How Our British Friends Viewed 2013's Key West World's

[fund razor]

As far as the longer races, They require a different type of person than what we have racing. The distance racer is looking for adventure and accomplishment. The short track racer a trophy and attention.

Ouch.

[Ratickle]

Might as well just have 10 2 lap races. Most every race is over by the first corner anyway.

As far as the longer races, They require a different type of person than what we have racing. The distance racer is looking for adventure and accomplishment. The short track racer a trophy and attention. It was fun for awhile.

Riding a 100 mile 8 hour dirtbike enduro next week. The last 20 miles at night. Just finishing is something of an accomplishment. It is put on for the racers not the fans.

100 miles should be a one hour race Mark

[Ratickle]

As far as the longer races, They require a different type of person than what we have racing. The distance racer is looking for adventure and accomplishment. The short track racer a trophy and attention.

Ouch.

on the ouch

[Ratickle]

When I say short and long, I do not mean the courses of old where people take off from Miami, run around a few of the Bahamas' Islands, then back to Miami. Key West would be a prime example of what has potential for what I am discussing.

First, third, fifth, and last the normal 7 mile laps. Second , fourth, and sixth laps, out to Sand Key like the old course. I think that was a 17 mile lap? Sand Key is 7 miles from Key West? So it's still a 80 mile race, but it has some rougher long legs with more close to shore legs than long. You can actually see Sand Key from the Mole, but have cameras in choppers and on boats shooting back to live bigscreens etc.

Several of the current courses have the potential for long triangle legs as part of the venue mixed in with short shore legs, but the boats would still almost never be completely out of site.

The other biggee in the US of course is safety coverage. Without stellar safety, there is a huge potential for a lawsuit if something goes wrong. Longer courses take more assets. So permits and sponsors come into play.

We could always run 200 2.5 mile laps like Daytona?

[Dunbar 104]

Got to offend a few every now than. The baja 1000 next year will be 12 miles

[fund razor]

Got to offend a few every now than.

Than what?

[Ratickle]

Then Jennie slaps him down!

[fund razor]

Oh, "then." I see. An adverb.
I read the conjunction "than" and thought "sometimes you have to offend someone who is still coming up to speed on their own language."

[ciao]

Serious News started this thread off with an article posted on Raceboat International by David Sewell.
I must declare my interests here - I have been the Cowes Classic organiser for the last 4 years and Raceboat International's lowly paid web master bitch for more years than I can afford.
"The Grand Daddy of all Offshore Powerboat Racing events" ?
I think the point of the article was to question the Spin Headline attached to the Key West Event.
Is it "The Grand Daddy of all Offshore Powerboat Racing events" or do even American's have to admit that American Hulls - American Engines - American Drives - American Props with foreign drivers can race nearly 180 nautical miles in a day - in a place far, far away ...

[Ratickle]

Hey John, Paul here. You made it back home safe from your visit to San Diego I see.

Distance, shore viewing, and water conditions are all things that have to be reviewed. One thing we don't want to do is nothing and continue to see a decline in participation and relevance.

[ciao]

Paul - Great to see you over there! Just an Avis rental from San Diego to LAX via a fun night in Hollywood and a speedy British Airways plane back to Offshore Powerboat Racing country.

[Ratickle]

David exaggerated on the 15 miles though, it was 17.8 to win the championship. It would be fun to talk to Steve and get his thoughts. Can you drive over and say Hi?


CLASS:TURBINE
96 SPIRIT OF QATAR
DISTANCE

DAY #1 7.30
DAY #2 3.00
DAY #3 7.50
Total 17.80

[lohring]

Lohring, Dry Martini finished Fourth overall this year! Give the Ol' boy some credit.

Jeff

Sorry, you're right. The results are below.

Lohring Miller

[h2oMag]

Sorry, you're right. The results are below.

Lohring Miller

Jeff [anchored] was the third man in the Dry Martini this year, second in class with a Cig that old is a real accomplishment.

[Ratickle]

If lohring had traveled over to help his buddies with the boat, they probably would have won....


I think this may have been the calmest race in quite awhile. Hurt the standard Vee's, helped the stepped Vee's.

[Serious Offshore]

Serious News started this thread off with an article posted on Raceboat International by David Sewell.
I must declare my interests here - I have been the Cowes Classic organiser for the last 4 years and Raceboat International's lowly paid web master bitch for more years than I can afford.
"The Grand Daddy of all Offshore Powerboat Racing events" ?
I think the point of the article was to question the Spin Headline attached to the Key West Event.
Is it "The Grand Daddy of all Offshore Powerboat Racing events" or do even American's have to admit that American Hulls - American Engines - American Drives - American Props with foreign drivers can race nearly 180 nautical miles in a day - in a place far, far away ...

There certainly is a tremendous difference between running less than 18 miles, over the course of three racing days spread out over 5 calendar days, on a 4.4 mile protected course; versus running over 180 miles in a single day in the open ocean. That those who compete in the 180+ mile race would consider the issuing of a "World Championship" trophy to the competitor who completed just over 10% of a required boat race as "spin" is certainly understandable. Especially when a boat that competed in that 180 mile race ran over 5 times as far in the same race as the 18 mile runner to finish 2nd in their class and not receive a "World Championship".

Maybe it is time to require at least a finish to receive a championship designation. If you have a three heat race, and can't finish a single heat, how does the "Champion" part of the event get earned?

Is there any other event where someone who doesn't finish any of their required protocols gets a championship?

Does the issuing of such a "Championship" designation in such a circumstance lessen the title earned by others?

[Cookee]

As past world champions have said many times,you haven`t achieved anything till you have done a CTC or a Viareggio - Bastia or a Miami - Nassau,and the last two are now history.

I have done the CTC and Viareggio Class III World Championships, both more than once, been to Cape Town and Tvedestrand for the Class III Worlds as well and although I can't include the USA I did travel to Key West in 2005 as a spectator for the "Worlds", I have to admit none other can compete for the spectacle of Key West but the CTC beats them all hands down for toughness!

[Cookee]

as far as a long course go, if navigating comes into the picture you may have some lost at sea. even with today advanced electronics.

Seriously? We have to carry EPIRBs and trackers for the CTC along with a fixed and hand held VHFs, I have a phone with GPS on it as well as an Ipad that I carry when we're stopping over and for emergency navigation but without all of that I think I could find my way home with a compass, especially if you have a chart which we also have to carry.

[Ratickle]

I think he was probably talking about US boat racers!

[Cookee]

I think he was probably talking about US boat racers!

I understand that - I was wondering what US racers have to carry onboard - nothing?