gdfatha

The following is a compendium of comments discussed and or over heard at marathon..

THE GOOD===

-The weather

-The Pensa Dinner Feast ( missed)..

- The thrills and fresh excitement discussed by all when seeing the Skiffs, the SLT's and especially # 92 Mod U along with the tail walking by the SLTs and the skiffs nearly rolling..

-The mod U 92 even made the Offshores look slow.

-The food in the VIP area

- The friendship even amonst strangers..

-The topless lady (s) that loved Italians. ( Kept looking for Augie to help) at the bash at the bridge.
==================

THE BAD:

-Late race start (Sunday)

-No Scotch at the VIP bar

- I got captured by a group of fishing people and missed the Pensa Banquet

- The *&*(^^$%^&*(###*** Turtles...

-The lack of deck to deck racing..Everyone was standing and yelling at the start. After two laps few stood and the silence was deafening.

- No Scotch at the VIP bar.
===================

-THE UGLY

-The announcing was amongst the worst I've ever heard. Some stranger next to me aske me if the announcer was living with the Reno's (Carole & Jeff are great racers and happily married). They races SST 6, SST 120 and SLT ..

-The announcers were not faniliar with what class was running.

- the announcers had no idea what the hell was going on in the water. They should have had voice/realtime contact with the water .

***** The Freakin WORST--- NOT one person left the course/fan area- knowing who the F*** won or lost.

==========> There's more but that is enough for now..

OHHHHHH- I think it is the biggest insult to the drivers and crews and their personal group not to have them drive in front of the fans with the checkered flag as they did last year...Please don't waste time with the "Turtle " excuse...

Please go 2004 Marathon
to:http://community.webshots.com/album/145537117vnhrXA

and notice the joy on their faces and it was also reflected in the fans eyes..

See ya at Ft Meyers and Sarasota

AugiePensa

Marc, your are "The Best"

Fast 1

Augie,
The fans weren't the only ones that didn't know what the finishing positions were !!!!!
Alan

outer42

and still don't , 5 days later and still not posted yet!

gdfatha

OOOPS--I forgot an important "UGLY"=====>

I got stopped by police trying to drive into the "Free Dry Pits"

I showed the officer (a cute little lady so I couldn't get too angry,) my APBA card as well as my APBA CREW member card. The lovely cop said they were not good enough that I needed a sticker.

I spied the AMF trailer and told her theres the rest of my crew. She then told me with darling dimples, OK, but have them get you one of these stickers.

Then I spied the registration tent and ran into a darling fellow Italian (nope it wasn't Augie) also undergoing problems.. I showed the people at registration tent my letter for receiving my VIP passes and also my APBA credentials and also mentioned the magic parking pass I needed.

To my "shock & awe" I was told this was the SBI registration and that the APBA registration was next to the Fi****n bridge. There is more to this event but I won't bore you...

Bottom LIne: FOR CH***t sake guys/gals at least sit together so you don't jerk us fans crews etc across the country.

Pat D

outer 42.....
yes they are...............


gdfatha.........
get over it........we all got stopped by her
and we all pray everything goes very smoothly for you in Ft. Meyers
enough already

Ron P

Marc, I wouldn't have let you in the pits either.

The second APBA registration at the bridge must have been for the little APBA boats. That was a Lee Mills thing had little or nothing to do with the Offshore race.

So, did you get your sticker?

AugiePensa

Marc, I think SBI/APBA did a great job! I didn't realize you were knocking them. Come on Bud, you get treated first class there, if there was a problem you should have come to one of the crews to see if they could help you. You know anyone of us would have done what we could for you.

gdfatha

Guys/Ladies, My last comment on this subject...

I did start by complimenting the entire efforts (where merited)on behalf of APBA/SBI I then drifted to a few complaints.

Coming from a Management Systems Consulting backgroud I noted what I thought and still do was an easy and nagging condition to fix.

I also realize my situation is miniscual compared to that of race teams, crews, officials, volunteers, local Police and recue crews...and I do, and always have, appreciated their efforts.

Bottom line:

- Ron P you are wrong, SBI did not honor my VIP letter.
It was for anyone that paid for to APBA or could get a Pink wristband... big and small for the VIP area at the Bridge...

-To all other responders, what was embedded in my message was...If it's an SBI/APBA race work together, share computers and processes so the left hand know what the right hand is doing providing a smoother operating process..

I will not back off on the fact that by not allowing drivers/crews to exhibit their championshp flags in front of the fans for the appreciation they deserve is an insult to both...

Thanks for understanding..

If this thread starts a Pi$$ing contest I will kill it..

Pat D

gdfatha.........

regarding your third paragraph, I'm sure your complaints weren't miniscual to you........and in regard to good, bad and ugly, I could write a book on last weekends race, but it would only contain MY own problems and they would all come under "not good" and "sorta ugly"

SBI/APBA "are" working together and sharing all those things you suggested. It's worked for the previous races, but please remember...this race also carried extra events, with an added event director. It was not just an SBI/APBA deal.
I will say no more about that, except......June's race will be what we can now call a real SBI/APBA race.

I cannot however, guarantee a better turtle situation, but maybe it can be handled more efficiently. They live here, I live here...........we would both like to avoid problems.

Next time your in Marathon (for a race) please look me up, I'll give you a parking sticker.

Regarding your obsession/desire, whatever, with racers waving their flags and parading in front of the crowds.........please contact John Carbonell at any time and tell him how you feel. He's the only one that can grant your wish.

This is not a p------ contest.......you just caught me with your complaints as I am trying to get in the "June race" mode and trying to forget the last one.

Next SBI race your at, please introduce yourself....have Augie or Ron or anyone, point you in my direction.
respectfully, pat d