BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 11, 2021 / For over a decade, Hugh D. Fuller has been a full-time powerboat racer. He knows how to navigate through the water and how to drive a boat like a pro and has been a part of many different winning teams, working through a variety of positions.
Hugh D. Fuller knows the ins and outs of each position and just how truly important it is to work as a team during each race. Below he shares insights around the different positions in powerboat racing and how they each work together to secure wins.
Driver
In powerboat racing, the driver is the steering force of the boat. This position takes an abundance of power, skill, and careful attention to detail. Every driver requires speed, precision, and a huge amount of concentration to drive a powerful boat at the highest and safest speeds.
The main responsibility of the driver is to steer and navigate the powerboat, which is no simple feat. The key contributors for the driver to lead a team to success include knowing how much speed to carry in the turn, where to apex the turn, how quick to ask for more power from the Throttleman, and lastly, freeing up the boat to accelerate quicker out of the turn. You also need to know how to think ahead of time, how to have the utmost control as a driver when things go wrong or you hook the boat, how to react quickly and NEVER freeze up, and how to ensure your safety is intact in order to lead your team to victory.
Hugh D. Fuller Jr. has been a driver for countless winning teams and knows just how much hard work and dedication it takes to complete the task and pull out a win.
"Being the driver is always an exhilarating task. It's a lot of pressure sometimes, but it's all worth it in the end," says Hugh D. Fuller. "It takes total focus, such as reading the water, watching for wind changes and the different waves and how they affect the boat each direction, and continuously communicating with the Throttleman. You also always need to keep your head in the game."
Throttleman
Powerboat racing is a two-man show and the throttleman has an equal portion of responsibility as the driver. Throttlemen contribute to a team's success by being the driving force behind the boat. Throttlemen power the boat and take charge of the engine while the driver navigates.
A throttleman is in control of the trim tab, which is used to stabilize the boat through hydrodynamic forces, without having to constantly apply force. They control the hand-throttle during a race as the boat hops over tides to prevent the propellers from spinning out of control when the boat is airborne. They also help to observe water conditions and guide the driver in any way they can.
"I've been both a driver and a Throttleman and each position is challenging, and neither could exist without the other," says Hugh D. Fuller. "This is an important role in the world of racing and is no easy task."
How Working Together as One Can Lead to Success
As mentioned above, a driver and throttleman work in union to take control over the boat and dominate the waters. While the driver navigates, the throttleman controls the speed and power of the boat. Neither of these positions could work without each other as they work together in tandem throughout the race.
"Having a good relationship between the driver and throttleman makes all the difference," says Hugh D. Fuller. "It takes effective communication and proper guidance to keep a team in sync and secure a victory."
For any success in powerboat racing, these two positions have to work together to make it happen. Having a solid foundation and making sure you and your driver-throttlemen duo are as dynamic as you can be, will increase your chances of a race victory.
Learn more about Fuller's extensive powerboat racing career here.
Contact: Andrew Mitchell, media@cambridgeglobal.com
SOURCE: Hugh Fuller
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https://www.accesswire.com/651400/Powerboat-Racing-Positions-Perspective-from-Hugh-D-Fuller
