VICTORY TEAMS FORMULA TO SUCCESS

Click on picture

to view

Dubai ’s Victory Team, six time UIM World Offshore Powerboat Champions and current leaders in the point standings for the UIM Class One 2002 Championship trophy have a secret to their success and it one that is far from secret.

Attention to detail, extensive testing, the best facilities with a dedicated crew to ensure that the blue boats stay at the front of the pack have confirmed Victory Team as the most successful outfit to emerge in the history of Offshore. But what is it that keeps the team winning the trophies?  Innovation and technical progression.

In a sport that has competitors pushing the limits to attain speeds in excess of 160 mph, the quest for speed is always at the forefront and Victory Team leave the rest in their foamy wake when it comes to technical innovation and progression.

For Victory Team, winning a race does not start in the wet pits with the wave of the green flag, but actually back on dry land in their state of the art purpose built headquarters in Dubai. Extensive testing and continual improvement is the key ingredient to the team’s success and it is their data recording and telemetry system that has allowed the team to fully understand every curve of their boats and every rev in their engines.

Victory Team were the first offshore team to use telemetry and data recording and indeed although some teams having seen the benefits and have also implemented a similar system, what really distances Victory Team from the rest the pack is their ability to utilize this information. Data collected during a race or during testing will be analyzed and modifications carried out in accordance with findings. Although many may believe that the information is used during a race to relay information and tactics to the drivers, this is in fact never the case. The prime purpose is to record data so that it may be used to improve the design of the boat and the engine for the future. With Victory Team’s irreplaceable telemetry and data bank available, one area of development where this information becomes invaluable is in the design of their boats.

Boats built by Victory Team have the advantage that they can benefit from the teams finding through out the years. With their history of six Class One World Championship title wins, there is certainly the comfort that if it’s Victory, it’s going to be fast.

With the team’s new venture into commercialism, their investment in time and resources into the system will prove invaluable. “As we are in the business of building race boats, all our data collected over the years will improve our expertise. In the future we will be able to design our boats with the best combination between stress, materials and of course in the long term, costs.” said Khalfan Harib, Managing Director for Victory Team. “Using telemetry and data recorded, we will be able to accurately calculate the correct materials in regards to loads. During testing, data collected will be given to the designer and they are able to put together this data in terms of the quality of materials to come up with the best in terms of application.” adding, “This means that the new generation of boats will not only be better but possibly more economical as we will know where to specifically concentrate certain materials.” Basically all the right materials in all the right places.” During testing of the boats, the telemetry and data will be invaluable by providing key information such as water pressure on the body of the boats and aerodynamics. 

“Our goal in this investment is that although we are recognized as the best, we also want to be better. We want to provide the correct value for what the boats are worth in terms of material costs that may otherwise be higher due to unnecessary wastage.”

Data recording also assists the crews to optimize the performance of the boat for any given conditions and make the correct boat set up on race day. With the vast amount of historical data available, Victory Team hold the advantage of knowing exactly which propeller size to choose and even how the boat can be expected to perform. All information gathered during past races and tests can be referred to on race day and used as a reference; taking into account the sea conditions and the style of the course.

This year, as a testament to the team’s successful innovation and expertise in boat building, competitors have commissioned Victory Team to build their race boats and fabrication of the catamarans is now currently underway for next years race series.

As the only team in the history of the UIM Class One circuit to have built their own boats, Victory Team are unique in that they are able to build and design their boats specifically to their own race specifications and data analysis. Information is used to improve on the structural integrity of the boat as well as the aerodynamics in the shape. Although the team have been approached on several occasions by companies wishing to use their data base, they are very selective as to whom they are willing to give it to, but there have been occasions. “We collect a lot of information, some is extremely confidential but some we are willing to give away.” said Gianfranco Venturelli, General Manager for Victory Team. “For example; during the upcoming speed run this year in Travemunde, the organizers want to do a one kilometer speed record. In regards to safety and feasibility, the organizers need to have information as to how fast the boats are capable of going, what is their breaking time, distance needed to stop etc. So we gave our recorded data from the pole position race in Arendal from three years ago as it is a similar course. By providing them with the relevant graphs, translations and information they are able to set up the Kilometer speed record.”

In terms of safety, the system also comes into play. With their own unique system, Victory Team’s software instructs and informs the drivers what they have done at any given moment. “Safety has a lot to do with prevention and as far as prevention is concerned we are able to build up different case scenarios. For example, using our data we are able to prepare our boats to the best possible set up and possibly avoid unnecessary failures. Accidents can happen due to many reasons; driver error, cornering into a wave too quickly, unexpected waves, engine failure going round a corner, excessive speed etc. All this can happen. But with controlled training with the drivers, they may be able to handle the situation better and know how to deal with it.” said Gianfranco Venturelli.  “Every time a driver does a test they are able to analyze the data. This way they can know exactly what they have done, what is the result of their actions and remember this for the future.”

In case you need proof that the system works, just look at the results of the last 3 years for the team. “I think that our drivers have had a great run for the last 3 years. Sure, they have had a great package and they are extremely capable, but all this information that we have gained from the telemetry and data recording is what has enabled Victory Team to have the correct set up in regards to the performance of the boats and the reliability of the engine.” And it is this reliability that has the team winning the titles.

Telemetry is the art of measuring, whether it be in the engine or on the hull of the boat. Information relayed is real time, meaning that the information reaches the crews back in the pits as and when it happens. Telemetry may allow crews to identify early on if a problem may result in a ruined engine for example, so that they are able to advise the drivers to stop the race and save what can amount to a very large amount of money with a saved engine.    

As the old saying goes, prevention is better then cure and Victory Team are firm believers in this. All equipment is carefully controlled and monitored through data recording and the life span of any piece is replaced before it reaches its breaking point, the result: flawless performances and reliability.

Unlike any other team in Offshore, the rebuilding of engines is carried out in-house by Victory Team’s crew of mechanical engineers. “We are fortunate that we have the facilities and the personal to carry out all rebuilding of engines after a race.” said Venturelli. “In this way we are able to guarantee that work carried out is to our own findings as per the information recorded. Through our recorded data analysis we can make improvements and modifications that may not be possible if the engines were rebuilt by the manufacturer.”

Who knows what the future will hold for the team, race course simulations on a par with Emirates Airlines. What ever it is, you can bet that the blue team will be at the front, if not miles ahead.