I would defend the bad boys too if I made a money off them....Once again the older you get the better it was....

Just for the heck of it, I looked at the race results for the Benihanna in the late 1970's, many boats finished an hour behind the winner-and you call that great racing???

Looking at most of the Youtube videos, most video's are boats running solo with no one else in sight. When there were boats "deck to deck" we heard how great the racing was.

Which of these Offshore sites were Offshore, 25 years ago?? Lake Ponchatraine (sp), Tampa Bay, Detroit River, Hudson River, Lake St.Clair, Barnegat Bay or Lake Winnepesaki(sp)???

It does not have to be in the ocean to be offshore racing. Lake Pontchartrain was a long course on relatively flat water. You still had to navigate to find a checkpoint. Detroit River (Wyandotte), you went out into Lake Erie, lost sight of land, had to find 1 or 2 checkpoints in brutal water conditions and then come back to the river. Tampa Bay went into the Gulf. The first Hudson River races had a leg that went out into the Altlantic. Barnegat Bay was only NPBA (regional) racing. And even those races were about 100 miles. Don't know about the other 2.

Fast Shafts, have you ever raced? I'm 42, so age has not gotten that much of my memory. I was fortunate enough to race in 3 of the most crowded classes ever in offshore racing. Pro Stock, and 2 Stock classes. I raced against J.D. D'Elia, Bob Erickson, Pete Aitken, Dom Palombi, Kirk and Alan Dunteman and many, many other great racers. I had what I considered to be the best T-man and rigger in the business, Kurt Berger. I won the World Championships in 1985 and the age of 18 years and 10 months. A record that still stands. I'm not trying to inflate my own ego because I have no need to. Just saying that I have been there and done that.

So you would prostitute yourself for money????? I'm shocked.



In some of the races like the Bahama's 500 some of the boats finished days later....and some crews needed rescuing on the high seas..... it was really boring.

I don't remember You Tube having a helicopter back then. The only videos I have seen on You Tube are grainy shorts watched by guys who are too cheap to buy the actual full version which shows the entire race in context. However, I will agree that there are guys who are simply better at racing then others and there always were winners and losers. Today when you have no competition...Everybody's a winner...and a loser....at the same time. It's like Obama's "fair and equal" financial plan.

Let's see.......

Lake Pontchartrain is 35 miles across at its widest point, has a mean stiff wave pattern that builds to 6 feet quickly and the race course used to cross the lake 2 times..... (70 mile laps).

Tampa Bay ....The race started in Tampa Bay and then went out into the Gulf of Mexico...a small body of water with oysters in it.

Detroit River......... 3/4 of that race took place in Lake St Clair...which, while not the roughest body of water, had an oar boat sink in it that rendered compasses useless.......in the fog...which closed in during the race...... boring....the fans ( (That would be your family members and drinking buddies today) couldn't see you.

Hudson River....... That race started in the Hudson went out under the Verrazano and ended up in the Atlantic Ocean....another body of water with oysters in it...and clams too. Later the race went from the George Washington Bridge to the Tappan Zee with multiple laps so Don Johnson was never out of sight of Barbara Streisand. This is the model you love so much today where you can always wave at your Aunt Blanche.

Lake St Clair....... same as the Detroit river race...but they skipped the river, realizing that the Unlimited Hydros made the Offshores look silly on the same body of water. The current Offshore guys...who never learn it seems... made this painfully obvious when a couple of years ago some genius got the idea to run the big cats on the 2 mile long Unlimited course...resulting in wonderful spinouts and barrel rolls...and much laughing among the real racers on the Hydro teams.


Barnegat Bay....was never a National race and had no open class boats. It was basically a local race for local guys. One of the most popular classes featured our 21 footers so guys could learn how to drive ........this of course is not a requirement today and now if you can afford a 600 mph Turbine well, by gosh...... go ahead and race it.

Lake Winnepesaukee....the only races I recall at that location were a lot less than 25 years ago (1984).....more like 15 years ago...and already represented the short course inshore-"Offshore" model of today. Technically I guess toilet paper is "Off the shore" of a toilet bowl..... Come to think of it if you used a toilet bowl, you could control the venue, offer inexpensive TV coverage and even have room for more than one boat....as long as they are small enough. Eureka!!!! we have just detailed the natural trajectory of today's "competition" model (and I use the term loosely) to it's ultimate conclusion.

P.S. You can solve that spelling challenge you have by googling the name of the place you are struggling to (mis) spell.

Your humble servant........

T2x........ who, like Offshore racing, was better 25 years ago.

Technically I guess toilet paper is "Off the shore" of a toilet bowl..... Come to think of it if you used a toilet bowl, you could control the venue, offer inexpensive TV coverage and even have room for more than one boat....as long as they are small enough."

Rich I really have to thank you. I'm getting ready to take my wife for her 4th round of chemo tomorrow so I'm not in the best mood. You just made me laugh so hard I almost choked.

Thanks.

Those photos are part of an enormous library that Phil still owns......

He and his brother took those shots from the fastest available helicopters with the absolute best pilots in the world.... over all the major races. The cost to set up those shoots was very prohibitive...even back then

Call for prices...... :D

T2x

Gee and I thought I was really on to something.....

God Bless you and your wife.

Rich

Rich you're so easy to get cranked up!!! :p

Richie - U da Man !
 

I am laughing so much my side hurts - You have a way with words- always did - even in the Helicopter - why else did I turn off the audio when editing ? I knew you would do the best job - no need to edit you - right down to Dave Gilmore and up close and personal ! haha ! All I had to do was to say - "your on " meaning tape is rolling - you took it from there -


Offshore has an ICON in you - for sure - you could never be replaced - and we all are grateful to you for all of what you have said and written - and right up to this moment we still enjoy your commentary - even about Aunt Blanche ! haha !

We did over 240 events - all made interesting by your voice and ideas - I remember often you would see things out front of the helicopter - and your advice as to where to go - and where the action was, was invaluable ! I fondly think back to the days - when we worked together -

If you get to Key West ( am not going - more tests unfortunately) - say hi to the many people that were our clients back then - They made what we did possible -

Stay well Richie - u da man !

Phil

Photos Are Meant To Be Shared
 

I wonder if the cost is any cheaper today, although I imagine helo rentals for a real offshore race are based on a daily, not hourly, rate. :drink:

I'll never forget the very first time I called to book a helo- called a lady in Ft Myers. Forget who gave me number. When I told her what I was up to, she replied, "My helicopter isn't fast enough to keep up with those boats." :drink:

Imma hijack this thread for a minnit...

Re: Phil's library of offshore images.

Ya know- it's a new day and technology has opened up many new avenues for artists of all kinds. One thing that would be cool for someone like Phil is publishing-on-demand.

Do a book, Phil.

You know you want to. And there is surely a demand for all those images you are sitting on.

Go here and see just how easy it is: http://www.blurb.com/
Scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the over 16,000 titles in the arts and photography section of the bookstore.

Just an idea.

Back to the T2X owes me another keyboard thread. :lolhit:

I admire your work -
 

Our still photography was nothing compared to your work -

Phil