Let the pendulum swing back. Courses are too small.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I have been a fan of offshore racing since 1985. I have been fortunate enough to race for a good number of years with some very fine teams. Courses have been getting shorter and shorter. There are many reasons one could argue. Its for safety. Its for spectators, its for the show.
85891

Its obvious the larger course is from the 1986 event. The red is a general representation of a present day course. Turn one in '86 was a 10 mile run out the harbor. If this progression of ever shortening courses continues boats will soon be racing inside the mole. Or at ponds in fields next to hiways.

Its time to expand the courses back to a size more realistic and representative of offshore racing. Courses of 10 miles or more I used too race on should not be out of the question.

It should be no surprise boats are getting torn up and bad things happen in the turns. Sadly its part of the show now.

Change is inevitable. Change is always in the air. I hope change swings the pendulum back the other direction toward longer courses.

[Ratickle]

98 miles Tuesday, 98 miles Thursday, 156 miles Saturday.

[Ratickle]

Last year

41, 41, 55 - 137 total

[phragle]

98 miles Tuesday, 98 miles Thursday, 156 miles Saturday.

If there is more than a 5 knot breeze or a 6" chop, they will shorten the course because its rough....

[Ratickle]

It's amazing to me that they ran more miles on the final day back then than all three days combined now.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Another notable thing is that you had to qualify for the event. Had to place in a National event during the season. One could not just show up and race.

Still there were a dozen or more in most classes.
Stock A and B were twin 200 stock outboards. 22-30 foot boats. A was Cats; B were V's. Stock A was a big class largely made up of 24 skaters. B there were a big mix. A 22 and a 30 Velocity. 28 Ghost was a dominant entry. 26 Liberator immediately come to mind.

[Ratickle]

There probably aren't enough boats or events anymore.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I've been a fan of offshore since 1985. I have participated since 1986 off and on. I was fortunate to participate as a driver in the F2 days when there were as many as 20 boats with Factory sealed Mercury race engines in my class. I got lucky again to drive in Super V when there were about a dozen boats with Sealed Mercury racing 525's. That was the year all three orgs raced together in Key West. Again In SVL 525's sealed and teched by Mercury with near a dozen boats competing in our class. Competition was good, tech was strong, safety was well staffed and part of the racing family that would get together about once a month for about 8 to 10 events a year.

I miss those days. I know things come and go soon to often fade as a distant memory. Over 30 years I have witnessed the good and bad. I have broken ribs during an event and took my own ambulance to the emergency room. I have stayed at the finest resorts while part of a large factory team. I have been penalized with rules in the book and one that was created on the spot. I have set records, won championships, anguished on runner up hill, and glowed in glory all the way home on a 24 hour drive. I have also been ferried home all busted up with those busted ribs.

By and large I enjoyed it all. Like the old ABC sports line " The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat". It was all part of the competition.

Its been about 8 years since my last race. I will not share all the details but, I decided I would no longer participate where rules are just a gesture and the chief referee of the event ignores his obligation to race in his own boat. That was the final straw for me.

Back to the point of this day. I wish I could with good conscience race again. I am finally in a position where I could field my own boat. I would love to compete against some of the fine competitors racing today. Some of which I know, some love and others I don't. Sounds like fun for me.

The thing is racing is in constant transition. Good racing is more then "Boat Count and having fun".

To me anyway, it is about competition. Good competition exists where rules are created and followed and are not diluted or ignored for the sake of boat count. Where the rules have some resemblance of consistency from event to event and hopefully from season to season.

I don't know how many other potential racers are sitting on the side lines hoping for some reasonable expectation of fair competition in a stable organization. Hope that they are not building a boat or a team in vain. Worried about if one disgruntled racer will ruin their plans.

I can only hope.

[Ratickle]

It would be really nice if all of the organizations actually worked with each other to help the racers and the events by making sure there were no overlapping events and the rules were identical.

But Nooooooooo!!!!