Sponsons – Ply Vs Composite
This topic may seem like one that was long
ago relinquished to the rubbish bin. But
maybe it is one worth revisiting for a variety
of reasons. I was recently watching footage
from the Champion Spark Plug 1985 F1
Season, which made me consider some of the
issues surrounding boat construction, racing
skills and safety.
It is indisputable that the 1980s showed how
crucial it was for some sort of driver
protection to be introduced, hence Chris
Hodges’ development and introduction of the
safety cell. Since then the safety cell has
literally become a life saver in the truest
sense of the word. With the introduction of
composite hulls, drivers can now race,
knowing that both they and their craft will
remain reasonably unscathed in the type of
crashes that would have once possibly proved
fatal. Composite hulls also mean that boats
that would have been written off in the high
speed crashes of earlier years now survive to
fight another day.
But how does this level of safety affect
driver’s attitudes and driving skills?
The type of turn buoy incidents that we now
see on a regular basis in the UIM F1 World
Series has to be as a direct result of the
infallibility drivers now feel behind the wheel
of their rigs. Watching the 1985 F1races,
where boats were travelling a lot faster and
on tighter circuits, with safety cells, shows
exactly the point I’m trying to make. Although
the front runners are all wanting to get to that
first turn buoy before anyone else, when they
do reach it there is a degree of common
sense, consideration for other drivers and the
infinite knowledge that the only thing that can
come of a collision is race-ending damage to
their boat.
To some extent the modern circuit catamaran
allows for a degree of sloppy driving and lack
of consideration that would have ended in
disaster in the pre-composite days. I’m not
suggesting that all drivers have this mindset.
Possibly it’s not something they even think
about, especially if they have never had the
experience of driving a plywood hull.
From talking to drivers, ex-drivers and boat
builders there appears to be a consensus that
driving a boat with plywood sponsons gives
the driver more feel from the boat and the
water that is somewhat lost when racing a
composite boat.
My personal view is that there should be a
return to plywood sponsons, attached to a
state of the art composite centre section and
cell, in no way reducing driver safety but
creating a craft, which needs to be handled
with a high degree of respect; both for the
craft itself and for the other drivers on the
circuit. They would also allow for less costly
repairs to be carried out.
No one would want to return to the days of
non-existent driver protection. Above: Bob
Herring, Bahamas GP, 1978
Hopefully this would increase driving skills
and we would see a lot less of that pace boat.