Powerboat P1 focus turns to race organisation

Wednesday 06 August 2008

The #07 VoomVoom.com powers through the water off the coast of Marseille

Powerboat P1 Racing and Event Director Andy Hindley has said that improving the way events are run is the next stage in the championship’s growth. After focusing on tightening up the technical and sporting regulations in his first six months of the job, Hindley has said that his next focus is targeting improvements in race administration and organisation.

With four events – three of them new to the Powerboat P1 calendar – in the first two months of the 2008 championship, the opening races of the season have proved to be a tough baptism of fire for the new management team. Reaction to the improved package of technical support and race and VIP hospitality has been overwhelmingly positive, though Hindley is keen to make sure that Powerboat P1 exceeds these standards in the future.

“We’ve obviously been pleased with the positive reaction to the first four races, with people saying it’s fantastic and smooth running, but what people don’t see is the effort put in behind the scenes,” Hindley said in an interview with PowerboatP1.com. “From our side of things, it’s never as smooth as we’d like, and that’s what we want to improve. A smooth input means an even better output.

“We need to make sure we support every team, and deliver them to the races with the minimum of fuss so that they can concentrate on performance. We’ll find it easier, they’ll find it easier and, once word spreads, that will encourage people in. We’re heading in the right direction, but there are a lot of things that we need to improve in terms of dealing with venues for sporting and operational matters and promotion and PR.”

To read more about Andy Hindley's background and his views on Powerboat P1's future, read our exclusive interview here.