WOP: WHAT HAD YOU BEEN DOING PRIOR TO JOINING POWERBOAT P1?

MM: In 2002, I was asked as Big On Results, to consult in the development of the Championship, by its then CEO Nathan Knight. He wanted to make use of my commercial and marketing management expertise from Formula 1, the World Rally Championship, and other major sports, to fast track the development the P1 brand, business set-up and its commercial operations. Shortly afterwards I was invited onto the board by Asif Rangoonwala, became commercial director, a shareholder of P1, and the rest, as they say, is history.

MM: BEFORE POWERBOAT P1 HAD YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY FORM OF MARINE ACTIVITY?

MM: I have a passion for sailing, which proves that you can mix the two disciplines successfully if you are open-minded. A couple of years before I got into P1, I was invited to look at commercialising Class 1 as a mainstream motorsport. My advice then to OSP was that C1 is a fantastic spectacle with beautiful boats but it really will always be about the players within it, which is fi ne. I thought back then that if powerboat racing was to be followed by a mainstream audience, and become a valuable sponsor proposition, it needed to be manufacturer based, like Formula 1, and ultimately that is why we created Powerboat P1.

WOP: DO YOU THINK POWERBOAT RACING COULD EVER BECOME A MAINSTREAM SPORT AND IF NOT WHY NOT?

MM: That’s a really interesting question David. I remember having this discussion with Giancarlo Cangiano, an early P1 Evolution World Champion, when I was staying at his home in Naples. I said then that the key to becoming mainstream is moving beyond the ‘owner-driver’ stage of the sport. And I believe this is where we are headed today. The racers in P1 are successful businessmen, mostly selfmade, so they understand how to build businesses, which is exactly what we need to move P1 into the realms of other global motor sports. When these owner-drivers move beyond racing personally, as happened with Bernie Ecclestone in Formula 1, some powerful things will start to happen. We will see these excellent ex-racers emerging as charismatic team principals beyond the fi re of personal competition. We will see two-boat racing teams. We will see those teams in fi erce competition for the limited franchises available in P1. We will see a step-change in media interest, in particular from television. As a result, we will see even larger live, online and TV audiences developing, which in turn will attract sponsorship euros from blue-chip brand owners, who we at BoR know today, are actively seeking sports properties that generate quantifi able value-add, and return on their investment. That is when we will have truly realised the potential we envisioned when writing the first P1 business plan in 2002. So yes, I am a believer in P1 becoming mainstream, absolutely.

WOP: WHAT WERE YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES OF POWERBOAT P1?

MM: I really liked the trail-blazing aspects of my role at P1. It was very cool to create a completely new world motorsport from a blank sheet of paper. Closing big deals with fi rst-time venues, such as Malta and Portugal, and proving that our business model worked, was also really satisfying. On the fl ipside, we had some challenging growing moments with the teams over rules, in particular I remember a very long weekend at the German Grand Prix, but that’s another story.

WOP: DO YOU REGRET TAKING PART IN THE MALTESE GP AS IT WAS A BAPTISM OF FIRE?

MM: You know you have passed me a double-edged sword with that one! Firstly, I think you mean that I had a famous attempt at Grand Prix powerboat racing once, but after breaking my back I realised that someone up there was telling me to keep to my strengths, organising sport and sponsorship. Secondly, Malta was always going to present challenges because we were bringing something completely new and yet to be understood to the Islands. I remember my fi rst meeting with the Minister for Tourism. I explained that we wanted to generate income for the tourism, marine, and other industries, and that we wanted to make P1 ultimately as infl uential for Malta, as F1 is for Monaco. I think we have made our point and done our job, demonstrated handsomely in a KPMG report that calculated our economic impact to the Maltese economy as being in excess of €2million per GP, and that’s way back in 2006. So to answer your question, yes, it was a baptism of fi re at beginning and end, but I have absolutely no regrets!

WOP: WHAT ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH NOW?

MM: Big On Results excites me every day because of the variety of challenges our clients bring to us. Clearly motorsport, especially creating sponsorship partnerships and event management, will always remain an important part of my daily business. Some projects are short and others are longer term, like with getting P1 off the ground from ’02 to ’07 for example. We are also involved privately in a charitable project for youths called Challenge Wales, which is very exciting. The Challenge centres around giving young people the opportunity to experience a huge 72’ racing yacht on the open seas, and, as it’s an ex-Round-the-World BT Challenge boat in full race spec for 19 crew, you can just imagine the horizons it opens up to young minds.

WOP: WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? MM:

That depends entirely on where my mood is taking me! I adore being out on the water of course, and have been privileged to participate in two nonstop 700 mile Rolex sailing races on a 52’ yacht. When I get the chance, I paint abstracts, write, and always there are new movies and music to be appreciated.

WOP: AFTER A HARD DAY AT WORK, HOW DO YOU RELAX?

MM: I am fortunate to have a fabulous and extended family. I enjoy cooking for them and for my friends in the UK and at our home abroad. I spend as much time as I can with my partner Naomi and we enjoy live music concerts, especially when the summer evenings come along. I also enjoy running in the beautiful countryside near our home in Gloucestershire.

WOP: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY LOCATION?

MM: When we want to escape from the world there is nothing better than jumping in a boat with friends and sailing away to Gozo, it is a jewel in the Mediterranean, slower pace of life, and the best way to relax. I’d go there in a heartbeat, and sometimes we do.

WOP: IF YOU COULD CHOOSE THE IDEAL EMPLOYMENT WHAT WOULD IT BE?

MM: I am already doing it, thank God.

WOP: SINCE 1976, IMCO HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THE ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING. WHO FOUNDED IMCO AND HOW LONG HAS THE COMPANY BEEN OPERATING?

I, Fred Inman Sr. founded Inman Marine Corporation almost 34 years ago in 1976.

WOP: WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE THE FOUNDING OF IMCO?

I was in the construction trade?

WOP: WHAT IS YOU MAIN LINE OF BUSINESS?

Fabrication, drives and accessory hardware.

WOP: OUTSIDE OF THE USA, WHO IS YOU BIGGEST CLIENT OR WHAT COUNTRY DO YOU DO MOST BUSINESS WITH?

We mostly do business with Europe but Australia is growing as well.

WOP: HOW HAVE YOU FOUND TRADING TO BE IN THE RECESSION?

It’s still slow, in other words: we’re not setting the world on fire here in the U.S. or Worldwide.

WOP: DO YOU THINK THE NEW US GOVERNMENT WILL HELP THE MARINE INDUSTRY?

No I do not. Obama is into the automotive industry and doesn’t seem to be interested in the marine industry.

WOP: AWAY FROM WORK WHAT HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE?

I enjoy golfing, power boating and travelling.

WOP: HOW DO YOU RELAX?

I love watching NASCAR! The entire family gets involved and we enjoy making bets between us on our favourite drivers.

WOP: DOES POWERBOAT RACING HELP YOU BUSINESS OR IS IT MAINLY LEISURE CUSTOMERS?

Powerboat racing is how we started manufacturing drives. We were involved with racing for approximately 10 years but have retired to continue our drive business.

WOP: DO YOU OWN A BOAT YOURSELF AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT?

Yes, we own a 44’ Hallett poker run boat with two 1000 h.p. Paul Pfaff motors. We use it for testing as well as the events we participate in and sponsor.

WOP: IS THERE A COUNTRY IN THE WORLD YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT?

Australia and New Zealand. I have many customers and friends that ski race and use our equipment from Australia and New Zealand. It would be nice to see them and get to see the country they grew up in.

WOP: HOW DO YOU SEE IMCO IN 5 YEARS TIME?

I feel it will be a slow process to rebuild business in this state of economy. I’m always on the lookout, researching new ideas for new products as well as working to expand out client base here in the United States as well as Worldwide.

WOP: THANKS FRED FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.

WOP: WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING AT A CAREER, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE PR.

I was originally looking at a career in art and design, but the deeper I looked into my options and the possibilities available from a creative aspect, I felt that PR would be more suited to my particular skills and strengths. PR is an incredibly diverse field and would appeal to anyone who doesn’t shy away from the everyday challenges, whether you’re packing up press kits, meeting tight editorial deadlines, or managing press events you need to stay calm and focused.

WOP: FOR ANYONE ABOUT TO LEAVE SCHOOL AND SEE MARINE PR AS AN INTERESTING AND EXCITING CAREER, WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU REQUIRE.

For anyone leaving school and see marine PR as an interesting and exciting career path, you do not need any compulsory qualifications but due to the competitive nature of the PR industry, I chose to study for a BA (Hons) Degree in Public Relations to get a broader understanding of what’s involved as well as learn the fundamentals about marketing, public affairs, law and various other overlapping areas of expertise. If you choose to study PR first, I would recommend researching sandwich courses that include a 40 week work placement. Whilst this could be unpaid or low pay, if you’re able to take the time out of a higher income I personally felt it beneficial for developing my skills. It’s also a great taster to see if it’s really what you want to do. English, journalism and business related qualifications are also beneficial. Likewise, if you have the written and communication skills then a job in PR may be for you. If you’re not looking to study, then experience in media or marketing roles can help to enter into PR and indeed a background in the marine industry itself, if you’re looking at marine PR specifically. There are various agencies in the UK that specialise in marine PR.

WOP: DID YOU GO TO UNIVERSITY TO GAIN YOUR BA OR IS THERE AN EASIER WAY.

I went to University to study my BA (Hons) degree.

WOP: WHAT PART OF THE JOB DO YOU PREFER, GETTING OUT AND ABOUT OR WRITING PRESS RELEASES.

This is a difficult question to answer, as a large part of the job is writing, which I really enjoy, but it’s also important to get outdoors and get involved at regattas, boat shows and sea trials. A combination of office and outdoors makes for a really interesting and balanced career in marine PR.

WOP: IF YOU WERE NOT IN PR WHAT OTHER JOB WOULD YOU LIKE.

I have an appreciation for art, having studied it at college, although I quickly became aware that the written word is more for me. I’ve been working in PR since I left University and it’s something that I chose to do, but if I was unable to, I would probably have tried at being a dance teacher.

WOP: WHAT HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE.

I haven’t had much time for hobbies recently as any spare time I do have is spent doing up my house, however, when I’ve got the time I really enjoy attending dance classes – anything from Latin to Bollywood.

WOP: WHAT ARE THE BEST OF YOUR JOB.

The best bit of my job is the variety; quite simply every day is different. I could be handling press enquiries and writing copy in the office on Monday and then doing a factory tour and boat sea trials throughout the rest of the week.

WOP: WHAT ARE THE WORST PARTS OF BEING IN PR

PR is often considered to be glamour and parties, but in reality you need to be hardworking and dedicated – the long hours are most likely spent in the office! Don’t get me wrong, PR is an exciting job and there’s a lot of opportunity for socialising and networking, but you need to get the balance.

WOP: DO YOU PREFER YACHTING OR POWERBOATS.

Whilst I didn’t join the industry with a background in boating, I love being out on the water and quickly saw the appeal to the lifestyle; I crave the freedom that sailing gives me and the team spirit when racing, but equally enjoy the thrills of powerboating.

WOP: SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN IN PR, DO YOU HAVE AN EMBARRASSING MOMENT.

Yes I have had embarrassing moments on several occasions, but I soon learnt to wear the right shoes for the job. Well actually…

WOP: IF YOU WERE GIVEN UNLIMITED FUNDS HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE WORLD.

There’s obviously a lot of causes that I would support, but a personal quest for me would be to tackle homelessness.

BEN MATLEY has come a long way in a short time. The 27-year – old entrepreneur was born and brought up in Andover, Hampshire and has always had a thing for boats. He has fi ve brothers and fi ve sisters (“to say I come from a large family is a bit of an understatement”) and as a schoolboy began working for his dad’s forklift truck company when he was just 12. “My father taught me all about how to run a successful business and how to make money, but the passion for boats was something that just appeared from nowhere in particular,” explains Matley. “Although I did design something called a negative drop lift for him, to lower boats into the water.” The youngster had his own powerboat by the age of 14 but ran it aground in Poole Harbour, while chasing a jet skier. “I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and he knew it,” he admits. He founded 1st4Boats in Bournemouth in 2001 and within two years the firm had been appointed the sole UK and European distributor for Fountain Worldwide. 1st 4Boats’ annual turnover is now approaching seven million pounds. The profi le of the company has been raised even further by its sponsorship of the Fountain P1 Powerboat team, the 2007 World Champions. Matley himself aims to be piloting a Fountain powerboat in the P1 Supersport Class in 2008.

What has been your most memorable journey by sea?

I have lots of great memories on the water but this one has to be a private charter to a remote island off Thailand with my wife. We had delicious grilled seafood and champagne and the wakeboarding conditions were great.

Who would you love to have on your boat and why?

A couple of ideas. Jeremy Clarkson for one. He’s got a lot to say for himself and I imagine he’d be good entertainment value. Plus I’d like to show him that you don’t need four wheels to get a thrill out of speed. Or Ellen McArthur. Just to show her there’s a quicker way to get round the world by sea!

If you could take a month off work, where would you go?

On Richard Branson’s fi rst commercial space flight. Though I don’t think it would take four weeks.

What would be the soundtrack to your boat trip?

Meatloaf ’s Bat Out Of Hell. What else?

If you were to put a message in a bottle, whatwould it say?

Either: Have a wonderful time, glad you’re not here or Apologies to all the yachties I have roared past. They are the only people going slow enough to see the bottle.

If you won the lottery, which boat would you buy andwhere would you moor it?

Another Fountain – obviously. And I think I’d try to have one in every major port in the world. Just for the convenience. I travel a lot.

How was 1st 4Boats established?

I’ve always loved boats and the thrill of speed across the water. As a teenager I was selling secondhand boats from the back of an offi ce in a suburb of Bournemouth, making a few hundred pounds at a time. I managed to secure a dealership for Crownline Boats and then set up 1st4Boats seven years ago. We have never looked back. We opened an outlet in Cyprus two years ago and now have plans to do the same in Spain and Dubai.

World of Powerboats interviews legendary offshore champion Fabio Buzzi, often referred to as the Padrino (Godfather). Fabio Buzzi was born into one of the most enigmatic art families of Italy. After completing a Mechanical Engineering degree, he went onto found FB Design, responsible for some of the most prestigious designs of the marine world, including the Sunseeker XS2000. FB Design has won multiple awards globally and set a total of fi fty-six world speed records. His interests include art, sculpture and architecture. He resides in Oggiono, on Lake Como area (Italy), near to his boatyard, with his family and much loved dog Dom Perignon (Perry for friends).

Where do you get your design inspiration?

I get my design inspiration from my experience. I am a driver, a designer and a boat builder. My understanding of a boat design comes from being an experienced driver. I know what works and what doesn’t – it’s as simple as that.

What is your personal favourite amongst your boat repertoire?

The Grand Argentina, three times super boat world champion in America, that I raced with Daniel Scioli and the old CESA, a piece of history, 1988 World Champion. All of my boats in some way have a unique history. My shipyard has won a total of fi ftyfour World Championships.

What has been your most signifi cant design achievement?

Designing the Sunseeker XS2000 – I have a lot of respect for the Braithwaite brothers; it’s a wonderful boat.

What have been your most memorable journeys by sea?

The Round Britain in 1984, New York in 1994 and Miami to Nassau in 1988, I was the only driver to complete the race. During all of these races I was faced with dangerously rough waters. For me it’s never a case of fi ghting against the other drivers, my only competitor is the sea.

If you could take a month off work where would you go?

I would go to my shipyard to work! This is one of my favourite places and somewhere I can go where no one can disturb me, it’s more fun and I get a lot more done! If I couldn’t do that, I would take a pleasure boat to St.Barths in the Caribbean.

Who would you take with you?

My dog of course, along with my beautiful wife and daughters.

What would be your soundtrack to your boat trip?

It would be a 12 litre diesel engine; it’s a wonderful sound.

What are your other interests?

Painting, sculpture, photography and architecture. My family were involved in the design of the Duomo in Milan, for 350 continuous years. All my ancestors are architects, our design history dates back 5 centuries. My Uncle was one of the most prolifi c architects of his time and it’s fi rmly fi xed as a strong part of my culture. In my free time I like to visit art galleries and museums. I am especially interested in Chinese art and sculpture.

What is your favourite art gallery and museum?

The Louvre, Paris and The Rijks Museum in Amsterdam, where we can admire the works of Rembrandt. Italian painters also are fantastic. The Sistine Chapel in Rome is amazing. Fabio Buzzi, at 65 years of age, is very interested in the 2008 Round Britain race: an historical driver with an historical boat!