Racers, fans gearing up for Great Race today

Only by looking through the eyes of an experienced boat racer can one fully understand the uncertainties of being in open waters.

It is a challenge but a challenge that is greatly overwhelmed by enthusiastic competitors every year at the Carib Great Race from Trinidad to Tobago.

This year’s course is from Foreshore in Cocorite to Scarborough Port, Tobago and participants all over Trinidad and, by the extension, the Caribbean are gearing up for today’s event, which will start at 7 am.

The Great Race has a history that dates back to 1969 when 62 boats gathered outside the Trinidad Yacht Club.

The boats then ranged in design and size from 13-20 feet, from pirogues that were used in the fishing industry to Wooden Deep Vee boats. The inaugural race saw the winners completed the course in a time of two hours and 38 minutes.

Garth Marshall, vice president of the Trinidad and Tobago Powerboat Association (TTP - BA) has been involved in the great race since 1982 in various capacities - as a racer, committee member, president and now vice president.

He explains that the first Great Race that he viewed had, on average, 30-40 boats. “While you had a lot of starters, you did not have a lot of finishers,” Marshall said.

He noted that powerboat racing has always been a popular sport.

“It is a race that anyone who wants to or can take part in used to take part in,” he said.

Carib’s involvement with the sport began in 2001 and its sponsorship has moved the sport along in terms of how it is viewed among Trinidad and especially Tobago’s population.

Although discussions are being held with different agencies to cover the race on a more global scale, these talks have not resulted in much progress because of the logistics involved in covering the race.

To date, potential international sponsors have not been able to come up with anything thus far in terms of covering the entire race from start to finish.

For the meantime the race is covered through processes developed and sponsored by the TTP BA, together with Carib, including GPS devices in the water, and mark and patrol boats that tell where the different boats are at different times and different parts of the race.

However Marshall remains hopeful that full televised coverage of the race is still a possibility.

In terms of participation Marshall said that “invitations has always been open since day one. We keep inviting people all the time.” Since the beginning of the races, safety has always been number one priority. “Safety for us has always been and always will be of paramount importance. We do not sacrifice anything for safety,” added Marshall.

The TTP BA, in collaboration with the Coast Guard, medical doctors, divers and mark and patrol boats, work to ensure the safety of participants and fans at the event each year.

Medical doctors are stationed at different points of the event and mark and patrol boats are positioned in different parts of the course.

Although these measures are in place numerous accidents have occurred and the TTP - BA is working to improve safety measures so that participants would have a better sense of safety.

Perhaps the one of the most noted accident involved Ken Charles in the mid-1990s while competing in Antigua with his sons Sheldon and Curtis. Charles survived the crash, but, unfortunately, his sons suffered fatal injuries.

Ironically Charles is one of the founding members of the TTP - BA responsible for promoting boat racing on the island. He started racing in 1962 in a 17ft boat called “the Tornado” and, in 1965, he started building glass front boats in Trinidad.

In 1969 he built his first wooden boat and in 1970 he entered his first Great Race which he won, and he has never looked back since.

Charles stated that in those days persons would usually race for smaller prizes like a case of beer or a flash light, as more sponsors got involved winners began receiving prize money that they could use to enhance their boats for the next race.

Charles, who has also competed in the World Championships in Key West, Florida, United States, believes that power boating in Trinidad has reached its pinnacle and credits the TTP BA for playing a huge role in getting the sport to where it is today.

This year Charles, with his famed “Mr Solo” will be competing in the 130 mile per hour class and will be behind the wheel yet again to compete for the title.

When asked about his expectations he replied, “we are here to win.” But he believes that his greatest challenge may be the rain which can cause debris to run down to the sea and damage the boats, and also the many spectators who have a habit of congregating within the first boca of the race.

Charles stated that this is a dangerous practice by the fans because the speed at which the boats enter the checkpoints can make it extremely difficult for the drivers to manoeuvre their way in and around the spectator boats.

When asked about his expectations for today’s race, Marshall said, “anyone who enters and finishes is a winner.

When you get to Tobago you have achieved something, if you don’t get there try again next year.

There are seven classes, seven champions, each is a winner in their own right. It is a wide open race, anything can happen, anyone can win depending on the conditions.”