I'm not sure how APBA can get blamed for this one. It sounds like a Key West screw up to me. :confused:

At least they worked it out and the race is on!!! :)

I'm with Cowgirl on this one. I mean it's not the APBA's fault or responsibility to look up Cruise ship schedules. The APBA approaches Key West about races on such and such dates and and times and the City said fine, no problem. It's on the city's onus at that point to make sure there are no conflicts.

Anyway, the important thing is that the races are on and it's going to be a great weekend! WooHoo...Can't wait! :cool: :cool:

I think if you read the article, you'll see that it was an error on the City of Key West. They booked the dock for APBA and it was approved long ago.

Then they they discovered that over a year ago, they had booked the SAME dock last year. It was an oversight by the City Council. Now the City is scrambling to find a solution.

The City messed up. Not APBA.

The APBA World Championships were scheduled and then approved by the city in April 2002, and soon after the conflict was discovered, he said. The cruise ship schedule had been agreed to by the city at least a year before.

http://keysnews.com/276271586163991.bsp.htm

go to this local acticle
http://keysnews.com/276271586163991.bsp.htm
this is the latest

Well, at least it looks like the city is trying to get things worked out :) . I hope that they get it taken care of, but it sounds like Carnival is not willing to budge. They should just let everyone one the ship to watch the race :p . Yea, like that is going to happen. See ya'll in Key West :D
Robert

A train wreck has been averted!

VIP's and celebrities will watch the race from the ship (a boat-load of potential cruise customers for Carnival?), and Carnival vacationers get to see a great boat race too! In turn, the City makes a $ BUNDLE $!

It's a WIN WIN situation for everyone.

:)



Deal reached to keep powerboat races in Southernmost city
‘Pride’ to be VIP viewing area if deal goes through

By Tim McDonald [email protected]

This time last year, Key West was awash with powerboat races, with back-to-back November events competing for public interest. This year, it seemed as though it would be left with none.

But last-minute discussions on Friday appeared to be heading in the direction of a compromise that would allow the American Power Boat Association to run its World Championship in Key West Harbor later this month, after all.

The problem is there are too many ships in the harbor. In particular, the cruise ship Carnival Pride is scheduled to be at the Outer Mole Nov. 24 – the final day of the scheduled races.

Race promoter Lee Mills had maintained the ship would block the VIP viewing area, and wanted it moved. But a lot of money is at stake – the city could lose $20,000 in disembarkation fees.

Now, however, it seems the ship will be the VIP viewing area for government officials, celebrities and others, allowing the race to go on. And ship passengers will be able to come and go from the Pride as they please, to see the city as well as the races.

"We need to run it by the Coast Guard, but it seems this is going to work out," Mills said Friday, following discussions with city and Carnival Cruise Lines officials.

Earlier this year, John Carbonell, owner-operator of Super Boat International, canceled races planned for Key West waters this month.

According to city officials, Mills knew of the scheduling conflict with Carnival in April, but elected to go ahead with plans for the race.

"I guess he felt that with the backing of the lodging community and the restaurant community, he would be able to have that changed," said City Manager Julio Avael.

Mills said he was told by city officials in March that there would be no cruise ships in port for the three days of planned racing, Nov. 20, 23 and 24.

"So we posted it on our Web site, printed it on our material and announced it on our TV shows," he said. "The sponsors committed to it, the hotels committed to it and the vendors committed to it."

Officials from all three camps – Mills, the city and Carnival Cruise Lines – have been negotiating for weeks trying to find a solution. That apparently came Friday.

"We have every hope and expectation that it will be resolved," Mills said.

Mills had rejected the idea of squeezing the race into two days, Nov. 21 and 22, which are open. He also rejected alternate areas for hosting corporate sponsors for the event.

Sponsors pay Mills $15,000 to $20,000 per tent on city-owned land.

Previously Mills suggested the cruise ship could dump the passengers off in the morning, anchor offshore and serve as a "turn boat" in the race, a marker for the powerboats to navigate. It could then return to the Mole after the races,
pick up its passengers and disembark. But the cost and logistics would be prohibitive, the cruise line said.

"Your guests want to come and go from the ship as they choose," said Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher said. "We’d have to have continuous tender service. We’d have to pay a harbor pilot. If it [were] practical, we’d do it, but it’s just not practical for us." Gallagher said moving the port of call to another date would also be expensive. The cruise line is required to pay $20 compensation per passenger for missing scheduled ports.

Obviously APBA is held to a higher standard than everyone else in the motorsport world. Maybe if some folks didn't immediately point fingers and attach blame to APBA for anything and everything, those folks wouldn't have to worry about APBA followers being on anyones azz.
Funny thing, although APBA was not at fault, everyone expected APBA to come up with a fix.
Fact is, APBA was the one that got involved and helped find the fix, which bailed the city out of a jam. Now, the Key West World Championships will have the worlds best grandstand!

So, I have a proposition...
Let's all agree that putting on a race, in any city, regardless of sanctioning body, is a huge task. Things will always come up unexpectedly, and **** will always happen that is beyond the control of the event producers &/or sanctioning body.
Sanctioning bodies will make mistakes. Let's try to get some facts before we start pointing fingers and screaming nanny nanny boo boo's at the other side of the fence.

Glad to see it all worked out!

Enjoy all! :D

Just a question...Who was the genius who came up with the plan to combine the two?

What a fabulous outcome.

And just think of the potential that could grow from this connection...

Whoever is responsible, please post their name(s). They certainly deserve a round of praise.


Now I only wish I could go. :(

I think it's great that they got it all worked out, but it kinda sux for the people that wanted to stand at Mallory Square and watch the race. If my memory( which ain't to good) serves me right, the ship will be blocking the view from one of the best places to watch the race.

Gordo,
I agree with you about finding out all the facts before starting to point the finger :) Look forward to seeing you in KW :p

Robert