Bermuda’s grip on the international powerboat landscape has tightened significantly following a historic, high-octane weekend at the IHRA Shootout Offshore at the Lake of the Ozarks.
The competitive field arrived in Missouri desperate to close the gap on the dominant mid-Atlantic teams, but instead witnessed a total island takeover on the freshwater circuit.
The marquee event culminated in a historic maiden professional victory for Luis Martins and Nick Imprescia aboard Nuff Said, while world championship leaders David Selley and Steven Bridges secured a vital podium finish to maintain their status as the definitive team to beat.
Having laid down a massive marker by qualifying on the inside of the second row, the crew of the S-12 canopy catamaran, titled Nuff Said, executed a tactical masterclass on the water.
Martins and Imprescia handled the breezy lake conditions with superb discipline, locking into an early deck-to-deck duel before pulling away into clean air.
The S-12 crew controlled the eight-lap race entirely from the front, stopping the clock in a blistering, winning time of 26:00.188.
The breathtaking display earned the team a massive 115 points, pushing their season tally to 352 overall. While they remain fourth in the world standings, the maximum points haul blows the championship race wide open. Nuff Said now sit just nine points behind third-placed Wozencraft, and are within striking distance of second place, currently held by Allied/STR Powerboats on 378 points.
The island's dream weekend was backed up beautifully by the premier boat in the division.
Racing from pole position, David Selley and Steven Bridges encountered a fierce challenge from their compatriots early on. Navigating the heavy wake and tight river corners, the crew of the S-25 Team Bermuda boat delivered a heavily disciplined performance, crossing the line in second place with an eight-lap time of 26:12.351.
The podium continuation collected 104 valuable points for the championship frontrunners, expanding their commanding total to 438 points at the summit of the world standings.
With the field preparing for the next tour stops, Bermuda’s multi-boat onslaught has left the international fleet scrambling for answers in the race for the 2026 world title.
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