MANITIE

I thought last years worlds with SBI/APBA was the real Worlds, teams from OPA, OSS. Super Cat Seires all ran in Key West together with SBI/APBA. There were World Champions crown in Key West from every ORG there....I think OSS should have there Worlds and who ever wants to come show up and race and SBI/APBA have there Worlds and who ever want to show up do so like last year....the races last year were not on the same dates....and OSS knows SBI's dates for this year and I thought Ron P posted on here in Feb or so that OSS's worlds would not comflict with SBI's so teams could race both if they wanted to ....

It would be nice if every race was free or at least the World Championships and had prize money for everyone....but since I recall even back in the APBA days you had to pay to race.....and if you raced there you had to follow there rules.....last year in Key West was no different then any year I raced in APBA.....the rules were set, we followed them and we had a great time with great racing....

I may be wrong but I will try to find were Ron P posted that info in the begining of the year....it sounded like he was all for not racing on the same date so the racers could decide....I thought that was a great gesture....

TYPHOON

To be the "Real Worlds" the complete offshore community needs to unite in one location!!!!!!! I dont care where it is or what time of year it is. All I know is after the 10 years in this sport it has only happened once in KW. Im of the opinion maybe us racers should be thinking about another location and maybe a different time of the year. OPA has 50 plus boats in the North East and it is harder on most P class teams to travel so why not have are annual Worlds in the summer in the North East. Wouldnt a place like Ocean City,Point Pleasant or another Ocean location make more sense then this year after year BS that we go threw to try and get everyone to KW. If the big 3 organizations cant get it done then a outside promoter would be fine by me. Let this year play out but we need something fresh for 2009.
MD

MANITIE

Having a World Championship at the end of the racing season would have to fall in late Oct or Nov....racing in the Northeast would not make for a good site in Nov....I remember Mark K leaving for the worlds in 03 and when he left his house it was snowing.....If you talk to the guys who came to Key West from OPA last year....thay all said they had a ball....and after talking to a lot of OPA racers last year...it came down to money...or they would have made the race...some of us put up our own money to get teams to Key West.....and they said it was a great site....I think we all agree Key West is a great site for the Worlds...I think for the remainder of this year and looking into next year...maybe we should start looking at ways to raise money to get the teams who need it to Key West....the big name teams or teams that have the money will go to Key West....and have been for over 25 years....and teams have always came from all over the country to go to Key West....times are tough....but instead of changing a great site...why not look at ways to get the teams there that need it.....again...OSS, OPA and Super Cat Series made the trip....and OPA had there worlds in Destin 2 years ago...so the OPA teams will travel....we just need to look out for the little teams to fund them to get to Key West....

and as for the" ReaL Worlds"..remember....APBA and SBI always had there seperate Worlds....I'm not saying it was right...but thats how it was years ago and its still the same today only with differant Orgs...and you raced both or you picked one....Every Org has there great race site and always will......

Persaonlly....I view OPA kinda like the Great Lakes Series was in the early 2000....races in the North East and they came to Key West for the Worlds....they had the PRO Series Class's and P-Class....today...OPA has Class Racing and Pro-Series....its kinda like the same thing...

I think its good that the racers finally have a choise were to race there Worlds....everyone will never get along with everyone...but this gives the racers an oppertunity to race were they want and with and against who...

I think if you ask the SBI/APBA P-class teams and the OPA teams they want to meet up at the end of the year to see who is the best in P-Class racing....we had great battles with the guys in Class 3 last year in OPA...but in Key West...you just threw in great race teams from the south...and the battle came from everywere....it was pretty cool last year going into the the last day of racing that who ever finished 1st in that race in the top 5 boats would win the worlds...I think we all want that type of racing

I think today the rules are so close between OSS and SBI/APBA that they would fit right in...I know in the past there was a issue of inpections...but today OSS teams and SBI/APBA teams are racing in both Orgs during the year...

Stock Boats....OSS boats have raced in both (TNT, Rayan B,) and in SBI/APBA going over to OSS ( STEAL, Misisukee)

In Super V, Bret has raced in both OSS and SBI

Super Cat Light....a lot of OSS teams raced in both Worlds

Etreme Bud Light, GIECO, the old Bacardi boat and others all run in Key WEST

SC 850's gusy from OSS have raced with the Super Cat Series guys

and a few SVL from OSS did come to Key West...but I think the only SBI SVL teams was Extreme.......

Were pretty close to all be racing together....even if its only for the Worlds....but there is more cross racing today then in a long time....

TYPHOON

OK so whats it going to cost a SVL team to race in the SBI worlds for one race? And whats the pay out? And lets say 5 teams show up. And please dont say call John. Gino you know the numbers by now.
MD

MANITIE

OK...I'll take a shot at it....

since I only know P Class racing fee's but I think it will cost you around roughly around 2 to 2400.....I know the payout is higher in SVL then P-class and I know there are at least 10 SVL out there....I think you get a extra 1k for ever boat over 8 for prize money and they pay out 1st threw 5th....will it pay for all your expenses if you take 1st place with 10 boats...probably not....but I do know the higher the entre fees and regs. the higher the prize money....but I don't think any of the OPA guys went to Key West thinking if we won it would pay for our expenses....I think in our class 1st place pays out $600 to $1000...so none of us surely did it for the money....but the compitition...the bragging rights....for sponsors....and for the sport....again....but don't get me wrong...I'm not saying everyone should be able to afford it....they can't...but let me tell you what one of the teams we helped out said last year...
It was a father and son team who only did limited races in 07 due to funding....and the dad race in Key West before but the son never did...but the dad really wanted his son to have a chance to race in Key West.....and when I talked to him they truely could not afford it....so we picked up there tab for there fee's....they had smiles on there faces all week in Key West, there was not who's racing org or what the pay out was...it was all about racing in Key West and enjoying all the compitition....So do I think we should find another place to have the worlds, no...do I think we should come up with a way to get everybody we can there....YES....Dose it suck that you pay all this money for one race...yes...but you have a oppertunity to race the following year if you choise...but again...its been that way for ever....If things were always fair and happen the way we think it should happen....we would all be millionars and be happy as pig in crap....but we can take what we have and figure out a way to work with it.....

There is no right or wrong answer to this topic....we all have our veiws and opions....thats why I found it better to figure out ways to get teams there then trying to change everything....and this sport has so many differant personalitys....it will always be very hard to get everyone together....but I have been paying to race in the Worlds since 2001....and today I still am....and for some odd reason...I keep coming back for more.....

Hell...I bet you that some of the fans would donted at races during the season just to help out the teams that need assistance just to see everyone in Key West....remember....this is alot of fans big vacation of the year..just to go to Key West for the week....

SpecialFX

I have chosen to race spec class with OSS this year, and, I think Key West is a great venue for a combined World's, but I won't register/pay 2 orgs SBI and OSS to do this. If there are enough racers from all orgs to want a combined World's then the orgs should compromise and make it happen.

MANITIE

Special FX...you feel like some other racers do...and I don't think anyone here will say your right or wrong.....but if someone gave you the money to pay your fees for Key West and you knew you would races other boats in your class you have not raced against all year...would it not make you think about coming to K.W.

Pete B

The world's should be a invitational event, by the Conch Republic, no one series should have the monoply on this event.
A easy way to settle this would be to let all 3 groups rotate, the winner's will be the fans, and the the KW commerce.

MANITIE

I understand Pete...but what Org has been in business the longest...what Org outside of SBI/APBA has been running for 25 years +...Why would the Conch Rep take a chance with a org who they really don't know or who has not proven any type of track record...the relationship that John C has with the C.R. is a great one...why would they change that....and as far as the fans at Key West gose...it was packed again last year....we all can say its not right......and we all heard over the last 5 years...that once the C.R. see's that SBI/APBA can't bring in 70+ boats for the Worlds they will not bring him back...but yet...the C.R. keeps bringing him back because what he brings every year...and I don't blame them...last year was another great year there....and if anything has happend in the last 5 years to help the sport....more teams today are cross racing with other orgs then every since 2004.....because teams are now racing were it benifits there team the most....its no longer I will only just support this one org....you can say what you want...but in 2007 and the Worlds SBI/APBA has had over 70+ registerd teams....and they are from all the Orgs...

But again.....I don't recall when APBA was running there worlds in Key West, that it was a invitational....you had to qualifie and pay to race with them...if anything....the requirements are less today then back then....now you don't even have to race any SBI/APBA races during the year...you just have to have raced 2 races with any org....also the there were a number of OPA teams that would have made the worlds last year but it was not becasue of the money...it was becasue they could not get the time off work....

When we step back and look at things from a business aspect like the C.R. is probably during....and look at what has happen with this sport over the last 30 years....Orgs have come and gone...along with poromoters and racers....but John C is coming up on 30 years of during this....do you think that maybe that may have something to do with why they keep bringing John back...

Pete B

It isnt track record, APBA had their worlds there a week before, and then SBI had theirs. Everyone knows John C is buddy- buddy with those that have pull in KW. And the hotels and businesses dont count on the race team's they count on the pokerrunner's who seem to have much bigger pockets, and more time off to spend their money.

As for teams not having to race two races with SBI to attend, I dont think anyone can speculate why that is.

Is it good, that teams from OSS, and OPA attend KW sure but just the same it really is about a world championship.

A unified worlds where boats from around the world attend would be a true worlds.

Go to a Class 3 6 liter race, it is like a mini worlds with 25 plus boats from several different countries all racing with one goal, a checkered flag and bragging rights.