Sbi/opa. Bad Bad Planning ?
 

I have seen some foolish things to do but this was the worst! As I heard through the Grape vine that SBI/OPA moved there May race right on top of a Major Poker Run in NJ. The Atlantic City Poker Run was always held on The 1st weekend in June. We anounced this at the Atlantic City Boat Show and on our annual poster. Are schedule was in place on the NJPPC web site in January. Then I saw the schedule on the NJ Offshore site as seen below!
Here is the problem that I see!
1) Our Paramedics are the same that volunteer there time for both obligations ( These guys are Great! and deserve to party after the Poker run like everyone else) The race the following day is not going to allow them to have a good time are run back with us in the boats!
2) Most of the volunteers for the race are the Members of the NJPPC that are going to be in the Poker Run Sat/Sun, Including myself!

This seems like someone is forcing boat lovers to make a choice!

As a volunteer of the OPA and a member of the NJPPC, I will honor the Poker Run and say good buy to the Point Pleasant Race as I know many of us will!
Unless someone uses there head and moves the Race, That was placed on top of a Poker Run that has been an Annual event for years. They stand to loose some Key Volunteers, Medic boats Pace boats and Patrol boats.
In my opinion the OPA/SBI should put there poltical views in the closet and do the write thing here! Races can't be operated with out the proper Volunteers!
We as a Club watch every one else including OPA/SBI to make sure we don't step on anyone elses toes. Thats just the right thing to do! We honor all the races and all the Local Poker Run clubs! Our Members are love doing as much boating as they can in a short summer that we have!
Here is the Schedule posted on the NJ OFFSHORENJ Offshore Power Boat Racing Association is the oldest Offshore Power Boat Racing Club in the United States. We have held a race in Point Pleasant, New Jersey for the past 33 years. You are invited to watch the race for free at Jenkinsons Pavillion or on your own boat. This event is surrounded by an entire week of festivities in the Point Pleasant area and you owe it to yourself to take the day off and enjoy this incredible motor sport first hand.


If you have always wanted to get a little closer to the action then feel free to give us a call and volunteer your time or services during race week. It's a rewarding experience that you will not soon forget.




The 2002 Racing season is in place. Mark your calendars for the these SBI/OPA NORTHEAST DIVISIONAL SERIES races.


June 1, 2 BRICK, NEW JERSEY
June 21, 22, 23 SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ
August 2, 3, 4 WASHINGTON, NC
August 14, 15, 16 POINT PLEASANT, NJ
September 6, 7, 8 NEW YORK, NY

Schedules
 

Well I guess it is now official??? That race will be running that same weekend??? :( Yes Frank, I am a bit dissappointed. I enjoy as many festivities as I can. All I can say is, I'll be enjoying a relaxing breakfast in AC on Sunday morning with many of our NJPPC members. If by chance I catch the race on the way back, GREAT! I will just have to play that one buy ear. I wish them LUCK. ;)

I am with you both. I was planning on volunteering at the race, but looks like that will not happen. Plan I me being at the poker run and enjoying breakfast in AC as well.

Please allow me to speak on behalf of OPA and NJ Offshore.

No one (sponsors, racers, volunteers etc) was pleased about the race date change but apperently a lot of things have happened over this past winter at SBI.

As you know the last few years we have run an SBI National race in May and then an SBI/OPA divisional race in mid summer. Origainlly the May race was to be a National race slated for May 19th and a divisional race in August. Then SBI picked up the Fort Myers race site which also had May 19th set as a race date. They also wanted to hold a national race, so OPA agreed to go with a divisional race in May and a National race in mid summer.

Once this was announced many racers voiced thier opinion that two SBI races should not be on the same dates because some of them wanted to run both races. See www.superboat.com. So once again the date was changed, this time to June 2nd. Even that date is on top of the race date for Ocean City.

We couldn't move it further back because the next race is on June 23rd so even from June 2nd there is only a three week break between races.

We are very aware that many NJPPC members will be busy with the A/C poker run that weekend. I am thankful that this is a Divisional races rather than a National so we should be able to get enough volunteer coverage.

Please rest assured that this was done because of internal SBI race date conflicts and not for any other reason. There are only a few weeks of summer and a lot of different events that need to take place. It is inevitable that some will be on top of each other.

I am suggesting to NJO and OPA that we move the race back an hour to a 1pm start in order to give the poker run club an opportunity to come to the race on thier way home if they want to. It could be a great end to a long weekend Poker Run. Hopefully that will allow NJPPC members to enjoy a long breakfast and a fast ocean run back to an Offshore Boat race. I'm not sure if this will help but I'll never turn down a volunteer that wants to help. In this case some concessions may be needed.
Let's just hope its not another day or 10 and 12 foot seas.

Ron, I am sorry I dont think there was a good plan here at all. You dont put a race on in the same state that there is a Poker Run happing with 90% of NJ and East Coast Boaters!
No one would have done this to Billy Frenz in NY for the his runs.
Why do this to the NJPPC?
There are key players involved here, Racers that are Members and Members that have been invloved with helping out for a long time just for the love it! I know of about 12 Members that will be forced to make a choice! AND THAT IS WRONG!
They could have moved the race back a week in May or foward a week in June. The 1st and 2nd should have not been picked out of the respect for another NJ club running an Event and its Members!

Ohh boy,
If I have to get outta bed early Sunday its not going to be good. I question the number of volunteers OPA thinks they are going to round up, at least on the water side. I do hope it works out for all but Ill, without doubt be in A/C. Hopefully the ocean will lay down a little this year and we can run that up, catch the race and aviod the SANDBARS!! :eek: Right Jimmy/Frank :cool:

Damn, this is quite a conundrum, and the first I've heard of it.

Good luck to both organizations. As promised, I will see what I can do about getting additional medical/safety helicopters to volunteer that day. I'm on it already.

Jennifer

Ron:

I need your new e-mail address. I deleted it.

Jennifer

Well..it's never dull here in Jersey Offhore Boat Land!..:rolleyes: :(

Let me first say that RonP and many of the members of NJOPRA and OPA have been very supportive of NJPPC in the past and present when it comes to our events. Alot of NJPPC Members are volunteers for both organizations and vice versa. There are also several NJPPC members and sponsors who race OPA as well.

The fact that the May Race has been moved to June 1st & 2nd has come as no suprise to me at all. The shame of it is, is that the fans loose as well as the great people from MONOC (paramedics) who volunteer their time to both organizations. They loose BIG! As a gesture of our appreciation for these great people and the time they dedicate to us, NJPPC has for the past several years shown our appreciation by picking up all food and lodging expenses for the medics in Atlantic City for the weekend. They also travel home with us on the boats the following day. Now, they will have to travel down with us and go back to Toms River the same day. Thats the real shame.

This whole problem stems from the leadership of both OPA and SBI. Their tactics this year have sunken to an all time LOW.

1. I have received numerous annonymous personal threats via email from their supporters.

2. They have also publicly said that "NJPPC is the Competition" since they are an APBA Club.

3. They have also tried at GREAT LENGTH to prevent NJPPC from hosting our August event "Roar at the Shore" at Windward Beach this summer. Again, touting that we are the competition.

At NJPPC:
We don't make threats
We don't make people choose
We don't try to "intervene" in other people's events
We welcome everyone into our club

No matter what shenanigans continue to occur we WILL NOT sink to their level - PERIOD.

We want to wish everyone well and we feel very sorry for those folks that have been put into this situation.

Bottom line - we did not create it.