Key West 2007
08-08-2007, 10:34 PM
#43
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Wether we have five boats or a hundred boats in Key West, someone will always say something negative. Bottom line, if you are not part of the parade in Key West then don`t come on here spreading crap all over our sand box.
08-09-2007, 07:24 AM
#45
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08-09-2007, 09:36 PM
#48
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I understand a proposal has been placed on the table by OPA that would give the OPA teams a $1000 discount for coming to KW. In addition, OPA has offered to take $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and put that up as additional prize money for the KW P-Class races.
Primary flaw with this proposal is SBI/APBA teams would be paying the full load of fees while non-member teams would get the discount. This would not be very good for the relationship between SBI/APBA and the teams that have been loyal supporters. Those core teams are the ones that keep the organization alive through their support and participation at the races that everyone else either stays at home or goes to some other venue. Giving a non-member team a discount would be a real slap in their face. If this proposal where to be accepted, SBI/APBA would be compelled to give its member teams the same, if not more of a discount as a gesture of customer appreciation.
Furthermore, under the proposal, there would be an incentive for SBI teams to join OPA to receive the $1000 discount. This would undermine the ability of SBI/APBA to raise the funds necessary to finance the KW Worlds, and its membership base. Not a very smart move if you’re SBI/APBA.
SBI/APBA has already made a major financial concession when it opened the 2007 KW Worlds to any team that has raced two races with any organization during the current racing season. When you figure the 45 teams OPA proposes to bring to KW (their number, not mine), this alone has cost SBI/APBA $119,250 in lost membership, registration, and entry fees for the two races the teams where not required to race with SBI/APBA, as required in previous years. That's a pretty hefty concession that SBI/APBA has left on the table.
To ask the organization that is responsible for paying for the KW Worlds to give a discount to any team to race is not realistic. By the time all the discounts are figured in (to both non-member and member teams), the fees needed to cover the cost of the putting on the event would have to be raised to a level that would negate any discounts. Since the fees have already been set and publicly posted, that would be almost impossible to do.
This doesn't mean the issue is dead. We all know that if you really want to do something...there is always a way to skin the cat.
From talking to others who are aware of the current OPA proposal and understand the reasons it just won’t fly in its present form, the consensus is that it would be more feasible for OPA to take the $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and apply that to the 2008 OPA registration and membership fees of the teams that go to KW. That $25k would cover the OPA equipment registration fees of 50 teams. If 50 OPA teams do not go to KW, the balance could be pro-rated toward the 2008 OPA membership fees of the teams that raced in KW.
This scenario has a lot of pluses; e.g. it would further Haggin's "United We Race" philosophy by getting more teams racing together; benefit OPA since the organization would be getting the up-front registration fees it needs to cover expenses during the off season; gives each of the OPA teams that race in KW a financial reward for participating in the races (spreads that $25k out among all the OPA teams, not just the podium finishers)...and the list goes on.
This is not the only scenario that could work, there are probably others. However, if you take the aforementioned scenario and carry it forward, it is pretty clear that this could be a first step to something much bigger. If OPA where to keep the 25k it has already offered and apply it to 2008 OPA registration and membership fees; those members who race in the 2007 KW Worlds would also be SBI/APBA members. With the majority of the OPA teams already APBA members through SBI and their participation in the KW Worlds, it would open the door for OPA and SBI/APBA to work out an agreement for OPA and SBI/APBA to unite under the APBA banner.
If OPA where to become, let’s say…OPA/APBA under the SBI/APBA agreement, the racers would reach a monumental milestone towards the dream of unity in Offshore. The infrastructure is already in place for racing clubs and organizations to become members of APBA through the Divisional program. The precedence has already been set. There have already been autonomous APBA Offshore organizations that have previously held club, APBA Divisional events, and hosted APBA National events. The club and Divisional races where held with the member organization’s own officials, rules, inspections…and they even had regional TV. There is no reason this can not happen again…and we are on the threshold…all it takes is a little imagination…finding that win-win scenario…a willingness to cooperate...and the racer’s support to make it happen
Yes, I believe we are very close to something that we all would like to see...more teams racing in KW…and Offshore unity. The proposal on the table is a first attempt that will not work, but that doesn’t mean we should give up and say it can’t be done.
What is it Smitty says….’you never know”
Primary flaw with this proposal is SBI/APBA teams would be paying the full load of fees while non-member teams would get the discount. This would not be very good for the relationship between SBI/APBA and the teams that have been loyal supporters. Those core teams are the ones that keep the organization alive through their support and participation at the races that everyone else either stays at home or goes to some other venue. Giving a non-member team a discount would be a real slap in their face. If this proposal where to be accepted, SBI/APBA would be compelled to give its member teams the same, if not more of a discount as a gesture of customer appreciation.
Furthermore, under the proposal, there would be an incentive for SBI teams to join OPA to receive the $1000 discount. This would undermine the ability of SBI/APBA to raise the funds necessary to finance the KW Worlds, and its membership base. Not a very smart move if you’re SBI/APBA.
SBI/APBA has already made a major financial concession when it opened the 2007 KW Worlds to any team that has raced two races with any organization during the current racing season. When you figure the 45 teams OPA proposes to bring to KW (their number, not mine), this alone has cost SBI/APBA $119,250 in lost membership, registration, and entry fees for the two races the teams where not required to race with SBI/APBA, as required in previous years. That's a pretty hefty concession that SBI/APBA has left on the table.
To ask the organization that is responsible for paying for the KW Worlds to give a discount to any team to race is not realistic. By the time all the discounts are figured in (to both non-member and member teams), the fees needed to cover the cost of the putting on the event would have to be raised to a level that would negate any discounts. Since the fees have already been set and publicly posted, that would be almost impossible to do.
This doesn't mean the issue is dead. We all know that if you really want to do something...there is always a way to skin the cat.
From talking to others who are aware of the current OPA proposal and understand the reasons it just won’t fly in its present form, the consensus is that it would be more feasible for OPA to take the $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and apply that to the 2008 OPA registration and membership fees of the teams that go to KW. That $25k would cover the OPA equipment registration fees of 50 teams. If 50 OPA teams do not go to KW, the balance could be pro-rated toward the 2008 OPA membership fees of the teams that raced in KW.
This scenario has a lot of pluses; e.g. it would further Haggin's "United We Race" philosophy by getting more teams racing together; benefit OPA since the organization would be getting the up-front registration fees it needs to cover expenses during the off season; gives each of the OPA teams that race in KW a financial reward for participating in the races (spreads that $25k out among all the OPA teams, not just the podium finishers)...and the list goes on.
This is not the only scenario that could work, there are probably others. However, if you take the aforementioned scenario and carry it forward, it is pretty clear that this could be a first step to something much bigger. If OPA where to keep the 25k it has already offered and apply it to 2008 OPA registration and membership fees; those members who race in the 2007 KW Worlds would also be SBI/APBA members. With the majority of the OPA teams already APBA members through SBI and their participation in the KW Worlds, it would open the door for OPA and SBI/APBA to work out an agreement for OPA and SBI/APBA to unite under the APBA banner.
If OPA where to become, let’s say…OPA/APBA under the SBI/APBA agreement, the racers would reach a monumental milestone towards the dream of unity in Offshore. The infrastructure is already in place for racing clubs and organizations to become members of APBA through the Divisional program. The precedence has already been set. There have already been autonomous APBA Offshore organizations that have previously held club, APBA Divisional events, and hosted APBA National events. The club and Divisional races where held with the member organization’s own officials, rules, inspections…and they even had regional TV. There is no reason this can not happen again…and we are on the threshold…all it takes is a little imagination…finding that win-win scenario…a willingness to cooperate...and the racer’s support to make it happen
Yes, I believe we are very close to something that we all would like to see...more teams racing in KW…and Offshore unity. The proposal on the table is a first attempt that will not work, but that doesn’t mean we should give up and say it can’t be done.
What is it Smitty says….’you never know”
Last edited by Wazzup Racing; 08-09-2007 at 09:47 PM.
08-09-2007, 09:54 PM
#49
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08-10-2007, 06:49 AM
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I just stumbled across this today. I did not know my conversation with John was public knowledge. A few corrections. First the 25 K is from one of our sponsors, not Haggin. I am not sure what his intentions are for KW. Or for any worlds. I guess my question would be, Since our guys would have to travel 3000 miles to attend, why not a one race fee. To register for all of 08, makes no sense. With our 08 schedule it is not possible for us to attend your regular season races. Call it 35 boats @ 1k a boat thats 35K. John can keep his 10K purse he puts up for the p class, so thats 45 K. We'll pay the 25K Purse at the site to all the P class boats. John makes 45K he would never have had, and the racers get 25K at the awards. If any SBI teams wanted to run one of our races in 08 we will accept their SBI reg, and let them run for free. If one of our teams want to run SBI in 08 they pay the balance of their 08 registration. What so hard about that?By having the OPA Boats there, it will not cost any more to run the event than it would if we were not there. So what's the difference? Who makes out? KW. We are not looking to be recognized as OPA. It is an SBI event, we will race and support the SBI. That was my conversation with John. I dont want anyone to read more into this than it is. I had a very friendly conversation with John, if we can't work it out no big deal. We have been major supporters of SBI over the years, and really do miss our southern friends. Some of my favorite races were on SBI soil. The only reason, we decided to grow the NE, was the commute to Florida every other weekend was a drag Smitty
Really then, whats the problem??
