SUWER bouncets. We pull back the curtain on the people who ...

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<strong>SUWER</strong>
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Secret servlce
Behind every great sporting event is a small army of organisers, technicians, engineers, media men and
<strong>bouncets</strong>. <strong>We</strong> <strong>pull</strong> <strong>back</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>curtain</strong> on <strong>the</strong> people who made this summer/s Class 1 race in Plymouth possible
Trxr
Trv Tlovns
PHoros
Gnnrnn SNoor<
hat's <strong>the</strong> point of powerboat
racing? Certainly, many
people I know seem ra<strong>the</strong>r
bemused by <strong>the</strong> sport. "All <strong>the</strong>y do it
waste a perfectly good weekend and
10,000 litres of fuel to risk <strong>the</strong>ir lives for
an hour, " commented a fiiend of mine.
"It is," he continued, "pointless."
I tried to reason with him, explaining
<strong>the</strong> thrill and spectacle ofbouncing over
waves at a ton-forty, <strong>the</strong> throaty ear-split
of <strong>the</strong> engines, <strong>the</strong> rooster tails, <strong>the</strong>
awe among <strong>the</strong> thousands of spectators,
<strong>the</strong> chance to eat burgers and carvery
baps from modified lorry trailers. He
remained unconvinced. "I can get that
by sitting next to my lawnmower and
cooking up some grub on <strong>the</strong> barbecuei'
he said.
"\4/hat about all <strong>the</strong> people who
depend on <strong>the</strong> tour for <strong>the</strong>ir living?" I
asked. "Like who?" he replied. Good
question. So when <strong>the</strong> Class 1 circus
came to town (Plyrnouth, in fact) we
thought we'd go down and see just who
does what behind <strong>the</strong> scenes.
Cnnrs rnr Evrnr
\Vhen you rvant to know how <strong>the</strong> circus
is put toge<strong>the</strong>r, you go to <strong>the</strong> ringmaster.
Chris Parsonage from Gervais Property,
local sponsors of <strong>the</strong> Plymouth Grand
42 November 2OO3 MBY

Glass I Uncovered
PrLx, is <strong>the</strong> event organiser for <strong>the</strong> British
round of <strong>the</strong> Class 1 World Offshore
Championship, a three-day event costing
an estimated t250,000 to stage. "It was
fantastic this year," he says. "It took us
just 24 hours to get <strong>the</strong> site ready." A
team of 50 people set up ever)lhing,
including <strong>the</strong> dry pits, waterside area,
pontoons and wet pits, buoys, water
safety, team hospitality areas, electrics,
water supplies, and ancillary features -
such as <strong>the</strong> Honda and Playstation
stands, and <strong>the</strong> ubiquitous burger vans
and merry-go-rounds on <strong>the</strong> Hoe.
"<strong>We</strong> have a massive catchment area,"
he explains.'At <strong>the</strong> 2002 event we had an
estimated 150,000 people turning up for
<strong>the</strong> Sunday race day. <strong>We</strong> also co-ordinate
with <strong>the</strong> Queen's Harbourmaster and <strong>the</strong>
local yacht clubs, without whom <strong>the</strong>
event could not run."
The total area of <strong>the</strong> site is about
12- 15 acres. There are over three miles
of electrical and TV cables, half a mile of
water pipes, a mile of cable for <strong>the</strong> outside
broadcast screens, and over 50 speakers.
"When <strong>the</strong> event is over, every'thing
will be gone within24 hours," says Chris.
l(rrrn rnE Mnuncemrrur
With such expensive bits of boaty kit
lying around <strong>the</strong> piace, it is ra<strong>the</strong>r
important to have some security. Enter
Keith Hendry, security co-ordinator
from Tiiage Logistic Support. "<strong>We</strong> have
up to 16 people from a team of 24
working <strong>the</strong> site at any one time," he says,
in that ex-Marine, matter-of-fact, I'mbeing-courteous-now-but-don't-messwiv-me
tone of voice. But despite <strong>the</strong>
earpiece and <strong>the</strong> black clothing, this is
not your ordinary nightclub bouncer
outfit. "<strong>We</strong> have gate sentries, and mobile
patrols working irregular routines," Keith
says. "Most are ex-Marines or ex-forces,
and we look for people with common
sense who can assess a situation and act
<strong>the</strong>re and <strong>the</strong>n."
The operation is conducted with
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military precision and planning,
including a site risk assessment and
evalurtion beftrre <strong>the</strong> e\ent even arri\cs.
"<strong>We</strong> start <strong>the</strong> assessment up to e1 week
before <strong>the</strong> event, including checking for
radio blind spots, and assessing fire
risks. <strong>We</strong> can respond to fire, fuel leaks,
environment issues, and even bomb
threats. And, as in any cit,v area, <strong>the</strong>re
r'vill ahvays be people attracted to shiny
objects, like <strong>the</strong> four Bentleys on displayl"
And his methods really work. Nl <strong>the</strong>
secllrity guys were leve1-headed, polite,
and had a sense of hlrmour unlike <strong>the</strong>
doormen at <strong>the</strong> last nightclub I went to.
Mnrr rue MrruoEn
When things go \,vrong in a Class 1 boat
you can get hurt. That's where Dr Matt
Houghton conres irr. Wtrrl

Glass I Uncovered
After two decades of working within
water-based racing, Dr Matt and his
team have plenty of experience. He
has his own mobile surgerywithin <strong>the</strong>
Victory team's lorry trailers, which
doubles as a team changing room. He
also offers osteopathic manipulation for
lhe drivers of all <strong>the</strong> team".
PrsQunls rHE MovE
With all those boats, lorries, equipment
and coffee machines, someone has to
take care of getting <strong>the</strong> circus from one
site to ano<strong>the</strong>r. This enhanced ta--ri
service is run by Pesquale Sesana, tour
operal ions manager, whose m ission is to
sort out <strong>the</strong> logistical nightmare of
getting 12 teams to exactly where <strong>the</strong>y
need to be, at exactly <strong>the</strong> right time.
"My first job is to visit potential sites
and assess <strong>the</strong>ir suitability," he says. "I've
been involved with Class I since 1982. I
started on <strong>the</strong> logistics side in 1992, but
although I have my own logistics
company. it's jusl me doing <strong>the</strong> tour."
In Europe, Pesquale is in charge of
organising <strong>the</strong> ground transportation,
which also involves working with police
forces to help <strong>the</strong> lorries negotiate <strong>the</strong>
road systems. It is also his job to sort out
<strong>the</strong> ships. "Because <strong>the</strong> rules vary so
much between different counl.ries, we
organise all <strong>the</strong> permits <strong>the</strong> trucks need
ourselves. It can take five days just to get
to Portugal, for example."
When it comes to shipping <strong>the</strong>
entourage to <strong>the</strong> Middle East, <strong>the</strong> essence
of <strong>the</strong> job is knowing which ships to use.
"To ship from Europe to Dubai takes l5
days by sea, and <strong>the</strong> full trip costs around
$1 million." Moreover, each and every
engine is sent <strong>back</strong> to Italy after every
event, adding to <strong>the</strong> headache that
Pesquale must suffer.
Rnv rxe Snrerv
Ray Rider is safety course manager for
<strong>the</strong> Plyrnouth event. "<strong>We</strong> have 50 boats
on <strong>the</strong> water for <strong>the</strong> weekend, ranging
from safety RIBs to press boats to
hospitality boats, jury boats, and
start/finish line boats. They are all
volunteers." lt is Ray's job to organise
and train <strong>the</strong> flotilla. "On Sunday we'll
have 28 boats on <strong>the</strong> water as marshalls
doing crowd management. Basically, that
means keeping spectator boats at bay,'
he says. There are ten safety officers
working through VHF and mobile
phones with <strong>the</strong> various volunteer boats.
The tense
part of<strong>the</strong>
morning is
cranage.
Every boat
is given
an allotted
lift-in time
and if ir
misses
its slot
(sometimes
teams use
this tactic to
upset o<strong>the</strong>r
teams)
<strong>the</strong>re is an
immediate
1600 fine to
be paid from
<strong>the</strong> chief
mechanic's
pocKet
Rrcxnno rHE CoNTRoL
Richard Ridout, as <strong>the</strong> UIM's Class 1
World Offshore Championship
chairman, is responsible for <strong>the</strong> rules,
liaising between various authorities, and
sorting out <strong>the</strong> timing of each event.
"I visit <strong>the</strong> location three months
beforehand, and pay a visit to <strong>the</strong>
Coastguard and <strong>the</strong> harbourmaster.
Then I check tides and <strong>the</strong> like, so that
we can set a timetable in place for <strong>the</strong>
race weekend. This is <strong>the</strong>n published
as <strong>the</strong> advance notice of <strong>the</strong> race, so
that everyone is working from <strong>the</strong>
same sheet."
Richard gets on site three days
before <strong>the</strong> first test day to finalise race
instructions, survey <strong>the</strong> safety fleet, and
make sure everlthing fits. Friday is
given over to administration. By 10am
<strong>the</strong> official entry list is published, and at
1030 <strong>the</strong>re is a briefing for <strong>the</strong> team
lnanagers on <strong>the</strong> race programme and
also any local laws that apply - for
example, whe<strong>the</strong>r crash helmets must
be worn when riding team scooters.
After an afternoon of scrutineering and
checking safety boats and buoys, Richard
holds a drivers'briefing at 1930.
:;?:iry-
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',J a; i

SUMMER OF RACING
Glass L Uncovered
Race day means an 0530 start, and
course buoy-laying between up to 0700
followed by a hearty breakfast for all
<strong>the</strong> buoy-layers. The tense part of<strong>the</strong>
morning is cranage. Every boat is given
an allotted lift-in time and if it misses
its slot (teams sometimes use this
tactic to upset o<strong>the</strong>r teams), <strong>the</strong>re is an
immediate 1600 fine to be paid from <strong>the</strong>
chief mechanic's pocket. Then comes <strong>the</strong>
race start itself.
"<strong>We</strong> have to make sure <strong>the</strong>re is no
marine wildlife in <strong>the</strong> way on <strong>the</strong> course,
both from a safety point ofview and an
environmental one," says Richard. "<strong>We</strong>
once had a whale swim through <strong>the</strong>
course in Oman."
The decision on whe<strong>the</strong>r to race or not
is made after a simple test - if you can
retrieve a lifejacket thrown overboard
from a RIB, <strong>the</strong> race goes ahead. And
after following <strong>the</strong> boats down <strong>the</strong> first
# '. F-
1r!
lf you can
retrieve a
lifejacket
thrown
0verb0ard
from a RlB,
straight, it's <strong>back</strong> to shore for Richard.
Two hours later, he is "on <strong>the</strong> pop'l
"All I know is we've got to be fair and
safe," he says. "It's up to <strong>the</strong> driver to
drive to <strong>the</strong> conditions." Richard builds
houses in Guernsey as a dayjob, but now
spends some 26 weeks of <strong>the</strong> year
working on <strong>the</strong> tour.'And I love every
minute of itj'he enthuses.
mechanic under my overall control."
Everything is done <strong>back</strong> at <strong>the</strong>
Lambo base. "It's here that <strong>the</strong> teams
put <strong>the</strong> engines in <strong>the</strong> boats, and we
check everlthing," says Carlo. "<strong>We</strong> have
two full replacement engines, plus loads
of spare parts, but we never go deeper
than spark plugs here. As even <strong>the</strong>
smallest tweak can end up leading to
an engine change it's much easier,
especially if you can't quickly find out
what is wrong."
During <strong>the</strong> race, <strong>the</strong>ir job is simple.
"<strong>We</strong> talk with <strong>the</strong> boats via radio and
as <strong>the</strong>re is no telemetry, we just listen
and watch."
<strong>the</strong> race
goes ahead
Cnnlo rxe Erueius
Someone has to look after all <strong>the</strong>
machinery, and that man is Carlo.
Hailing from <strong>the</strong> Lamborghini factory,
Carlo and his mechanics keep in close
touch with <strong>the</strong> teams.
'All <strong>the</strong> teams buy <strong>the</strong> basic engine
from us," he explains, "but <strong>the</strong>y don't
necessarily have <strong>the</strong>m race-prepared by
<strong>the</strong> factory. <strong>We</strong> look after Spirit of
Norway and Maritimo. Each of <strong>the</strong>se
boats is entrusted to one Lambo
Alec rnr Leus
\\tren a powerboat heads past al over
100mph, you won't see it for very long,
which is why we need Alec Flury, TV
cameraman. "I've been a cameraman for
30 years, and have spent almost ten in
motor sports. I've been doing <strong>the</strong>
powerboats for two years. The producer
is very experienced at covering <strong>the</strong> boats
and motor sports. <strong>We</strong> have two cameras)
one long and one in <strong>the</strong> chopper. I do <strong>the</strong>
long-lens stuff." And what about that
lens? "<strong>We</strong>ll, it's a zoom of 40:1, with a
doubler that takes it to 80: l. That makes
it equivalent to a 10mm-800rrm."
Rot-p rxe Cx**nnRv
There are plenty of people behind <strong>the</strong>
scenes at <strong>the</strong> teams who do essential
work yet remain unsung heroes. Enter
Rolf Ratjeczak, a man with a chamois.
\A/hen we spoke to Rolf, he was busy
polishing up some of <strong>the</strong> Spirit of
Norwayboat's rear end.
"My job is taking helmets inside of <strong>the</strong>
cockpit," he toid me in Scandinavian-
English, without realising quite what he
has said. Essentialiy, his job is to wash,
dry and polish <strong>the</strong> boat. "It gets washed
and shined every morning, and every
time it comes off<strong>the</strong> wateri'he explains
as some drops of rain accumulate on <strong>the</strong>
45 Novernber 2OO3 MBY

SUMMER OF RACING
GIass I Uncovered
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freshly buffed boat. It reminded me of
<strong>the</strong> years I spent shining <strong>the</strong> varnished
rails on superyachts, and I wondered if
his title was as grand as mine had been -
namely,'chamois technician' or, on <strong>the</strong>
posher boats,'qualifi ed varnish dessicant
operative'. Sadly not; Rolf is known
simply as'a mechanic'.
Nreel rne Tnlr
I'd always wanted to sit next to Murray
Walker in <strong>the</strong> commentarybox to see
how it all goes toge<strong>the</strong>r, and although
Murray wasn't available at this event
<strong>the</strong>re was, at least, a commentary box. In
it was MBI's own racing columnist Nigel
Quilter. With no visibility through <strong>the</strong>
commentary box window, thanks to <strong>the</strong>
wea<strong>the</strong>r, Nigel was relying on <strong>the</strong> feed
coming from <strong>the</strong> TV cameras, displayed
on a tiny screen. I take my hat offto
him and his ability to sound enthusiastic
about <strong>the</strong> statistics he was reading from a
very organised folder. And not even one
Waikerism throughout <strong>the</strong> whole session.
PereR rttE Tru-y
Someone has to turn a distant rooster
tail into an image that will grip people
around <strong>the</strong> world. That man is Peter
Butler, whose TV production company
captures <strong>the</strong> essence of <strong>the</strong> Class 1 circus
and beams it to stations serving nearly
180 countries around <strong>the</strong> world. "<strong>We</strong> are
doing live feeds for a couple of stations
and for <strong>the</strong> outside broadcast unit. <strong>We</strong>
also have to edit <strong>the</strong> footage into
packages for news, and a 24-minute
highlights programme for 25
broadcasters. <strong>We</strong> have to monitor
wea<strong>the</strong>r conditions at all times, and we
also have to capture <strong>the</strong> colour of <strong>the</strong>
town before <strong>the</strong> race."
Peter and his team shoot somethins
"<strong>We</strong> have
to mat