Powerboat racing teams Nuff Said and Team Bermuda have received plaudits from both sides of the House of Assembly for their successful campaigns in the United States this year.

Team Bermuda (Steven Bridges/David Selley) racked up four victories and finished on the podium at every event on the way to being crowned Super Stock National champions for the first time.

Nuff Said (Luis Martins/Nick Imprescia) claimed two wins and finished in the top six in all but one race this year.

Both teams ended the regular season on a high note in the season finale XInsurance Great Lakes Grand Prix in Clearwater Beach, Florida last Sunday, with Nuff Said taking the win and Team Bermuda finishing third to clinch the overall championship.

Remarkably, Team Bermuda and Nuff Said won six of the seven race Super Stock National Championship series this year.

Sports minister Owen Darrell is delighted to see both teams thriving against some of the world’s elite powerboat racers.

“Once again they are continuing on the form they’ve had for this season,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“They have won multiple races this season and I was able to view some of the races in a clip that was sent to me, so that shows there are Bermudians that are following their progress.

“There are Bermudians that are definitely supporting them and I was happy to be able to view it, and at the appropriate time I will reach out to all involved and offer my sincere congratulations.

“We see it in multiple sports where people are surprised that Bermuda can compete on the international stage. This is just continued evidence that no matter the size of this island, we continue to come with immense skill, immense fight and immense pride in representing our country.”

Shadow sports minister and Opposition leader Ben Smith also hailed the success of both teams

“Congratulations to Team Bermuda and Nuff Said on their recent success in the United States. Their performances are a tremendous achievement and another proud moment for Bermuda sport,” he said.

“Competing and winning at this level reflects the skill, dedication and teamwork of the racers, crews and supporters behind them. They have represented Bermuda with distinction, and the entire island can be proud of their success.

“I know several Bermudians travelled to see them race up close which shows the excitement these results are creating.”

Chris Marshall, a three-times US national and world champion powerboat racer in the United States, is also happy to see both teams enjoying success.

“To be honest, very few people in Bermuda realise what an accomplishment that was for both teams,” he said.

“That is the largest class in that association and I don’t think anybody realises how competitive that class is. For teams to dominate the way they did during the year really was amazing, I can’t use another word for it.

“You don’t see that type of consistency and that type of dominance in a class of 16 to 17 boats. Each one of those boats were prepared with quite a lot of resource behind them and still those guys dominated.

“Anything can happen in these races. You can have different conditions, you can pick the wrong propeller and you can just have an off day but these guys have just been hammering at it all year.

“You’ve got previous world champions in that class and David and Steven and Luis and Nick have been up at the top consistently.”