Proposal for classes

[Ratickle]

No need for me to respond, I am better than that.

Thanks.

[sbracing]

Dont worry...Im pretty sure the OPA teams are satisfied with the current structure. Theres not much more you can do without adding more classes. Maybe just tighten up the reigns a little. And polish up the show a bit.

I'm not worried. We have a good thing. Not everyone is going to embrace it, and that is OK.

As a long time fan of the sport, I would like to see the big boats get their stuff together to further the sport. I am involved in Grand-Am Rolex and Koni
road racing and I know what a pro series can be....I just don't know if it is possible in offshore.

[F1-00 Racing]

I have to agree with Trent he has some very, very valid ideas here gentlemen take them and run with them!!!!

I appreciate, but Sean keep in mind it is only a proposal. I am really frustrated that we as racers come on here and complain(including myself) and nobody has any solutions or even trys to come up with one. Its to the point that I feel if offshore were perfect, people would come on the boards to complain that its perfect.

Yes I am biased as I came from true spec racing. It created a race between drivers, throttleman, and boat design. Now being in a Fountain, I agree Reggie has destroyed every class he has touched with his innovative designs. Its a fact I cant run away from.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to build a boat for P-class, you build a boat with moderate hp but a chitload of torque and win the race to the max speed and then hope that someone breaks or messes up a turn. My theory is if I am 200 yards ahead and I am doing 74.8 and the boat behind is doing 74.8 then what is the only way for him to catch me? Break out! wow now that is some exciting racing there.

Some people say that I am ****ed about my boat essentially being a bastard boat. Nope not ****ed, but as I said, I wont ever run P-class again as an owner. My boat was built for the F1 class, it doesn't exist anymore and to make the boat conform to a P class means approx $10,000 and makes her very unsafe. I think its smarter for me to invest $15,000 into her and finish the cockpit and cabin and have fun with her and the family. Shes been a great boat to run, but after a few years, great race horses are put out to pasture, its Ole Betsy's time. Plus spec has always been cheaper for me to run/maintain than any P-class boat I have been affiliated with.

In all my years of racing, bmx, motorcross, go-karts, cars, etc I have never raced a computer until boat racing. I always raced against humans and their machines.

I also agree with everyone that OPA works, but I have thought of a few questions. You had classes 1-6 and they worked, so now you do away with TKO and class 2 and create a non-sealed, non-teched class w/o a computer. Ummm everyone wants to bust my balls that OPA works, great!!! but all I am proposing is a sealed, proper tech, non computer system to bring racing back to the human element. And besides a spin out, when hasnt Smitty won?

[skaterdave]

dave you can,t put svl.s in p-3 we could never pull off the corners like the twin engines or maintain a speed ,, we don,t have the tourque of 2 engines, ps why would having a canopy make things even ?

just throwing out there what the non-canopy guys seems to think. and i thought you guys ran in the 90's,

oopppps my mistake = p4 is what i meant to say.

i'm all for safety, just that some non-canopy people get ****y running side by side with canopys. its a comfort level thing. and i guess the idea is tha canopied boats can run harder into the turns.

[Sean Stinson]

dave you can,t put svl.s in p-3 we could never pull off the corners like the twin engines or maintain a speed ,, we don,t have the tourque of 2 engines, ps why would having a canopy make things even ?

Thats not what I was saying in my post open boats need to run in there distinct class and canopy boats run in there's......What I was saying the rule needs to be the same for the open boats regardless if it's twin or single and the same for the canopy boats but you still have all classes mentioned


Also another thought would be like mentioned before have the open vees run P class where they fit..... And the canopy boats will be the spec class group!!

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I'm not worried. We have a good thing. Not everyone is going to embrace it, and that is OK.

As a long time fan of the sport, I would like to see the big boats get their stuff together to further the sport. I am involved in Grand-Am Rolex and Koni
road racing and I know what a pro series can be....I just don't know if it is possible in offshore.

I agree. Further I see the bulk of the racers exist in single engine open boats. I see no upside of grouping them all together.

SVL single canopy spec class does not need reconfiguring.

Twin engine open boats are unlikely to appreciate the change. Try to match up TKO and Simmons in one race. Good luck.

Only Twin canopy #6 boats and boats with other drives will benefit from Power to weight.

Finally, Trent this is so typical. A guy shows up races one race and then wants to change everything.

My proposal. Go race a full a full season, get to know your competitors and make changes as a group in the class you participate in.

[F1-00 Racing]

Finally, Trent this is so typical. A guy shows up races one race and then wants to change everything.

My proposal. Go race a full a full season, get to know your competitors and make changes as a group in the class you participate in.

I've raced several full seasons in several different classes including 03-04 fully in P class. No I dont have the length of service to this sport that you do, but I do have several national, world, and kilos on my resume just as you. I'm not exactly a newbie to this sport. In 04 we were one race from clinching the national title and went up to Reggieville, broke out, and was bumped up to the class that had a 38 Scarab with twin 750's and a 42 Fountain with twin diesels. I love Ole Betsy, but come on, nonetheless the boat was parked for that final race.

Side note, no matter how glorified my resume is, my resume and 5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. In order to have that kind of resume you would have had to race complete seasons is my point

[Sean Stinson]

How many classes were there in the 80's Jim.....Super, Open, Modified, Pro Stock, and Stock as well as the Sportsman Classes A, B, C, & D

So if you take that model you could make the Sportsman Classes the P Classes 1-5 because thats all you need

Super = Extreme (turbines)
Open = Open class Cats
Modified = Super Vee Unlimited and Super Cats Vees would allow SC or Turbos Cats N/A
Pro Stock = 2 Classes ( SCL & Super Vee) 525 Spec Engine
Stock = X-Cat or Cat Outboard

What ye say to that!!!!!

[F1-00 Racing]

And for everyone, change is a double edged sword. People get in comfort zones and dont like it, but in being directly involved in this sport for 9 years now, we are just a bunch of dogs chasing our tails. Its the same vicious cycle. If we want to take this sport to the next level change is necessary.

The business plan is there to use, its worked since 1972 and hasnt looked back, I am just surprised no one has taken from that established business plan and implemented it. The question I have is how do we get there as well?

[Ratickle]

How many classes were there in the 80's Jim.....Super, Open, Modified, Pro Stock, and Stock as well as the Sportsman Classes A, B, C, & D

So if you take that model you could make the Sportsman Classes the P Classes 1-5 because thats all you need

Super = Extreme (turbines)
Open = Open class Cats
Modified = Super Vee Unlimited and Super Cats Vees would allow SC or Turbos Cats N/A
Pro Stock = 2 Classes ( SCL & Super Vee) 525 Spec Engine
Stock = X-Cat or Cat Outboard

What ye say to that!!!!!

You forgot "E" 105 mph, 1100cu in gas, 2200 cu in diesel, cat hull only......

[Ratickle]

I've raced several full seasons in several different classes including 03-04 fully in P class. No I dont have the length of service to this sport that you do, but I do have several national, world, and kilos on my resume just as you. I'm not exactly a newbie to this sport. In 04 we were one race from clinching the national title and went up to Reggieville, broke out, and was bumped up to the class that had a 38 Scarab with twin 750's and a 42 Fountain with twin diesels. I love Ole Betsy, but come on, nonetheless the boat was parked for that final race.

Side note, no matter how glorified my resume is, my resume and 5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. In order to have that kind of resume you would have had to race complete seasons is my point

Sorry, I still do not understand why you were bumped up. Are you saying any boat that breaks out is automatically bumped up in SBI?

[MikeyFIN]

I'm not worried. We have a good thing. Not everyone is going to embrace it, and that is OK.

As a long time fan of the sport, I would like to see the big boats get their stuff together to further the sport. I am involved in Grand-Am Rolex and Koni
road racing and I know what a pro series can be....I just don't know if it is possible in offshore.

I´d say no as this is more of a Hobby sport still but eventually we´ll get there.

Offshore would need the Racing stars not just the Celebs.

Over in Europe in P1 they are IMO getting close to that but not yet.
Has a lot of to do with the fact that theres too wealthy and too old guys racing boats to be considered professional sportsmen. And that has a lot to do with the names in Class1 for example.
Lets just deal with it accordingly and let us not reach for the moon.
The product Offshore Racing sells In my Eyes but it needs to be proposed right to get the corporate guys to understand this sport and how there´s advertising value in it.

[F1-00 Racing]

Sean add 1 more class to that mix SVL does need a home of their own especially if they get their 8-10 back as Bruce talks( I hope hes right)

[MikeyFIN]

i guess the idea is tha canopied boats can run harder into the turns.

Only If it has 2 "hulls"....

[Ratickle]

My proposal. Go race a full a full season, get to know your competitors and make changes as a group in the class you participate in.

I agree as to rules changes. Only can be changed by participants who ran 75% of the races that season, and needs 75% of those voting to make the change. That way no major players have an obsolete boat all of a sudden.

And no changes after February unless 100% vote for the change.

But don't count out input from those who have raced, used to race, or only race local events. You also need to grow those categories and get the disenfranchised ex-racers back in.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Trent our resumes are not the point. Titles mean next to nothing now since there are so many undisputed titles being awarded. I did not mean to challenge your history.

My point is to everyone. Before you recommend changes:

Go race a full a full season, get to know your competitors and make changes as a group in the class you participate in.

[Ratickle]

Sean add 1 more class to that mix SVL does need a home of their own especially if they get their 8-10 back as Bruce talks( I hope hes right)

SVL is the canopy single with a couple of tweaks to your formula.

[Dunbar 104]

Trent ..... Everything your wanting sounds to me like a SVL. Sell your 2 boats, and buy one. The rules are stable, heads up racing, 10 year old boats are still winning, there affordable. You know that. its pretty hard to pick a part the SVL class.

[MikeyFIN]

My point is to everyone. Before you recommend changes:

Go race a full a full season, get to know your competitors and make changes as a group in the class you participate in.

That´s my point also Jim.

Let´s sit down talk get to know each other and take consideration of different views and together come up with something.
It´s not the issue to get anyone to get their boat to be a winner on paper.
And I´m sure no one here really tries that either.
It´s just sometimes we all get misread.

now I gotta go and watch MotoGP time Trials and do a workout.l

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

SVL is the canopy single with a couple of tweaks to your formula.

How many single canopies raced this year outside SVL? One or maybe two.

What can't people just conform and participate in an existing class. SVL has boats and works. OPA SV's, Class 4, class 5 and 6 have boats and it works.