The Great Unification

[Sean Stinson]

There needs to be one banner that we race under nationally and the other orgs can become the divisions.....Personally I have my own thoughts about this....

[Mike A.]

Folks,

Someone needs to spend time drafting a business plan and finding potential investors to create a series first and foremost. In this economy, there will be no national series, only what you have now. If you cannot develop a plan and find investor(s) then you should focus on helping to improve what is there now.

If you want an idea for a business model to build around here is one: 1 premier class of either v-bottoms or cats. Given today's environment, I would opt for v's as the cat manufacturers - except perhaps Eliminator out West, historically have never put a dime into the sport. The investor needs to build and own 10-20 boats, which can either be leased or franchised to others who sign agreements locking them into the series. I would set up the boats to be run by one man crews which will make the personality development for media easier. Make 'em fast so they look good on TV. Secure 8-10 sites and go from there. It will take a minimum of $10 million in starting capital.

The development of such a series should also provide an opportunity for other classes of boats and racers to go racing, much like in the LLC hey days.

[TCEd]

Folks,

Someone needs to spend time drafting a business plan and finding potential investors to create a series first and foremost. In this economy, there will be no national series, only what you have now. If you cannot develop a plan and find investor(s) then you should focus on helping to improve what is there now.

If you want an idea for a business model to build around here is one: 1 premier class of either v-bottoms or cats. Given today's environment, I would opt for v's as the cat manufacturers - except perhaps Eliminator out West, historically have never put a dime into the sport. The investor needs to build and own 10-20 boats, which can either be leased or franchised to others who sign agreements locking them into the series. I would set up the boats to be run by one man crews which will make the personality development for media easier. Make 'em fast so they look good on TV. Secure 8-10 sites and go from there. It will take a minimum of $10 million in starting capital.

The development of such a series should also provide an opportunity for other classes of boats and racers to go racing, much like in the LLC hey days.

Mike. A ,
Your suggestion for a series sounds a lot like the old IROC car races. The ssanction body owned everything and had one shop work the cars. differenc e is they used champ drivers from all series.
ed

[Mike A.]

Mike. A ,
Your suggestion for a series sounds a lot like the old IROC car races. The ssanction body owned everything and had one shop work the cars. differenc e is they used champ drivers from all series.
ed

In terms of the sanctioning group owning and controlling everything, I agree. I am afraid the sport of offshore boat racing is nearly dead. That is the bad news. The good news, potentially, is that it would be easier for someone or group, with the money and inclination to build something essentially from scratch without any real competition. I know of nobody currently in the sport who really has the personal wealth to take a shot at something like this, and there is no one outside the sport who, IMHO, could be convinced to do it because it would be too hard to show that person how to make money.

[XtremeRacing]

The P1 class is slowly falling apart, they had 5 boats at the last race. Randy's right we need to fix the US circuit first and they will come.

[Sean Stinson]

Well first everybody has to learn how to play together!!!!

[Steve Miklos]

Ryan...I was just thinking out loud...in OPA you have the 28 ATM open cockpit boat and the32 Activator runnning in Class 3 at 95mph...and I have not seen either one of them get pitched out...I have seen others in F1 get pitched out at 73 mph....and guys like Randy not at 82 mph....I don't think the SVL's are running 90 in 3 to 4 footers...but I'm sure guys in F1 have run in3 to 4's at 75+....in Ft Lauderdale the top 5 F1 boats passed all the SVL's and they started 2 to 3 hundread yards ahead of us....and the only ones that got pitched was the Laveycraft guys due to a broken gimble in a turn....

I'm not even saying they would even be able to complete with the current SVL teams...but if a team already has a boat set up with the SVL rules other then the lid and they wanted to try...maybe it would open the door on a few other boats to come out.....we ran Marks Activator in some big water and Randy in his F1 boat...and his and Marks Activator seemed to run a lot better and in more control then I have seen some of the SVL boats in big water...and now OSS has the PRO-AM Class were SVL's and open cockpit guys are racing together...so whats the differance....

Again..its just a tought....kind of like a F1 Class with a option for a lid and multible engine packages.....with all bravo base drives and weight requiremets

I don't think the SVL's are running 90 in 3 to 4 footers...but I'm sure guys in F1 have run in3 to 4's at 75+....in Ft Lauderdale the top 5 F1 boats passed all the SVL's and they started 2 to 3 hundread yards ahead of us....and the only ones that got pitched was the Laveycraft guys due to a broken gimble in a turn....

This is a true story. The SVL's started 1st we were not getting pressured so we were running next to 2nd place. The f1's came by at an amazing pace. I wicked it all the way up and could run with them maybe a little more. I was very surprised at the pace that race was going. I talked with Mike A. Paul A. Mike T. after that race and said F1 has too much power we have to do something.
We were always fast as an SVL team in the rough water and we had a good setup that day. The fact of the matter is the extra 250lbs and lower X dimensions and lack of canopy did not slow them down in the rough water.
They appeared to be running 80-81MPH at the front of the pack in very pronounced 3-4' seas.

Steve

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

]QUOTE]his is a true story. The SVL's started 1st we were not getting pressured so we were running next to 2nd place. The f1's came by at an amazing pace. I wicked it all the way up and could run with them maybe a little more. I was very surprised at the pace that race was going. I talked with Mike A. Paul A. Mike T. after that race and said F1 has too much power we have to do something.
We were always fast as an SVL team in the rough water and we had a good setup that day. The fact of the matter is the extra 250lbs and lower X dimensions and lack of canopy did not slow them down in the rough water.
They appeared to be running 80-81MPH at the front of the pack in very pronounced 3-4' seas.

Steve[/QUOTE]

The extra weight and lower x helped them in those conditions. Besides that they must have wanted it more.

This is a first "They passed me in a lower class we need to slow them down."

[Chris]

There needs to be one banner that we race under nationally and the other orgs can become the divisions.

Isn't the lack of a single organization merely a symptom, not a core problem with racing?

It's sort of like saying "the world only needs one flavor of icecream". The problem is, I like vanilla and if the choice is chocolate, I'm eventually going to swim against the current.

I'm a businessman. I solve problems for a living. There's a process- I identify and then quantify those issues before I begin looking for solutions. This thread is entertaining, but it hasn't really done anything more than begin a conversation. That's not all bad, but after a while, you're just rehashing. Rather than bouncing between all the various issues, wouldn't it make sense to begin quantifying all the various issues and barriers and get a reality check on where this thing is at?

[Dunbar 104]

]QUOTE]his is a true story. The SVL's started 1st we were not getting pressured so we were running next to 2nd place. The f1's came by at an amazing pace. I wicked it all the way up and could run with them maybe a little more. I was very surprised at the pace that race was going. I talked with Mike A. Paul A. Mike T. after that race and said F1 has too much power we have to do something.
We were always fast as an SVL team in the rough water and we had a good setup that day. The fact of the matter is the extra 250lbs and lower X dimensions and lack of canopy did not slow them down in the rough water.
They appeared to be running 80-81MPH at the front of the pack in very pronounced 3-4' seas.

Steve

The extra weight and lower x helped them in those conditions. Besides that they must have wanted it more.

This is a first "They passed me in a lower class we need to slow them down."[/QUOTE]



I always thought that skill had something to do with racing?

[Dunbar 104]

Where have all the past racers gone? Why, How do you get them back.

Most racers quit because there out of money, bored, can't win, or the fun is gone.

I don't see much being done to attract new racers

How do you put some fun back in the sport.

[ThrottleUp Props]

I don't think the SVL's are running 90 in 3 to 4 footers...but I'm sure guys in F1 have run in3 to 4's at 75+....in Ft Lauderdale the top 5 F1 boats passed all the SVL's and they started 2 to 3 hundread yards ahead of us....and the only ones that got pitched was the Laveycraft guys due to a broken gimble in a turn....

This is a true story. The SVL's started 1st we were not getting pressured so we were running next to 2nd place. The f1's came by at an amazing pace. I wicked it all the way up and could run with them maybe a little more. I was very surprised at the pace that race was going. I talked with Mike A. Paul A. Mike T. after that race and said F1 has too much power we have to do something.
We were always fast as an SVL team in the rough water and we had a good setup that day. The fact of the matter is the extra 250lbs and lower X dimensions and lack of canopy did not slow them down in the rough water.
They appeared to be running 80-81MPH at the front of the pack in very pronounced 3-4' seas.

Steve

That was a great race. Typhoon and Mark Kowalski were fighting it out in the rough. The F1 boats were fighting for supremacy of the seas in this race. I remember when they passed the SVL's. That was some great racing.
Isn't that the same race where How Sweet It Is literally fell apart. I was picking up chunks of balsa wood off the shore.

[MarylandMark]

How do you put some fun back in the sport.

Mandatory Breathalyzer but change it so you have to blow a .08 or above..

Just joking of course

[Wardey]

When you start retreiving bodies floating with only their underware on......it's time to slow them down. You want to race fast, go to the canopy boats. Mike and Steve had the best gig going with APBA Offshore, Period. Safety was top notch with Pop and it was run as proffesional as I have ever seen offshore racing. The sponsors were there and it was noticed. Figure out how to get it back, tune it to where you want it and then you will have something. Dave

[MANITIE]

That was a great race. Typhoon and Mark Kowalski were fighting it out in the rough. The F1 boats were fighting for supremacy of the seas in this race. I remember when they passed the SVL's. That was some great racing.
Isn't that the same race where How Sweet It Is literally fell apart. I was picking up chunks of balsa wood off the shore.

Yes it was...the boat stuffed and seemed to go into peaces...when they pulled it up with the crane...there was very little left of the boat....
The water that day was nastey...it was hard to read....but with Laveycraft, Typhoon and the Activator...you had to run on the edge that day to be infront...but thats one of the things I liked about F1....but also...thats were the Hymoligation rule came in to play...you still had the older Warlocks that were compeditive....even against the new F1's.....

[Sean Stinson]

Isn't the lack of a single organization merely a symptom, not a core problem with racing?

It's sort of like saying "the world only needs one flavor of icecream". The problem is, I like vanilla and if the choice is chocolate, I'm eventually going to swim against the current.

I'm a businessman. I solve problems for a living. There's a process- I identify and then quantify those issues before I begin looking for solutions. This thread is entertaining, but it hasn't really done anything more than begin a conversation. That's not all bad, but after a while, you're just rehashing. Rather than bouncing between all the various issues, wouldn't it make sense to begin quantifying all the various issues and barriers and get a reality check on where this thing is at?

The reality is offshore racing is almost dead if not dead.....Thats the problem!!! The other problem is nobody gets along!!! The third problem is that when they are getting along somebody gets mad and starts a new greater version of the same BS but built for speed!!! WOW thats cool! NOT

My point isn't to save the world or change the world!!!! It isn't going to happen but at least they have an open dialogue going on.... with that being said now you can identify all the faults and come up with a proposal that actually may have a solution in it!!!! If it doesn't have a solution maybe at least a compromise!!!! But what do I know I am just a stupid kid that at one time had fun doing this and turned it into a career!!!!

[Dunbar 104]

Why hasn't SVL taken off like F1? Its safe, affordable, dependable. Bad timming?

[Sean Stinson]

Why hasn't SVL taken off like F1? Its safe, affordable, dependable. Bad timming?

Probably that as well as the economy....and that alot of players on the sidelines just have a bad taste in their mouth!!!!

[MANITIE]

Why hasn't SVL taken off like F1? Its safe, affordable, dependable. Bad timming?

I think maybe one of the reasons are...in the F1 days you could buy a F1 boat for 50 up to 80k for a new one....it was a boat you could race on Sat. and take the family out on Sunday....there were F1 classes in both the LLC and SBI....the logic was simple...it was affordable....and you had prize money...the only thing really to do to your boat was test props...and change some weight for the boat to preform the best.....in calm water you had the 24 Warlock in front along with some Fountains and the Volocity in the early 2000's and some other great ruff water boats....I remember in Daytona in 2002...it was 3 Warlocks, Randy and BJ's Activator all running deck to deck up front...

The SVL is a true race boat...enclosed and a 2 seater...alot of the F1 boats had there back seat still in them....I would remember BJ after the race sitting in the back seat on the phone coming back into the pits

[Dunbar 104]

I think maybe one of the reasons are...in the F1 days you could buy a F1 boat for 50 up to 80k for a new one....it was a boat you could race on Sat. and take the family out on Sunday....there were F1 classes in both the LLC and SBI....the logic was simple...it was affordable....and you had prize money...the only thing really to do to your boat was test props...and change some weight for the boat to preform the best.....in calm water you had the 24 Warlock in front along with some Fountains and the Volocity in the early 2000's and some other great ruff water boats....I remember in Daytona in 2002...it was 3 Warlocks, Randy and BJ's Activator all running deck to deck up front...

The SVL is a true race boat...enclosed and a 2 seater...alot of the F1 boats had there back seat still in them....I would remember BJ after the race sitting in the back seat on the phone coming back into the pits

In most every other form of motorsport racer evolve from a daily driver to a fully prepared race only vehicles over time. Who went from F1 to SVL, Randy who else? Where did everyone else go? Or is it just nobody wants to race with Randy.