tommymonza

Navigating off paper charts with compass or are GPS going to be used?

Top Banana

We are working on e details now. Our goal is to make this kind of racing accessible to anyone that wants to try it. Once people begin to see what fun this kind of racing is and how it takes more skill than money to be good at it, we expect the number of entrants to grow.

The one thing we are not going to do is to award a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP as we are not racing around the world. Also since we are not going any further west than the Great Lakes, we won't be awarding any US1 numbers either. Fun and good memories is what we are shooting for with this series.

If nothing else this may enable some of the great old boats to come back and have a second chance at glory. as far as how old the boats can be.....we are very focused on safety. If the boat has a seaworthy design and is rigged correctly with kill switches etc it will go through the pre race inspection, just as all boats will and if the inspectors say it can run...it is in. The Formula 233 that was Don Aronow's old race boat called The Cigarette is a 1963 with a single engine sterndrive. It was restored and would be considered a good boat to run in thus series and that boat is 51 years old.

Top Banana

We are trying to have fun, so maybe charts and compass for the Open and Production classes but GPs for the Poker Run boats, just to give them a more secure feeling. That is why we are holding them to a 30 minimum, trying to keep the fleet together over the 50 miles, no single engine 25 footers that can't keep up.

As we all know the super duper engines vs the made at home engines, have a big speed difference, but the super dupers tend to shut themselves down, if the computer detects a problem, real or not. So maybe the made at home can score some surprises.

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

we left the gps off for the Bimini run, way more fun and the turn was not at the island it was off to the south of it so you did need to find it. Plus i had a thought on using gps for long runs out and back. If you lay down a track to a known point going out, on your way back you will potentially be heading right into the boats heading out behind you. Not that it has ever been an issue but it would probably be a good idea to run slightly off your original bread crumbs.


I actually felt ,more secure on compass. If that GPS goes down you are now at sea with no reference what so ever to where your at. I learned on compass when i was young, it is a skill every boater should have.



our actual map and lap tap

phragle

iTrader: (3)

dave...we are going to need a bigger gastank.....

no issues

Maybe look at the RYA rule book, and classes??

KevD815

This sounds like a great idea! Im all for compass navigation, keep it old school and hardcore!

Honestly, i would love to see a race series or hell, even just a race or two some of us "Low income" performance boaters could get into. Something older boat and garage build motor friendly. No $1,000 hull registrations or anything like that. Maybe base the entry fees on the class? Bigger boats can afford a bigger entry fee?

I know a handful of guys around the Connecticut area that would love to participate, myself included. A few of us are motorcycle racers turned boaters. The racing bug is in us and many others out there so why not get the racing out of the no wake zones and rivers and put a real local race together. It would sure beat hangin out at the islands or the bars with the drunks.

To hell with this poker run sh*t lets race!

tommymonza

Holy Crap that is some Intense Navigation Dave

I and a few others will probably need a refresher course any chance you have 20 to 30 hours spare time to get us back on track with our plotting?

wstultz

Sounds like fun. I hope you can put it together Charlie. I would be in for a few but they would be a stretch from Texas.

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

I prefer to make my own charts. Those ones from the usgs always have all kinds of unnecessary stuff that clutter up the map . . . . . .