HabanaJoe

I can see your point that nobody wants to lose "every time" but when they put the first top fuel engine behind the driver and not in front or the first variable lockup clutches or take advantage of rule in offshore that allowed diesels to run twice the cubic inches - do we stop technology from evolving?

I think these guys are very noble for how they are accepting this but when they still beat everyone then what, then do they make another new 1 boat class, do the other boats stop showing up because they don't want to lose so you have a 1 boat class by default?

I don't have an answer but it's like "I can't define porn but know it when I see it",

Ryan Beckley

"do we stop technology from evolving"

Offshore racing is a different beast. People's budgets for racing do not grow as fast as the evolution of technology. There are not new boats being designed, built and most importantly PURCHASED, to keep up with the newest richest guy that wants to OUTSPEND everyone. There will always be a better mousetrap but there is not enough new people and / or teams coming into the sport for the evolution to work. Our (Stock Outboard Class) is in a similar position. Each new guy wants to build a wider and wider tunnel boat (HULK/GB) so the older boats are not as competitive...... There is not enough prize money in offshore racing to dictate building a new boat every two years to be competitive.

phragle

iTrader: (3)

I don't know how Doc thinks or whats in his head, but for me... I another form of racing I was competitive and could and often won on any given Sunday. Then I tool the rule book, read it frontwards backwards and sideways, put it under my pillow and slept on it, then built a vehicle stretching to the limit every rule. It was light years ahead of any other vehicle in my class. It not just won its first race, it basically humiliated my competition. It was fun winning winning big every time for a few races, then it got boring. The competition was gone, the challenge was gone. It was like I wasn't racing racing anybody, just going for a fast blast. So I moved up a few classes. Became the underdog, had to drive my ass off to be competitive and had a blast. Still won some races, but these victories I earned on the race course, not in the shop with a mill and a calculator. More importantly, I started having fun doing it again. Trophies can be bought cheap on ebay, the thrill of real competition cant.

fastdonzi

They may have to let everyone else run Superchargers or turbo's so they can keep up.. I agree that in the right (most) water conditions the added weight is gonna be an even bigger advantage. For smooth water they'll put it at the back, For rough water they will move it forward on the Keel and it'll make a great Boat even better. They are advancing the technology and don't even know it

tomtbone1993

iTrader: (3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvG_M_fAkXU

HabanaJoe

I guess here's the problem I'm older and when Offshore lured me in it was about technology advancing, who can make the best even better.

What your saying is the rules need to be rewritten to a much stricter standard like in NASCAR or something like that so everyone is even regardless of how much money they can afford to spend?

phragle

iTrader: (3)

I think (yeah I know its dangerous when I do that) thats why there are classes. If you want to build a boat that explores and exploits the latest and not yet existing technology with liberal amounts of unobtainium and unbreakium with more steps than the escalator at Macy's, Then there is an unlimited class?? Isn;t the class being talked about a limited class designed to give everyone a fair and equal chance? If there are rules unrelated to safety, one would think they would be there for parity...

fastdonzi

Kinda like Jeff Gordons T-Rex car he raced in the Winston race. It was Far ahead of it's time, It was legal, NASCAR Did let them race it and then said "Don't Bring it Back".. there will always be those who can out spend every one else to buy the latest/greatest, then they'll be shunned until everyone can keep up or the next Latest/greatest is unveiled ...

HabanaJoe

I don't think the 500lbs will amount to squat in that boat and it will still win BUT when it does then what's next?

If I invent a propeller that runs at 100%, no slip at all and if you want I'll charge you $100,000 for it,but you can't afford that then the team that can pay now wins all the time and the others loose? So that propeller should not be released in your example?

Where do you draw a line as to when someone because of skills in building, designing, maintaining and maybe driving the boat wins all the time?

I recall a person on this board who you all admire Fred K and many moons ago he designed and built an outdrive that held up to more Hp, took bigger props and went through the water with great ease and that drive was very expensive, more than only a few teams could afford and he let only a few people have it. So, when they started to win races in "classes" what happened?

Wow what I wrote sounded like Hyman Roth talking about Moe Green - LOL

Matt Trulio

Just to clarify, per the article, the weight difference is 250 pounds—5,000-pound post-race minimum for Snowy Mountain, 4,750-pound post race minimum for all other boats in the class.