Ramming hurts both ships equally, so only ram when the enemy is almost dead and you aren't.
The ship will turn faster when the throttle is set at neutral.
The most efficient crew is one where each member has an area of the ship they are responsible for.
Most of the time an engineer can still shoot as effectively as gunner, but at not time can a gunner repair as effectively as an engineer.
The Commander's slot on the ship allows a player access to captain's chat in game, as well as the setup of the ship the crew will fly in the coming match. The player in that slot had better be ready for the responsibility.
Abandoning a match as captain of a ship, while there are still live crew members trying to win, is the 2nd fastest way to gain a negative reputation in the community.