-- just in time for next weekend's popular Round the Island race.

The committee, headed by Craig Burt who has returned as commodore, replaces the old committee under commodore Paul Rodrigues, which resigned over several issues that tore at the core of the association.

One of those was the three-race qualifying rule which stipulated that any driver planning to take part in the Round the Island race had to compete in at least three of the regular races at Ferry Reach. But that rule was scrapped by an interim steering committee which replaced Rodrigues' committee.

On Thursday night at a special general meeting, Burt was returned as commodore with Michael Araujo the vice commodore, Brian Smith the rear commodore and Chris Roque the treasurer. Claire Smith, whose name was put forward as secretary in her absence, is expected to be voted in next week.

Now Burt wants to steer the association into calmer waters, starting with next weekend's most anticipated race on the powerboating schedule. The event was delayed a week while problems within the association were sorted out.

"So far 26 boats have signed up, including seven jet skis,'' said Burt yesterday, explaining that an agreement had been reached with the Personal Watercraft Association to stage a race for the jet skiers, taking them from Ferry Reach to White's Island and Five Star Island and back.

That race will start at 12.15 p.m. and will be finished in time for the start of the main event. Extra precautions will be in place to avoid a similar incident to that of last year when two jet skiers were almost run over by Araujo, competing in the C class.

"They (jet skiers) will be back in time and will help marshall inside Ferry Reach for us,'' explained the new commodore who will be racing in the B class.

"They tested the route out and did it in about 25 minutes. They have supported our association this year and so we're trying to incorporate them into the day's events.'' It is that teamwork that Burt is anxious to return to powerboating.

"That's what the interim steering committee has been doing over the last few weeks, trying to get everything back in order,'' he explained.

"It's better, everybody is coming to work together and that's the way it should be. Guys are even helping each other put their boats over and bring the boats up and that's what the association is all about.

"Everybody has been offering good ideas and coming to assist and that's how the association should be working together.'' Burt doesn't lay all the blame on the old executive for the problems. "It falls back on the members, too, but you have to treat the members with respect,'' he said.

Thursday's meeting at Admiralty House was attended by 59 members with another 10 or 12 new members signing up.

Former drivers Mark Fuhrtz and Sean Tavares will act as scrutineers during the big race next weekend.