The ultimate chase boat: Key requirements for world-class race support
by Ancasta Group 13 Oct 12:00 BST
Protector Boats - the ultimate chase boats © Maritime Filming UK
When the world's top sailors take to the water, their performance is only part of the story. Behind every race team, there is an equally committed shore crew ensuring the athletes have the support they need to compete at the highest level.
At the heart of this support system is the chase boat - a vital, if often overlooked, piece of equipment that can make the difference between smooth operations and a logistical nightmare.
Whether it's the America's Cup, SailGP, TP52s, or classic yacht regattas, every racing class has specific operational demands. The size and performance of the race boat, crew numbers, and the scale of international series all determine how a chase boat must function. Yet, across all these variations, there are common characteristics that make a chase boat truly fit for purpose.
Andy Andrews, European representative for New Zealand's Protector Boats through PB Europe (part of the Ancasta Group), has spent years at the forefront of this conversation. With a career spanning leisure and commercial RIB supply, search and rescue boat development, and specialist support for elite race teams, Andrews has developed a keen understanding of what makes a chase boat excel.
"A chase boat is not just a tender, it's the nerve centre for the team on the water," Andrews explains. "It keeps coaches close enough to observe performance, provides a safety net in the event of gear failure, and often doubles up as a logistics hub, a media platform, or even a rescue vessel. That versatility is why it must be designed and specified to an incredibly high standard."
The non-negotiables of a chase boat
At its core, a good chase boat must combine speed, reliability, and adaptability. It needs to be able to match the performance of the race yacht it is supporting, while also carrying crew, spares, tools, and sometimes even additional sails.
There are many high-performance RIBs capable of achieving the speed required to keep up with the world's fastest yachts. However, very few chase boats can maintain a stable working platform at high speeds and in challenging sea states - a critical factor when crews are filming yacht performance or using laptops to analyse real-time performance data. This is where Protector stands out, delivering a stable and reliable platform that allows shore teams to continue their duties without compromise.
Another important - yet often underestimated - requirement is transportability. For teams competing in worldwide circuits like SailGP, moving chase boats around the globe is a logistical challenge.
"Easy shipping in a standard container is imperative," Andrews notes. "If your chase boat can't be packed down and shipped cost-effectively, then your international campaign instantly becomes far more expensive and complicated."
This is an area where Protector, again, proves its worth. Andrews continues: "After an event, the Protector Chase 330 can be packed down in just a couple of hours: once the boat is placed on a cradle, tubes deflated and Bimini removed, it slides straight into a standard 40ft shipping container. And it's just as quickly reassembled and back on the water, ready for action once it arrives at the next regatta."
Flexibility is always a top priority
Every race team has different needs, but flexibility is paramount. From crew transfers to media filming, from urgent repairs to safety operations, a chase boat may be asked to fulfil half a dozen roles in a single day. As one of the leading suppliers in this space, Andrews and the team at Protector Boats work closely with stakeholders to understand their requirements so they can customise Protector's RIBs to each team's individual specifications.
"By sitting down with the owners and shore crews, we can design flexible deck arrangements that support multiple activities," Andrews says. "We produce detailed renders so teams can see how the options will work in practice. It's about listening, then delivering exactly what they need."
Typical solutions that Protector has developed for race teams include:
- Stainless steel deck tie points for securing sails and gear
- Extended Bimini shades for coach comfort during long days afloat
- Uprated tow posts for handling high-performance yachts
- Enhanced electronics packages for data gathering and communication
- Stretcher stowage and large-capacity freshwater washdown systems for safety and practicality
Many top-level teams also require commercial coding for their chase boats - another area where Protector delivers.
Real-world proof
Protector's credentials are not theoretical. They have been proven in the toughest race environments for over two decades.
The turning point came in the year 2000, when the America's Cup was held in Auckland. Protector RIBs established themselves as the preferred chase boat, favoured for their rough-water handling and ability to pull alongside yachts without causing damage. They became so essential that even smaller teams who couldn't purchase one would rent a Protector locally. Since then, Protectors have remained a staple of the America's Cup - trusted by both teams and officials as the go-to support boat.
From that foundation, Protector's reputation has only grown, and today its RIBs are deployed by some of the most demanding race organisations in the world in addition to the America's Cup, including:
- AC40 racing fleet
- SailGP - supporting all 12 teams across the globe
- TP52s
- M3 classic boat racing
Essentially, what makes the ultimate chase boat is the same thing that makes a world-class race team: preparation, precision, and the ability to adapt. By combining commercial-grade reliability with custom specification, Protector's RIBs give elite teams the tools they need to focus on winning races - confident that their support craft won't let them down.
For Andy Andrews and the team at PB Europe, the mission is clear.
"Every chase boat we deliver is about enabling performance at the highest level," Andrews concludes. "When a team knows their support boat is completely fit for purpose that's when they can focus 100% on racing. That's what makes the difference."
For more information contact Andy Andrew via or visit pbeurope.com