Long distance racing?
 

Just wondering why long distance racing disappeared? I got a Searace book this year and the distance races look like fun. I can understand the fan standpoint. Was it the cost? Did the boats get to fast? Did the 50 foot monsters kill it? Just with the race this summer with OSS I wonder if it could become something again.

Long distance point to point offshore racing was done for the pure glory and fun of it. The heros that were interested in racing for those reasons have passed on.

New racers who mistook the decline in boat racing in general had to have something to blame the decline on and they blamed it on the lack of spectator/venue issue and concocted the "sponsor and spectator friendly" beach course event.

The biggest problem with point to point racing is safety and logistics. Canopy boats require helicopter based divers for prompt driver extraction after an accident, lest the very hardware that protects you winds up locking you underwater.

Non canopy boats are much faster than the old days with the new drives, power, hulls, and props. This increases the probability of spins, barrel rolls, and other mechanisms which in many cases are not survivable or leads to injuries which are critical enough to necessitate immediate medical care and evacuation capability.

Back in the glory days of point to point racing average speeds rarely exceeded 50-60 mph in bigger seas than we encounter today.

T2x.

Jeez, T2rex, we had a rule called 'don't kill your f**kin' self'! It worked pretty good.................

Yeah for BROWNIE ! Offshore means OFFSHORE.

We are certainly going faster today,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Skill and Judgement still applies.......................

G

What year did the races disappear? I just remember watching offshore races in the mid 80s. (I was 11) In that era was that more of a hybrid of the distance races and what we have now?

We tried with OPA to run the old school race coarse in Point pleasant. A few years ago. Rich is correct. The Coast Guard would have nothing to do with granting a permit for a safety zone that large. My insurance guy, fell off his chair laughing. The other thing to consider is, I dont know of many race boats that carry that much fuel anymore.

Agreed......... But.......... The lawyers have taken over since then.

In fact, I think this is a lawyer:

:party-smiley-048:

Looks like Obama to me.................

What about increasing the length of the races to a min of 150 miles and for the big races 200 miles. The worlds should be 250, like they use to be in key west. And most important take them outside the reef on some long legs where someone might actually get lost. Take out the gps and give them a compass...Hell if they get lost its not like we wont find them....The racing they are doing now is for hydros, NOT offshore powerboat racing. Maybe point to point should be for select non points races. But please take them back offshore with longer races. Its not like we have better tv coverage or bigger sponsers now that they run in circles!!!!