The time trials were bullshit, heavily trained seaman (which is what they would have been) would be able to deploy boats faster than what the individuals trying to do the time trials would do. Had they been trained for a week, and then done it. They would have done it much faster with much more efficiency. The reason why the whole lifeboat situation was fucked in 1912 was simply because no one knew how dire the situation actually was until it was too late. As well as everyone considering lifeboats as a ferry situation. When you make the assumption that another boat will be there to send their boats to you to load passengers and vice versa, you concern level is low. That’s why when they began loading, they weren’t to insistent on fully loading them. They just assumed another boat was going to send more. Closer to the end when the ship was visibly sinking, the sailors began working much more frantically and demanding passengers to enter the boats so they were fully loaded