Premiere Catamaran Class Out For SBI Cocoa Beach Race

[Speed on the Water]

Big news from the offshore racing world, https://speedonthewater.com/in-the-n...coa-beach-race.

[Bobcat]

[Ratickle]

I certainly respect their concern. I hope the Cocoa Beach organizers can come up with the decision to get the experienced people there and have the class.

[john acosta]

That would mean that sbi would have to back down and do as they are told? to re-hire half the staff that left (on their own )?

Unless of course cocoa breaks contract.

Who knows ?

I like the 750 class . they are making a good decision.

[Ratickle]

I'm assuming the contract with SBI would include some kind of minimum boat count and classes participating? Plus safety and insurance minimums?

Obviously, especially since the Gratton tragedy, the minimum experience of the safety team has to be considered for the insurance for the race to be in effect. That inexperience, and bad decision making, cost the insurance company over $5 million, and that certainly does not replace the loss of a friend, husband, and father.......

[john acosta]

yes
are also missed
bob and jeff

[Ratickle]

So, I hope SBI gets their priorities back on straight.

[john acosta]

im surprised the svl guys don't have an owners group.They could have some pull as well..

SVL is just as cool to watch as supercat.And I can relate with those boats

[phragle]

THey kinda did a while ago.....then it split to opa svl and sbi svl...

[john acosta]

exactly correct .

let me rephrase
I would like all the SVL teams to build an owners class together.
Besides miklos and schleuss in the same room would be fun lol.


I think all the classes should be their own entity.

Let promoters FIND race sites And racers race them.just an idea

.

[Ratickle]

The SVL guys, my favorite class by the way, talk to each other behind the scenes all of the time. The last few years, since SBI made the new engine rules and ditched the Mercury 525, have been spent trying to get the three orgs back under the same rules. They are now "almost" there with the addition of SVLX to the APBA rules.

Since OPA is APBA, that is their two classes now. From what RWO has stated, they are also going to be an APBA organization. If so, they will have the two SVL classes. P1 is also APBA and have the same class rules.

So since the SVLX in APBA and the SBI SVL class, (AKA Superboat Vee), have the same rules there should be, and we have already seen, much greater participation in the class once again.

The class was going great, then a certain boat and team came out and was caught cheating every time they were teched, with no major disqualifications handed out after the OSS DQ and the P1 DQ. Once there was a major disqualification handed out for cheating at the SBI Key West World's, the class magically had a resurrection back to earlier boat numbers.

The question, with the issues of the inspection team in SBI, will the progress made disappear? I sure as heck hope not.

Anyway, with the owners spending so much of their energy trying to get the rules standardized again these past few years, it's been almost impossible for them to work on other improvements to the class. Hopefully they will have the time to do more of that now.

But they do talk a lot. Even Randy and Steve.......

[john acosta]

My favorite class as well.

And Miklos and Schleuss are the main contributers As far as time.

Anyway with the tech issue.look who is chief or top dog or call him what you want.

Ask him to come online and answer to his qualifications ?
Of course will be bias .

Ask him The diameter of a push rod bearing LOL/

[john acosta]

Ok Im sorry Im calm now ( goose frappe )

To be the guy that comes to youre boat (when he is good and ready ) for inspection.you would expect him to know his craft no ?

Well ASK him for credentials .
How many BBC ,s have you owned ,worked on
Do You know what you are looking for ???

Yelling at crew members for parking violations is NOT a qualification AAAARRRGGGHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ratickle]

Seems to be......

[Ratickle]

Tech, for the classes requiring certified GPS in combination with certified RacePak, is easier than it used to be. As long as the engines are properly Whistled for compression, valve lift is checked, and they are properly P&G'd for cubic inches.

Of course the gear ratio also has to be checked for the classes, (SVL), which require it. The cheater gear ratio, used by the Snowy Mountain boat in Key West, which uses the Merc Bravo III gears modified to barely give a slight advantage in gear ratio is a bit tough to catch. But, certainly not impossible for an experienced Marine Mechanic.

If there is an issue with someone cheating, catching it through the proper, and publically displayed, Racepak info in combination with the GPS info, would certainly make it obvious who needs further checking.

At any time in the race, one boat cannot be going the same speed (or faster) than another if they are turning a lot less RPM. And especially if that same boat is showing better acceleration out of the corners (G Force can also be captured by Racepak).

Impound them, and re P&G, Whistle, and check cam lift and gear ratio. Half hour or so for two experienced people.

[john acosta]

Tech, for the classes requiring
).
two experienced people.

yes