58 Breeze Magazine
the lock failed to disengage. With the problem diagnosed in seconds, the appropriate specialist team is despatched on the water to fix it. They replace the offending part, test it 10 times and jump off. Alternatively, the data may show that the chain of command never commenced. Maybe the button failed, in which case it is instantly replaced and tested. Maybe, however, it was never properly pushed in the heat of battle. Again, the system is tested 10 times. If it works 10 times, it is operator-error and blushes all round.
“Data is key to everything,” says Marsh. “These boats have an amazing touch point of information analysis coming in all the time. It is instrumental in how the boats are sailed, in how we diagnose problems, and how coaches analyse and debrief sailors. The link in all of that data management is Oracle.” Being on the road for more than 200 days of the year is demanding, as is the stress of keeping the show on the road. “During a regatta, I do not get much sleep,” Marsh admits. “It is a big responsibility. “We have learned that the rigours of
being on circuit is not for everybody. Some are cut out for it, some are not. That human resources side of things is an important aspect of management that I have had to learn about as well.” However, he relishes the challenges that go with the territory and the opportunity to be part of building a high-tech, high-action pro sailing circuit from the ground up. “For me, a large part of the attraction is about legacy and being in at the start of something that my own kids will one day look at and say, ‘How cool is that!’”
LIKE SAILING -‘SAFETY FIRST’ Argus is large enough to cope, but small enough to care. We offer a wide range of quality, world leading products and systems New Zealand wide, and can offer a full range of services for the commercial and industrial sectors including: • Design and installation • Regular testing and certification • Ongoing and preventative maintenance
