SoftBank Team Japan built on their strong showing at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Chicago with another win in Dockyard on Saturday.

A third place at the United States regatta suggested that Dean Barker’s team were on the right track, and so it proved this weekend when they won the drag race series at Foil Fest.

Team Japan won the first race of the three-race series, were just pipped at the line by Oracle Team USA in the second, and did enough in the final race, won by Artemis Racing, to take the overall prize of $12,500 which they donated to the Centre Against Abuse and The Reading Clinic.

“We know there are a lot of charities doing important work in Bermuda, in fact we were supposed to choose one and ended up settling on two,” Barker, the Team Japan skipper and chief executive, said.

“I hope the people of Bermuda enjoyed all the activities and races at Foil Fest, we certainly enjoyed being part of it.”

The drag races were the finale to an event that had hundreds of residents flocking to the West End to visit team bases, watch pilot gig races and get another small feel for what the island can expect when the America’s Cup returns next year.

Oracle and Team Japan welcomed the public into their Dockyard facilities and Artemis Racing, who are based at Morgan’s Point, had a booth at the event village where they signed posters and took pictures with the fans.

“This was a great chance for us to meet with and thank the community in Bermuda who have supported us so much since we moved here last year,” Jimmy Spithill, the Oracle skipper, said.

The event, hosted by America’s Cup Bermuda and Wedco, also featured a variety of local vendors and demonstrations from Dolphin Quest, the International One-Metre remote control sailboats and Coconut Rockets flyboarding team.

Throughout the day a number of local fleets ran the same drag race course as the America’s Cup boats, with 12 year-old Rian Geraghty McDonnell winning the Optimist class, Quinton Simons, on-board Stir de Pot, winning the Comet class and Scott Mello first across the line for the Windsurfers.

“It was great that these fleets supported the event and I think they enjoyed the races,” Adam Barboza, ACBDA project manager, said. “I’d like to thank DeDe Cooper, Gladwin Lambert and David Kendall for organising their fleets for the day.”

The Bermuda Pilot Gig Club also staged two races, the first between their competitive races teams and the second with “celebrity” teams, one of which included Governor George Fergusson.

Another important occasion taking place at Foil Fest was the introduction of the finalists for Team BDA, Bermuda’s entry into the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, taking place in Bermuda in June, 2017.

Oracle has adopted the Bermuda team, meaning that they will automatically qualify for the event. Spithill introduced the team and explained that the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup provides a “pathway” for youth sailors into America’s Cup sailing.

Mike Winfield, ACBDA chief executive, thanked the three America’s Cup teams, and the event’s community supporters, Butterfield and Vallis, Belco, BF&M, Butterfield Bank and Logic, plus the staff of Wedco and ACBDA for all the work that went into planning and running the event.

“There is no official America’s Cup racing in Bermuda this year so we wanted to do something special for the community,” he said. “The teams immediately embraced the idea and I’m really pleased that so many people came out and took advantage of this unique opportunity.”