Officials of the T&T Powerboat Association (TTPBA) will introduce the Ebird personal tracking device, to be worn by each team member aboard vessels competing in the Carib Great Race 2016, says it vice-president Garth Marshall.
The new measure, he said, was in keeping with the organisation's efforts at promoting safety in the sport, which had always been the priority at the tournament for over four decades.
"Once you do into the water, it can say that boat X is in serious trouble," he said, of the new safety device.
Introduction and implementation of the new system was a direct result of last year's sinking of Rugrat, said the official. Marshall revealed this among other measures aimed at retaining a culture of safety in the sport during a T&T Guardian interview at Tuesday's launch of the competition held at RuStreet in St Clair.
He underscored that over the years the level of safety measures implemented for all involved in the Race had grown exponentially and as a consequence preserved its integrity and reputation.
"...from the types of life jackets that people wear, the types of helmets that people wear, the inspection of the boats to ensure that each boats has the required safety equipment in it. You would appreciate, it is not like a car that you can stop at the side of the road and hail out somebody. You're outside there alone, so you have to be self sufficient.
"We provide air coverage, coast guard coverage, medics at different points, ambulances. Even though we use the GPS units to track the boat from a speed perspective, but also from a position perspective, so we know that this boat was at point X, or we know this boat is at point Y, other things are being put in place," said Marshall.