh water and still learning set-ups for different race conditions,” boat owner and throttleman Bridges told The Royal Gazette.

“We had a couple of great finishes; third in Marathon, a second in Sheboygan and a couple of not-so-great finishes, but overall a third place for the season.”

Driver Selley is elated by the team’s success as well as the opportunity to pit his skills against some of the world’s best at this level.

“Our first full season of racing and we finished third overall in points for the National Points Series,” he said. “It’s been a privilege representing our tiny but beautiful island of Bermuda.”

The local team started the season with a bang in April, finishing second in the APBA Offshore National Series season opener in Key West, Florida, their first podium finish at this level.

They then earned another trip to the podium after finishing runner-up at the Sheboygan Midwest Challenge in Wisconsin in August and managed four top-five showings overall this season, with Bridges grateful for all those who contributed to the team’s success.

“We would like to thank our Bermuda crew who joined us at the races to help make this podium finish possible,” he added.

“Thank you to our local supporters, you help us strive to represent Bermuda proud. Thank you to our fellow group of S Class racers, who are an awesome group of people that have helped us in many ways this season.

“The biggest thank you is to our sponsors, without their help none of this is possible. Thank you all for helping make our dream of competing on a professional level possible.”

Selley was keen to echo his colleagues sentiments.

“Huge thanks to all that made this possible, our crew, families, friends and of course our sponsors both on the boat and privately,” he said.

The duo’s season was not without its share of challenges both on and off the water.

“Gone are the days of showing up with just a boat and two or three sets of props,” Bridges said.

“The cost of racing in this class has gotten way more expensive than it used to be with new boats and new technology, not to mention the competition is extremely high with ten to 15 boats.”

The year could potentially turn out to be even sweeter for the local team who are second in the APBA Offshore National Series.

Meanwhile, Bridges and Selley have also been busy in front of the camera as part of a TV documentary to be released early next year.

“We have been participating in a TV documentary with three other boats this season,” Bridges explained. “Currently the documentary is due to be released in late January and will be available on Amazon Prime, but we will not have the final release date until the end of the year.”

Bridges and Selley are among two local teams competing in the Super Stock Class in the United States having recently been joined by compatriots Andy Stoneham and Luis Martins.

Stoneham and Martins were scheduled to make their debut in the APBA Offshore National Series at last weekend’s Insurance Clearwater Offshore Nationals in the Gulf of Mexico in their 32-foot catamaran, S12 Nuff Said Bermuda, before the event was cancelled due to Hurricane Helene.