Fountain Worldwide throttleman Craig Wilson- Q & A

by Martin Allerton on 26 Jul 2007 27 year old Florida-based Englishman Craig Wilson is one of this season's success stories in the Powerboat P1 World Championship.

As the man who operates the throttles alongside James Sheppard in the Fountain Worldwide entry, the pair currently lead the Evolution Class after a string of race victories and now look strong contenders for the title in their debut season. Here, Craig looks ahead to the forthcoming British Grand Prix of the Sea and speaks about the King of Shaves-sponsored team and their fortunes.

You are British, born and raised as a small boy in West Sussex, but have never raced in the UK. Is that right?
That's right. I followed my father, Mark, to all his races when we lived here. I was waiting for the moment to start but we moved to Switzerland when he became head of production for Rolla Propellers, so that delayed my racing debut somewhat.

So the British Grand Prix of the Sea at Cowes will be your first race in the UK?
Cowes, with all its history going back to 1961, will be my debut race in the UK and I can't think of a better place for it to happen.

How does that make you feel?
I feel a little pressure as a lot of our family will be there to watch me and most of them have never seen me perform before. But at the same time I love a little pressure. It keeps you on the edge and concentrated a little better.

You arrive in Cowes leading the Evolution class with three wins from three starts. Did you expect such an impressive start to your first season in P1?
Of course this is the perfect start. I wasn't expecting it but in the back of my mind I knew we had the boat, crew and total set up to make it possible.

How well do you expect to perform in Cowes?
Well, I expect to win but that's just what I demand of myself. However there are a lot of very good teams and having won three in a row, we have created somewhat of a target and greater expectation for ourselves.

How was the team created?
The team was created over a sushi lunch in Palm City, Florida! We found out from Chris Witty how fast the series was growing and all the different race teams that were forming for this year, so we knew we had to jump into action. Together, with my father, Chris and myself came to the agreements. He had the Ilmor engine package, we had the boat and James Sheppard came along with King of Shaves. It was all blood and sweat from then on to build a brand new boat but the guys at the Fountain factory in North Carolina did a brilliant job in record time!!

We understand that you are the President of Fountain Worldwide. Tell us a little bit about the company and how it represents the Fountain brand internationally?
Fountain Worldwide is the international distributor for Fountain Powerboats located in Florida. We have, in recent years, set up over 16 dealers throughout the world. It is a family business with my older sister, Louise, as Vice President. She handles all the ordering for us while my mother, Vicki, handles all the accounting and finances. Kate, my little sister, has recently joined the ranks full time and answers all phone calls and inquiries. My father is a consultant as well as my mentor. He is also head of R&D and Special Projects for Twin Disc in the USA who build the Arneson Drives. We have a great group of dealers that love the Fountain Powerboats, almost as much as I do, and I am very proud of all of them!

How is your relationship with James Sheppard developing?
James and myself get along extremely well in the boat! It is somewhat of a calm atmosphere in the cockpit, almost boring. In fact I don't think we've ever had a heated conversation and I believe that to be a huge factor in our success on the water. We have learned about each other very quickly. It's almost like we've been racing together for years, not just four months!

Who do you see as your main opposition in the P1 Evolution class?
You only have to look at the competition and I truly believe that any boat can win on any given race day. Look in Malta where Fainplast missed a turn giving the win to OSG. Then in Naples we had to push really hard to keep OSG behind us on day one and the same with Wettpunkt on day two. In Travemunde we had to give all we had over the first two laps to keep Lucas Oil behind. So, as you can see, lots of teams are hungry. With the addition of the Skaters and now that German Searex Fountain has got a race under its belt, I'm sure they will be strong too.

Why is your package so dominant at the moment?
I believe it to be the perfect combination. The boat is amazing! Fountain Powerboats build the best V hull in the world. Not just race boats but sport boats, cruisers and sports fishing boats. Then the Ilmor engines are in a league of their own! The overall performance is unreal. They never miss a beat and the sound is so sweet! The Arneson surface drives are what completes this package. I have raced with a lot of different drive systems and nothing compares. Not only the reliability factor but the performance is outstanding. You know what they are going to do in every turn. There are never any surprises, no funny business, and that's a great advantage as the European water sure enough makes up for that!!!

Having done all your racing in the USA, how does racing in Europe compare? Racing in the US is fun and I'm sure I will keep racing over there, but there is something special about visiting different countries with such different cultures, languages, taxi driving skills (when in Naples, walk when you can). It's also fun to see the different reactions from the fans in each country we visit!

We understand that your father, a former inshore racer and winner of the coveted Harmsworth Trophy in 1985, is a key member of your team. How does it feel having your father so involved?
My father has and will always be part of any team I am involved with. But travelling the world with him is special and being so successful is a huge plus. It was very special winning in Naples after all the hard work we put in getting the boat to the race site. I could hear the whole team on the radio getting a little choked up after we won the first race, especially as Ilmor's Ian Hawkins was crew chief to my father and grandfather when they raced back in the '60s and '70s. Ian has now won with all three generations of Wilson's.

What's your overall impression of Powerboat P1?
The P1 World Championship is a great series. I love the level of professionalism they're putting out. They make you feel welcome and special at every race. They are a great group of people, and a big group. Everywhere you look there is a P1 person ready to assist or answer any questions! Team Fountain Worldwide/King of Shaves is here to stay!

How does the series compare to racing over in the USA?
You cannot really compare the racing. However the level that P1 are operating at is hard to beat. The two day's of racing is great although I'd much prefer it to just be on Sunday!

You've raced mono hulls since you were 19 years old but did you ever think of following in your father and grandfather's footsteps and race tunnel-boats? Of course I did. My father bought me a 12' Mirage with an SST-45 motor when I was 12. I took it out for my first test run and was having so much fun. I was getting faster and fighting it more and more. Then he called me in and sold it immediately! I really like racing offshore and mono hulls. They are exciting and keep you on your toes. But I won't count out racing catamarans in the future.

What are your interests away from powerboat racing?
I was a really good football and basketball player in my teens but my life took a different path which led me back to boat racing. My two hobbies now are golf and scuba diving. I live in Florida on a golf course which is five miles from the Atlantic Ocean, so it's pretty co