Do you want more or less classes?
 

I was wondering is you might want to voice your opinion by taking this poll.

It seems to me (waddaIknow) that we have a class to fit every boat. Regardless of size or horsepower as long as we can catagorize a boat that others can fairly compete against it, you can race it. Even if only one or two others exist.

I think that the problem is that some or most P class racers buy a boat as a pleasure boat and then decide to race with whatever power they have built. If they had started out to build a race boat they would have built it with a class in mind.

There are so many classes now with so few boats per class, it would seem like a scaling back is called for.

Maybe there isn't a problem at all? The way it is now allows anyone to bring a boat over 24 feet in length and race at a national event. That is how you get a lot of boats.

I understand why we need all the classes we have to accomodate those who want to race. My question to all of you is, do you think that we should have less classes to the point that some people just won't fit into a class at all? I mean like bring it down to:

Super Cat
Super V
F4
F3
F2
F1

All other classes race at divisional events and when they want to go national, they build a boat to fit a class.

Thoughts?

How about also a "F5" class for single engine cats under 30'.

Hi Ron,
I'm not a racer yet, but someday I would like to get out there and when I do it will be in one of the smaller "sportsman" classes.
I think if you want the sport to grow then you have to make it accesable to more people.
Having a national APBA-Offshore event come to town and have it be open to people with boats that qualify is what will encourage someone like myself who has been wanting to race to get it together!
The outlaw & P classes make it financially possible for a lot of people to put together a boat.
This is how the sport and all of the supporting industry will grow!

Classes
 

Hi Ron, They should keep the main classes the way they are, But I would boost up the P class or Outlaw class to make it fun and fair for someone that wants to rce his or her own boat in a race. This will also bring more boats to the Menu.
Super Cat
Super V
F4
F3
F2
F1
These guys to it more for the fun of it
P1
P2
P3

Shanghied: I think you forgot P4 as well?

I think that they have a good layout now for success. I just think that thier main focus has to be on stabalizing the events and locations so that the teams can obtain sponsors much eisier. With out stability of venues then there can be no serious sponsorsip. You start in the P-classes and work your way up as you gain better sponsors. Unless you are rich then it does not matter :D:D

Jon

Hey Ron, How's the Benster?

I think the US should bring over the one-design class Sunseeker has for the XS2000 in Europe!

Seriously, it has always been my contention that there should be a class for the smaller single-engine outboard V-hulls. I write sponsorship budgets for race teams, and even the P-class boats require a minimum of $60,000 a year to race the boat after it is built.

In my opinion, if you want new blood in the sport, make it more affordable. Furthermore, the manufacturers would probably get more involved with classes of boats that people actually buy and use for pleasure (notwithstanding F1 and F2).

Jennifer

I think that boats with turbines and the mega yachts would be more or less be racing against themselves.How many would actually be at every race? Too old is right about keeping it simple,If they focus on all the classes then it seems that every boat you see says national champion on it,and just confuses anyone watching.

A couple of months ago, Outragous did a survey on what boats went to what races, p-3 ,p-4 and p-5 had a strong following, you keep those for sure, also the Reindl one design due to its uniqueness, this would make a excellent type boat for the IROC of boating as well as maybe a celebrity race to draw more fans in. as for p-1 most races only had one boat, and they reaced with a host of other SLOWER boats a accident waiting to happen. while i enjoy watching them run, it would be better to see 10 or 15 run but who has that kind of money. the P-class needs to stay this is were they will have growth, and with teams moving up the P- class still grows.

To Old
 

Fred, Welcome back! Man I hate to see you leave. The board looks like it is going to clean up again. Jeffrey laid down the law. The board would miss someone like you and so would a lot of us.

Sorry I missed putting in P4 I think the P class and Outlaw class has to stay! The more boats the more the interest for spectators!

Great Topic, I had actually started work on an article on this and then put it on the back burner when the SeaTalk thing happend.

Here is the unedited stats article I did that was in Propeller Mag.
http://www.gcoffshore.com/gco_files/APBAobtn.htm

Back in 99' the thought were to reduce class numbers and develope the P-Class. Mike A. put Mike C on it, and he did the background work. Mike C. should be commended for his efforts and acomplishments. Thanks Mr. C. for a great set of rules.

The P-Class makes racing (A) Safe and (B) accesable to people who are interested in the sport. It give the sanction body the ability to place just about any boat in a class. Don't expect to be competitive on a rough day if you have a small boat that turns triple digits, but you can get out there.

I would like to see the P-Class rules become a standard (for safety reasons alone) for offshore. This is the test bed for racers and boats to make the leap to bigger classes. Let's test and train them right from the beginning in a safe manner.

Many PRO teams presently run the Saturday P-Class race to do just that, test. Many times we have seen boats like How Sweet It Is run to test before the big Sunday Race.