Brother-sister team always ready to roar
Daisy and Sam Coleman are probably the most interesting siblings from Wales you could meet. They also piloted and co-piloted one of Geico’s Offshore Competition Powerboats for last weekend’s Roar Offshore.
“Being honest, I sort of fell in because of Daisy. I used to do motocross, so boats were pretty far from my mind. But she came out of the military and started doing navigator training and aced it, then she talked me into testing for my pilot’s license after a bit and we’ve been doing it ever since,” Sam Coleman, pilot of the P1 Superstock said.
They began together in late 2015, mostly with Sam getting his pilot’s license and beginning training, which led them to winning the UK Championship in 2016, their literal first season working together in the competition.
It was Sam’s first year competing, and Daisy’s first major championship after a string of wins that had placed her organization in their highest points leads and placements ever.
“We didn’t get along too well before I joined the army, honestly, I was a bit of a handful. But once I got out and started doing navigating and co-piloting, I figured it’d be really cool to work together on something,” Daisy Coleman, co-pilot said.
Together they have multiple championships under their belts, both regional and sport wide. Most of their success has been attributed to their dedication to the craft. Several sport veterans have endorsed them, most with years of championships and experience attached to them and their stables. Everyone agrees on one thing: These two are here to win.
Daisy, specifically, has been a bit of a celebrity in the sport, being one of the few female navigators. According to the competition’s website, she’s also attracted more social media attention than almost any other competitor. But none of that goes to her head.
“We don’t bring our ego into it at all. We’re here to learn as much as we can, and if we’re wrong about something, re-learn it. I don’t think we’re better than any other team, but we put everything we have into it and it shows with our results,” Daisy said.
To give you an idea of how it works, Sam handles steering and primary speed adjustments for the powerboat, while Daisy gives him a 360 degree view of what’s going on around him. This is all at over 80 miles per hour on the open water. Distractions and his eyes coming off the water in front of them can lead to loss in time, or, in the worst case scenario a turnover or an accident. Both positions equally important, and any racing duo will confirm that.
“I just like the skill aspect of it. Geico gives us some amazing opportunities to race, and our particular class of race is all stock, so every boat in the race is the same. No customization, no tweaking, so it all comes down to talent. And I think we’re some of the best, at least in our dedication and willingness to work through,” Sam said.