Reggie is in APBA - he has many boats racing. They all meet engine requirements , x dimension rules , etc. BH

Thanks Fountain 1...... But I'd rather save a life..... That is the bigger challenge facing us today.

Methinks it is time for a little less "deck to deck" and "sponsor to sponsor" euphoria and a little more concentration on what's really important.

T2x

After watching three accidents in three races resulting in one death and another that almost died, I must agree that my entertainment should not come at the cost of someone's life.

Were is a Lavin foundation for hull design and prop rotation?

Hey T2x, keeper of all offshore knowledge. When was the first V Bottom spin out-roll over? I always remember cats going over but V bottoms seemed to stay upright, until steps came into play.

Maybe stepped race hulls need some sort of fin like a ski boat to help then stay straight. Of course that would probably cause enough drag to negate the speed increase of the steps.

Is it really a "bad thing"?
 

Maybe it's an unusual situation, but in drag racing, the NHRA and the IHRA both seem to do OK. There are some common classes, and there are some classes that are unique to each organization. Given the different philosophies of the two offshore organizations, is "it" really broken? If the two schedules were combined into a single series, how many of the amateur or semi-pro teams would be able to attend every event? The balance could well shift even farther towards the best-funded teams.

On the other hand, a combined SBI/APBA end-of-year event would be great to see again. It works for football and baseball.

Why wouldn't a combined organization work? There could be more money and sponsorships because the organization would be larger than life!!!

Ron:

Vee bottoms have been spinning out for years...... but recently....due to higher speeds, counter prop rotation and more "slippery" bottom designs this has led to rollovers as well, and when a human body is the highest thing extending up from the deck it becomes the deepest thing beneath it when upside down.

The skid fin idea is a good one and has been used on both Inboard Flat bottoms and hydros for years with consistent success. Both of these hull types are very "slippery" in turns as well. Fins are also very effective in straightaways...for maintaining directional stability and control.... I don't know if they are sufficient to offset the hull aeration generated by steps....in all probability that will be a function of fin size. Drag is rather minimal with the ultra strong alloys available, but fins must never be so thin that they break at a critical moment. Latham marine has a neat little gizmo that attaches to trim tabs.... These are great ...as long as the tabs are near the water.

A far bigger issue , however, is cockpit safety design. Even the best skid fins and proper drive rotation cannot guarantee the absolute prevention of all high speed rollovers.......or, a whole different beast, .......... collisions.

The safety issue is huge....... obviously. I got out of the race boat business in 1988 because of it. ...... and until I am convinced that all reasonable precautions have been taken and available technologies fully utilized...... I'll stay on the sidelines.

While racing will inevitably create injuries and worse...... too many accidents, in my lifetime, were clearly preventable.....

Each fatality is followed by a flurry of concern and ideas......and then time passes......and other, seemingly more pressing concerns take center stage.

Perhaps this time will be different........

T2x

Let's hope so.

APBA, you need to take the lead on coming up with some way of keeping your non canopied racers alive. Please do something so we stop loosing our friends.

Seeing people die is not exciting. It ruins the whole weekend for everyone.

Yes, Jack's accident (from my understanding) happened because he was trying to avoid an accident as they exited a turn. The hull just couldn't keep up with the agressive manuever and lost it's grip on the water. Obviously, these step boats need more grip. A skid fin seems like a reasonable answer to a deadly problem.

Quote stolen from a Mr. Jason Huber on Screamandfly.com

"The farther backward you can look, The farther forward you are likely to see. " - Winston Churchill

Those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat the same mistakes.

T2x


__________________

Ron,
On the Ettore sv boat we ran skid fins on the keel just behind the first and second step. It extended back 8 inches and did not extend below the bottom. That way it did not effect the straight line speed but influenced the boat in the corners. I did not like how the step bottom cut away at the keel. It is your pivot point for the boat in the corner. The non step bottoms have a gradual pivot change in the corner. With the steps there is two or three distinct drag/pivot points. We have the same sort of thing on Lucas.
pat W

Pat, got any photos? Could you feel the difference it made? How are they attached?

You guys are always on top of the game.

If your not a member and can't post the photos, send them to me at [email protected] and I'll do it for you.

Ron