Water, testing, setup, experience, etc should do that. Match the machines- HP/LB ratio, LOA/HP or whatever. I don't know what works or doesn't in this realm. I don't know boat racing so I'll say cars- watching a ZR1 Vette run 55MPH is boring after 5 minutes even if the the chick behind the wheel is naked. Watching a dude running the same car 168MPH is exciting even if he looks like Catmando.
20 year old resin bucket? You may win OC, MD since it is an ocean race.
Brand new Fountain? You may win Cambridge, MD since it is a protected water race.
Thread: Let's try a different approach
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07-09-2009 10:53 AM
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07-09-2009 02:06 PMThought I would share this with you. This is a letter from Betty Cook to me, back in the 70's. She is writing about the problems we are having in offshore racing and some possible solutions.
Betty and Howard Arneson and I, tried to get something really radical going back then.......we actually thought there might be some merit in having a doctor on a helicopter over the racers...just in case. We were voted down.
Everything wasn't as sunny and glory filled as you might believe, back in the day.Light travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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07-09-2009 02:13 PMIt is my understanding that p-class racing was started so that the poker run guy or the weekend warrior had a place to race. Because as I said before it is not for everyone. P class allows you to get your start and see if you like racing with basically a pleasure boat. And when your ready to made the investment to not gps race then you can pick the class or group that you want to race with. Or stick to P-Class for some it is a lot more fun.
As for the cost of a boat...I found a p-boat for sale for $4500.00
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/boa/1239900646.html
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07-09-2009 02:33 PMI agree with P class as it pertains to someone who is not going to travel much and can really race their "pleasure" boat two or three times a year. But, as I said, we can't even get those rules identical. Or is my shortened version of the rules wrong?
If we want boat count, (and why the heck wouldn't we), we need to standardize the rules. This year, not next after the changes, I could have raced OSS in Cumberland, Oss in LOTO, OPA in St Clair, OPA in Harrison, and SBI in Michigan City within an 10 hour drive. Plus grabbed a couple more OPA races, and 1 more SBI race, if I were willing to drive 12 hours.
Then made the long haul to the worlds.
But only if the rules had been standardized.Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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07-09-2009 03:00 PMRich Smith
Smith Brothers Offshore Racing Team
Cotnertrailers.com 611
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07-09-2009 03:03 PMBilly Martin won last year's Cambridge race with a 30-year-old Cigarette with a back seat, chrome horns on the deck and rod holders in the gunwhales. Then he buzzed the dock.
I've seen alot of racing and it ranks up there as one of my favorite moments.
Back to the topic- that has been a major issue with class racing- one manufacturer comes up with something and instantly makes everyone else obsolete. So everyone else either needs a new $400K boat or thet get used to losing- and losing sponsors.
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07-09-2009 03:13 PM
he put on a hell of a show at OC this year too....
P-4077 "The Swamp" S.B.Y.C. and Michigan medboat mothership
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07-09-2009 04:35 PMSure, there are lots of ways to match up the boats. But the GPS is the easiest way to do it AND it tosses expensive tech inspections, protests and many avenues of cheating right out the window.
I've heard repetitive knocks against the GPS classes over the years, but not one time have I ever heard a reasonable explanation why people would be opposed to it. Most times I hear "that's not real racing". But I'm not sure what that means.
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07-09-2009 05:52 PMIf we want boat count, (and why the heck wouldn't we), we need to standardize the rules. This year, not next after the changes, I could have raced OSS in Cumberland, Oss in LOTO, OPA in St Clair, OPA in Harrison, and SBI in Michigan City within an 10 hour drive. Plus grabbed a couple more OPA races, and 1 more SBI race, if I were willing to drive 12 hours.
Then made the long haul to the worlds.
But only if the rules had been standardized.[/QUOTE]
what P-class rules need to be standardized? they are pretty much all the same, both sbi and opa. are you saying that since sbi and opa are alittle different this is why you don't race??
the only major difference is the type of gps. sbi uses a garmin which most boaters have and is not a big deal to purchase and it is also a good piece of equipment to have aboard.
opa's version of gps is something that is used in trucking and costs a few hundred $$$$s. agian no big deal and smitty has 1 or 2 avialible as loaners if you just wanna run a single race to try it out.
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07-09-2009 06:35 PMNo doubt GPS is the easiest way and it opens the door to all boats.
I enjoy the process of finding everything a boat has. In years past you chose boats, power and drive options to come up with the best contender.
I find it satisfying to work on set up and better the boat with in a defined set of rules.
To each his own. Neither way satisfies everyone. Together they fill the program.
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07-09-2009 06:39 PM
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07-09-2009 06:48 PM
what P-class rules need to be standardized? they are pretty much all the same, both sbi and opa. are you saying that since sbi and opa are alittle different this is why you don't race??
the only major difference is the type of gps. sbi uses a garmin which most boaters have and is not a big deal to purchase and it is also a good piece of equipment to have aboard.
opa's version of gps is something that is used in trucking and costs a few hundred $$$$s. agian no big deal and smitty has 1 or 2 avialible as loaners if you just wanna run a single race to try it out.[/QUOTE]
Look at the classes. Some V only, Some average speed, Some twins, Some singles only, Some Maximum speed, etc.
Biut I don't really want to race bracket classes. I want to run an SVL or Stock Outboard. And in Stock outboard, you can't even run it except in SBI. You're back in P classes elsewhere.Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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07-09-2009 06:54 PMIts called offshore racing. A real ocean race and a lot of people would be suprised how old and new boats are competive in the same class. Not about who gets to the turn first.
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07-09-2009 07:09 PM