Tech Analysis: Crew members

When it comes to crewing a Powerboat P1 entry, why is having three people in the boat sometimes better than just two?

They say that two’s company, but three’s a crowd. So why, when the Powerboat P1 teams head out to sea, are most boats crewed by two people – a pilot and a throttleman – while some boats are crewed by three people? When you’ve got one man (or woman) on the steering wheel and another on the throttle and trim tabs, what possible advantage could a third person have?

Powerboat racing has traditionally always been a two-man sport. The pilot keeps track of the steering as they crash over unpredictable waves, while watching for rival boats – often just yards off the crews’ stern – and the hard-to-spot corner buoys (either in the flesh or on the in-boat GPS navigation system). The throttleman has to keep blipping the engine on and off to avoid over-revving it as the boat and propellor crash in and out of the waves. The throttleman also keeps an eye on the engine temperature and oil pressure, while providing another set of eyes for the buoys and rival boats.

It’s challenging enough to keep the boat steering in a straight line on the rough waves, so having to control the throttle to prevent the engine over-revving every time the boat crashes in and out of the waves can be too much for one person to cope with. There have been some supreme examples of dual-role pilots, who prefer to balance throttle and steering from one seat, leaving the second crew member free to monitor engine dials and navigate, but they’re few and far between.

For 2008, the steering and throttle roles have been made totally independent, requiring a minimum two-man crew. But there’s always an option to add a third person, and it’s an option that several teams have taken up.

Both the #22 Big Sergio and the #38 Baia High Performance SuperSport teams have run with three people in the boat this year (althouth the #22 Big Sergio team reverted to a two-man line-up in Tunisia). Equally, the #76 Italcraft Evolution class entry has had a three-person line-up for its limited outings this year, while the #88 Kiton Outerlimits team added Tunisian racer Abla Lassoued to their crew in a third sear for her home race.

As #38 Baia High Performance ‘spare hand’ Roy Capasso says, although the weight a third person adds to the overall race weight of a boat is inconsequential, they’re not just there for the ride, often focusing on the role of navigator. Although the majority of boats have sophisticated GPS systems, on which the crew effectively plot the course and the best racing lines, there’s no substitute for a third human eye.

“The navigator sees what the others cannot see,” Capasso says. “During the race, the adrenaline goes up, the waves are higher and higher. I focus my attention on the placement of the buoy markers. It’s no coincidence that we’ve never made a mistake on the race start, while many other teams with just two people have often ended up pointing at the wrong buoy. It’s easy to follow the boat in first place, but, if he’s all wrong... It happens more often than you might think.”

That’s an opinion shared by #22 Big Sergio throttleman Alfredo Amato, although he admits that sometimes having a third voice over the in-boat intercom can add to the confusion of an already hectic racing situation. “The third person is needed a lot in case of rough conditions, when the throttleman cannot take his eyes off the power and the pilot often can’t see the next mark,” Amato says. “The disadvantage is that we need the comprehension of three people instead of two. In an hour of racing, you can’t have any distractions or misunderstandings.”

So, whether it’s one lump or three, there’s yet another factor to consider in putting together the ultimate winning Powerboat P1 combination.