Young sailor, James North, of Stepaside, has been riding along on the crest of a wave this week after being presented with the keys to a £9,000 powerboat.
Twelve-year-old James received the keys to the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) he won in the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championships 2003, from Andrew Norton, the event director, at Saundersfoot Sailing Club, on Tuesday.
Supported by Honda, Avon Inflatables and Indespension Trailers, James has won his club an Avon 450 RIB fitted with a Honda 40hp four-stroke outboard on an Indespension trailer.
Following a series of regional heats contested by 80 clubs from all parts of the UK, James beat 14 young power-boaters in a showcase event at the recent Southampton Boat Show.
James reached the national finals through top performances initially in his club heats, and then in the Welsh finals. Competitors were split into two age ranges; eight-12 and 13-16.
Competitors pitted their skills against the best talent in the UK as a packed grandstand of spectators in the main demonstration area at the show watched the competition.
The final was run in individual time trials around a triangular course where competitors performed boat-handling skills, such as a simulated man-over board routine. They completed the course twice and their best time was taken.
James clocked up the quickest time of the day at one minute 22 seconds, fighting off last year's champion, Thomas Morgan from the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, in the 8-12-year-old category.
Dai Jones from the Welsh Yachting Association said: "James is a local power-boating hero and we are both delighted and very grateful to be presented with this boat. The RIB is likely to be used for coaching and also as a safety/rescue craft."