One of the powerboat drivers thrown from his D-Class craft during Sunday's Annual Round the Island Race yesterday relived the harrowing ordeal.

Terry Smith, better known to many as Pete, was co-piloting Jermaine Butterfield's 22-ft Swedish designed Ocke Mannefelg when it struck a wave and nosed-dived near the Pompano Beach Hotel on the South Shore.

The 43-year-old Smith suffered bruised ribs and whiplash during the accident which prompted both drivers to seek medical attention at the King Edward Memorial Hospital.

"We were running pretty hard when the boat went up on one wave and the back came slamming down on another wave which flipped us end-for-end before we nose dived," he recalled.

Smith estimated he and Butterfield were travelling at around 75mph when the mis-hap occurred on a notorious section of South Shore that traditionally separates the men from the boys.

"It felt as though as we hit the road ¿ it hurt. We were very fortunate and the good Lord was definitely with us. Jermaine sits right in front of me and the force of the water was so great that it ripped the helmet right off his head," he said.

Despite being shaken up by the experience, both pilot and co-pilot climbed back into their boat and limped the rest of the way around the course with a severely damaged propeller.

"That's what we were out there for and when we finished we put the boat back on the trailer, changed up and then made our way to the ambulance," Smith said. Both drivers underwent CAT scans at the hospital before being released, and are expected to resume racing in two weeks' time.

S-Class rivals Ricky Sousa and Steven Bridge claimed class and overall line honours in a winning time of 38 minutes and 39 seconds during Sunday's race that was brought forward this year, with the team of Phillip Correia and Jason Lopes seizing D Class honours (50.25) and Patrick Stamper and John Carreio claiming the C-Class title with a winning time of 54 minutes and 23 seconds.

Personal Craft honours went to Jamal Williams and Ronald Denbrooke, who crossed the Ferry Reach finish line in a time of 59 minutes and 27 seconds.

Jeremy Madeiros and Jason Peniston won the A Class in the Jetski Division while Raymond Rawlins and Derek Simons won the Personal Craft division.