David Selley and Steven Bridges realised a dream after being crowned champions on the final day of the 2026 Key West World Championship in Florida on Sunday.

The dynamic duo led the 16-boat Super Stock fleet from flag to flag in their Doug Wright catamaran Team Bermuda in the final race of the event to clinch a maiden world title and complete an impressive double after also being crowned national champions this year.

“What a year we’ve had and then top it off down here in Key West and win it, it’s just awesome and a dream come true,” throttle man Bridges told The Royal Gazette.

“It’s hard to say how we feel right now, but it’s a huge thing. To win it down here is amazing and I just can’t believe it. It’s incredible.

“After picking a bad card on Wednesday and coming seventh, it didn’t look good for us, but you can’t give up and we were able to win it. It’s just unreal. “It’s awesome and a dream come true. I can’t ask for anything better.”

Driver Selley was equally as delighted to achieve the double.

“It’s been a long week and we sealed the deal. We got the world championship and the national title,” he said.

“It’s unbelievable. We had a plan but sometimes plans don’t go to plan. Even today we were cut short, so it depends on where you are on the track and we want to lead every lap.

“I feel like that’s a safe spot to be and just super thankful for the opportunity and also thankful that everybody walked away today.

“It was an awesome week, an action-packed week and just thankful to be a part of it.

“There was no buffer going in. It was winner take all, go big or go home and we just had a plan. We knew we could do it but things have got to fall your way.

“There’s good luck and bad luck and a little bit of luck was on our side. The team puts us in a good position to be able to do what we can do.”

Selley and Bridges are only the second Bermuda team to be crowned national and world champions in the same year behind Chris Marshall and Dennis Berry, who were the first to achieve the feat in 2000.

Team Bermuda held an eight-point advantage at the top of the standings heading into the final race after picking up their first win at the event two days earlier, but that margin was never threatened as they led for the whole way to bring the world championship title back to Bermuda.

With double points on offer, the championship remained wide open with five teams in contention for honours heading into the final race.

The race committee had a busy time as the race had to be restarted on two occasions due to a poor start and a mishap that wiped out two boats.

“The restarts are tough on you because anything can happen,” Bridges said.

“You kind of think you got across this one, thank God, and then all of a sudden you got to start again.

“It was a good race for us. We got a good clean start in the last one and then once you get clean water it makes a huge difference and we managed the race a little bit.

“We can also block these guys if we have to and somewhat get them in our wake, so you have to drive defensive sometimes and just be smart.”

Selley added: “It’s a big mind game all week and it really comes down to turn one at 60 to 75 per cent. Just trying to get through that lane and not make a mistake.

“You got a lot on the line, so you got to be a little bit conservative as well. If you want to push, don’t take a dash, it could be all over.

“This was winner takes all today. We knew we had to hit our marks and we did.”

Selley and Bridges started in lane one and grabbed the lead heading to turn one, which they maintained until the race ended with a lap to go after a pod of dolphins encroached on the course.

“We got out of shape one or two times,” Bridges said.

“If you’re pushing hard something is going to happen so you got to be smart about it and maintain it.

“We were a little bit slower on one part of the track so you just have to get through that. Then if you’re better at the other part of the track that’s where you shine and where you push as hard as you can.”

It turned out to be another memorable day for Bermuda as fellow local team Nuff Said, comprised of driver Luis Martins and throttle man Nick Imprescia, finished runner-up in the race and fourth overall.

“We had a good race and it was a lot of fun,” Martins said.

“We chased them [Team Bermuda] but didn’t have enough. I wish we had a few more laps, but it is what it is and we’ll take what we got.”

Imprescia added: “They have been strong all season so we have been chasing them. It’s honestly an honour to run with them, so hats off to them. Cheers to Bermuda, 25, 12!”