World Jet Boat Championships

[Ratickle]

Used to love to run on the rivers back home. Never been on the St. Joe though....



April 16, 2012
IdahoWorld jet boat championship races draw fans to St. Maries
By Meghann M. Cuniff The Spokesman-Review


ST. MARIES – Mark Cromie’s jet boat roared to a stop on the St. Joe River here Sunday ahead of the competition.

The boat, powered by a helicopter engine, handled the tight corners of the scenic Benewah County waterway just fine, the 58-year-old, longtime boat racer said, crediting his experience with rivers back home in New Zealand.

“Other guys are more used to open rivers,” Cromie said. “I’ve been doing it 35 years. It’s just skill.”

Saturday’s and Sunday’s races were the beginning of the World Jet Boat Marathon Championship, which continues today on the Snake River in Lewiston, then moves to the Clearwater River in Orofino before the final races on the Salmon River in Riggins next Friday and Saturday.

Organizers said the event is proving a big success. They hope to continue promoting jet boat racing in the St. Maries area, said organizer Kim Friend, of Riggins.

“Riggins was a timber town that died just like St. Maries did,” Friend said. Now it’s dependent on tourism, and boat racing is part of that, he said.

“It’s so possible to rebound from an industry that failed,” he said.

Friend estimated 5,000 spectators lined the banks of the 25-mile race course on the St. Joe River for Saturday’s full day of racing. Seventeen boats competed.

“It was an amazing, amazing turnout,” he said.

Sheryl Cromie, who traveled to North Idaho from New Zealand with her husband, said the sight of families picnicking and other spectators lining the river added to their racing experience.

“It was quite great to see,” she said.

Linda and Jim Fisher traveled from Asotin, Wash., to support their boat-racing son Terry O’Keefe. They stayed in a motor home in St. Maries and said they were impressed by the widespread community support.

Linda Fisher said when they first got involved in boat racing, a longtime participant said “welcome to the family.” And it’s true, Fisher said: The racing group is like a second family.

Willie Burns, 58, traveled from Grimshaw, Alberta, to race with his son, Chad Burns, 33. Chad drives the boat while his father navigates. They grew up and live near rivers and are always on the water. Jet boat racing just came naturally, Willie Burns said.

Their boat, Bad Habit, also is powered by a helicopter engine. The elder Burns estimates the boat is worth about $150,000 and can reach speeds of 130 mph.

The Burnses participate in about three races each summer and in the world competition.

“This is the big one – this is for all the marbles,” Willie Burns said.

The top prize is about $4,000, he said – enough, perhaps, to cover expenses.

Mark Cromie said no one could be in it for the cash: The cost of competing is too high. The Cromies paid for their boat to be shipped here from New Zealand. Then they flew to Los Angeles and rented a car to drive to Idaho.

“I’m sure we’re not racing for the money,” Mark Cromie said.

The thrill of the speed and the competition drives most racers. Cromie said his boat raced a top speed of 126 mph Sunday on the St. Joe, burning three gallons of fuel per minute.

Jim Shubert, Benewah County’s deputy coroner and a volunteer with the St. Joe Valley Search and Rescue, said many community members were apprehensive about how the boats would affect the scenic river, but residents reported no problems.

“It’s gone over really well, and I expect to see it back,” Shubert said. “One hundred years ago it was steam engines. Now it’s jet boats.”

[Ratickle]

[Ratickle]

[Ratickle]

[Ratickle]

Guess we'll have to wait until later in the week for more info....

April 18, 2012
Final legs of Tuesday’s jet boat races canceled
Eric Barker Lewiston Tribune

LEWISTON — The final two legs of Tuesday’s world jet boat championship races were canceled after mechanical breakdowns and a spectacular crash thinned the field of competitors to just a handful.

“We have so many boats that are just hanging on by a thread,” said race director Gary Labrum of Boise. “There were so many of them that we’re not going to be able to run the next leg; it seemed wise to cancel those (last two legs) and let everybody regroup.”

Labrum hoped cutting the day short would give teams extra time to make repairs so more boats can participate when racing resumes this morning with two 40-mile legs between Orofino and Lewiston.

Mark Cromie, who was in the lead after the first three days of racing, won’t be on the water today. His boat, “The General,” is out of commission following a crash at Captain John Rapids during the first leg of Tuesday’s race. Spectators said Cromie, who runs in the Unlimited class with a helicopter jet turbine engine, was set up to take a line on the east side of the river but veered right and tried to cross some rough water to the west side. He and navigator Richard Maunder hit a roller wave at the bottom of the rapid, became airborne, slammed hard on another wave and then pierced the next wave like an arrow.

“He just went up in the air like this, came down and went completely under water,” said Jane Phillips of Lewiston while gesturing with her hands. “It scared me half to death. I thought they were both dead.”

Even veteran race fans said they had never seen anything like it.

“The whole boat disappeared — gone,” said Tom McCrae of Lewiston, who raced in the championships nearly 30 years ago.

After the race, Cromie, of Kamo, New Zealand, said he made a snap decision to cross the rapid after seeing some smooth water on the opposite side. It’s a move he said works “99.99 percent of the time.”

“We just hit a green wave that was bloody high, launched it airborne about 30 feet and landed in the next wave,” he said. “Believe it or not the motor didn’t stop.”

He cut the engine as the boat floated back to the surface and was able to almost immediately restart it but shut it down again. He was pulled to shore by rescue boats. Both he and navigator Richard Maunder were uninjured and limped the boat back to Lewiston at 60 mph.

Despite being able to run the engine, Cromie said the hull, which was crumpled in several spots, is too compromised to withstand further racing.

“The hull is bloody completely buggered, really,” he said. “It wouldn’t be safe to race.”

Racer Duane Carmont of Riggins also was unable to finish the first leg.

“It seems we locked up a motor. We are waiting to be rescued,” he said while sitting at the Couse Creek boat ramp.

He said the 523 big block Chevy engine started missing on the way upriver and then oil pressure dropped before it seized. It’s the second engine the “Revelation” has lost in less than a week. Carmont blew his primary engine Friday during testing.

“It’s been our lucky week,” he said. “It’s all good. They make race parts and aluminum fresh every day.”

He and navigator Roger Derry will try to get back on the water by Friday when racing moves to the lower Salmon River.

“The boat is from Riggins so we’d like to see it run at Riggins,” Carmont said.

Only eight boats completed the second leg of the race from Bear Bar to Hells Gate Marina. Boats not able to finish are given times equal to 1.1 times the slowest boat in their class. Boats not able to start a race are given a time equal to 1.3 times the slowest in their class.

“That is the cool thing about this race, if people can get back in the water they might have a fighting chance,” Carmont said.

Racers with “did not finish” or “did not start” scores can still win their class but do not qualify for overall world champion.

[rschap1]

Just CRAZY looking!!!

[Wreckdoctor]

Paul,

If this looks fun you gotta come to Missouri, I just happen to have one of these little rockets in the garage...
The hull is made by eagle out of red deer Canada , we built it to drag race, we get 0 to 130 mph in 450 feet.. It's quite a rush . Pretty sure it would put a smile on you face, running a small river at over 100 mph is as big a thrill as it gets,! Makes a svl seem tame..... Lol

[Bobcat]

That would scare the sh*t out of me in a good way!!!!

[Ratickle]

I'll be down soon.....


Eagle makes a great sprint boat......