annoyance to residents in the area.

Enthusiasm for the sport seems to be growing, residents said yesterday, noting that powerboat owners are using "bigger and noisier engines'' and practising longer hours.

A couple living on Biological Lane at Ferry Reach complained that "continual noise pollution'' was shattering the peace of the St. George's neighbourhood every day.

They wrote in a letter to The Royal Gazette this week that practice sessions begin as early as 9.30 on Saturday mornings and continue through to dusk, on weekdays as well.

But Bermuda Powerboat Association commodore Mr. Kevin Constable says although he sympathises with residents, Ferry Reach is the only area speed boat owners have to practise and race.

"Bermuda is a very small place, so we have to make space for everyone,'' he said. "There is no other stretch as accessible to the boaters. They can easily put their boats overboard and race there.'' The Biological Lane couple admitted residents of Ferry Reach had agreed to "bear the burden of every other Sunday races,'' but said if powerboat enthusiasts insisted on practising in the area daily "a new consensus on what is reasonable use of the waterway must be reached.'' "For many years the speedboaters were considerate enough of the residents of Ferry Reach to limit their races to every other Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m.,'' said the couple, who did not want to be named. "But this year is different ... getting a jet ski or one of those mini-boats in and out of the water is just no problem. Residents of the Reach are now faced with the prospect of continual noise pollution!'' However, Mr. Constable said the boaters were probably no noisier than the air planes flying low over the area each day to land at the airport.

And he said there were, in fact, restrictions in place on race and practice hours: Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends, and 9.a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Mr. Constable further said the Association's members had scheduled races in the area on just 15 Sundays between the months of May and October.

He said the Association would take into consideration any complaints from residents, but, "everyone has to give a little.'' US Customs employee Mrs. James Whitesell, who lives at Ferry Close and is off during the day, said she too was bothered by the noise.

However, she said it angered her husband even more."He gets very annoyed at the constant whining,'' she said. "But I can tune out noises.'' Mrs. Whitesell said although she understood the powerboat racers had no other place to race their boats, it seemed they were racing more often than last summer.

Citing the overhead air planes and racing of model speed boats in the waters near the US Navy Base, Bermuda Biological Station for Research operations manager Mr. Harry Barnes said the powerboat racers were "just one more'' source of "noise pollution'' to residents at Ferry Reach.

He said the BBSR's main problem with the powerboat owners was that many didn't realise there was a five knot no-wake zone east of the air plane landing lights.

He said often the powerboats sped by the Biological Station, rocking boats at the dock, which was especially annoying if they were being loaded up.

But Mr. Barnes added powerboat owners were not the only boaters to disobey the no-wake zone.