Bermuda could provide the backdrop for high-octane professional powerboat racing in the near future if all goes according to plan.

Larry Bleil, owner of Race World Offshore, has revealed the organisation is exploring the possibility of staging events featuring some of the world’s fastest boats at various islands outside of the United States, including Bermuda.

“We have been discussing doing a lot of things in the islands and I think it’s something that I want to do now I belong to the UIM [Union Internationale Motonautique] also, Bliel said.

“We’re American Power Boat Association/UIM, so I am the international sanctioning body for offshore racing and can promote races all around the world.

“We’ve been in contact with people in Bermuda and I think we just need to have somebody over there that will push it for us. If they can push it for us then we can help put it all together.

“We’re going to have somebody over there that would be the lead person for making this happen with the Government and I’m sure there’s somebody there that would want to help us out and get this over there. If we can get that right person then I don’t see a problem moving forward.

“I have been over there quite a few times and it’s close enough that if we can work out the logistics of getting the equipment over and back in a timely way so that we can carry on with our season, then it would work. If we could take a week to have everything taken over there, do the race on a weekend and then get a week to get the equipment back, it would work.

“The backdrop over there is fine. The racing is the same as racing here so I think we’d have to figure out making it maybe our top four UIM classes that go, which would be Super Stock, Class 2 which is the 500s, Super Cat and Class 1.”

Hosting a sporting event of this magnitude could also help boost the local economy with the SailGP regatta generating $7.2 million.

Bleil said a lot of Bermudians have expressed a desire to see the island host professional powerboat racing.

“I see all the people that do registrations and we get a lot of Bermudians that come to Key West and buy VIP tickets,” he said.

“I talk with them and they definitely want to have us go over there, so with the people they are in connection with maybe everything can work out. I would like to do something if not next year then the following year.

Bermuda has two professional teams racing abroad under the Race World Offshore/UIM umbrella — in Team Bermuda and Nuff Said.

Ignite Offshore Racing owner-driver Chris Hopgood, who competes against the local pair in the Super Stock class, believes competing in Bermuda’s waters would be “a tremendous opportunity for everyone involved”.

“I really think the class would love to do it and make it truly international,” the American said.

“You have to real competitive teams with GL [Team Bermuda] and then Pink Bermuda [Nuff Said] as we call them. Steven [Bridges, Team Bermuda throttle man] and Luis [Martins, Nuff Said driver] are both good competitors and fast teams.”

Martins said Bermuda would be a “great place to host a race”.

“I think bringing a race to Bermuda would be really exciting for the island. We already have such a big boating community here and a lot of people who enjoy powerboat racing, so it would be great to bring an international race here,” he said.

“It would give us the chance to race in home waters and give everyone in Bermuda something different to come out and watch. It would also bring more people to the island, which is always good for tourism and local businesses.

“Bermuda has some of the best water and scenery, so I think it would be a great place to host a race.”

Team Bermuda 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, while Nuff Said 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 this month at the season-ending XInsurance Great Lakes Grand Prix in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with Nuff Said taking the win and Team Bermuda finishing third to clinch the overall championship.

The pair will be back in action next month at the Key West World Championship in Florida.