MOBILEMERCMAN

I was lucky to race when classes were big. It took numerous attempts, and a bunch of seconds before I could win the big ones. I have been hurt and payed my dues. I am proud of what I with my fellow racers accomplished. Worlds are great, but the real commitment is winning a National title. Yea, as the elders say it was better many years ago and it was different even 10 years ago, but it still takes a serious effort and a huge commitment.

There may not be as many competing now as before, but the ones that show up race hard and many have gone swimming pushing them selves to and over the line in attempt to win. These teams that crash or flip their boats and show up next race and continue to race hard deserve recognition too. Its a tough road to the top. And even harder to stay at the top.

Its an expensive, dangerous sport. As an observer one may find it is easy to criticize. Save it.....

Like Ritchie said, You still have to suit up, sit down , shut up and race.

Racegirl3

Actually .... I was referring to a race that happened 3 years ago.... my point being I still remember who carried the flag


and for the record ... I was joking about Dave and the flag. A racer wants to racer. The more the better .... and I can guarantee you if Ed wouldnt have ran the boat in St Clair, you'd hear people *****in about that as well. Such is life.


Dean .... thanks.

T2x

It is easy to criticise and it gets easier every year........

I would love to be a cheerleader, but how would you do that at a football game where only one team shows up?

In many cases you only have to suit up , sit down, cross the start line, not finish and then go ashore and trash talk about how you "won".

This sport has the potential to return to its former greatness, but as long as the racers insist on looking at it through rose colored glasses and seek only self agrandizement, it will continue to fade into obscurity. A lot of people in a number of sports (and businesses) work hard, "risk it all", "let it all hang out", etc, etc, etc, and have nothing to show for it, due to bad planning, lack of vision, inability to listen to (constructive) criticism, bad judgement, ego, and plain old bad luck. Offshore racing today is a jumble of all of the above.

If Bob Teague has to beg other boats to show up......but guys are stepping over each other to get into classes where you can't exceed a set speed (in a BOAT RACE for chrissakes!!!)what does that say about the "sport" and the true desire to compete?

Offshore racing has become a sad characature of itself, filled with a desire to be "like Don Aronow:, without the competitive fire or spirit.

If the shoe fits.......

Nuff said...........

T2x

MOBILEMERCMAN

Some choose to run alone, but it isn't fair to put all racers in that group.

BROWNIE

t2REX, it has always been thus, my son. The only impetus to racing all over the place in the old days was the world and national championships. The championships were well publicised, and the early winners well remembered. In 1967, Aronow beat me by 25 points for US1, but he won 600 in races that I didn't (couldn't) attend. I don't think that you could get most of the guys to step over into a class where they had to race John T. and the boys.
It just seems different somehow. When you looked down the starting line and saw Odell, Mel, Aronow, Bertram, Levi, Wynne, Sopwith, etc., you couldn't help but wonder "How in the f**k am I gonna win this thing"? Once in a while, you found a way, and that was enough.................

BROWNIE

Please remember that you are going faster than any of us ever did.

Pete B

Nice statement, sad but true.

T2x

And you just nailed it........

If you were to see a pre race line up of:

JT
Stevie
Michael Seebold
Ben Robertson
Gary Ballough
Jeff Harris
Joe Sgro
Bob Teague
Steve Page
The Roman Brothers
David Knight
Wyatt Fountain
Joe Imprescia
Billy Moore
...I could go on

You'd have a GREAT boat race!

But the boat owners insist on putting all of these guys in different classes, and the racers,fans and sponsors don't know enough to insist on a single class and a single sanctioning body...because they have never seen it.

It seems to me there are two roads here

1. It is what it is, and it used to be better, but cest la vie

or

2. Simplification would do a world of good for this sport and raise it to a whole other level where there was value to sponsors, fans, and racers alike.

Like I said earlier, the potential is there....

the execution is sadly lacking.

T2x

boatme

Now that is the best reason for going boat racing i have heard in quit a while.

As long as you know that is why you are there i totaly think you are there for the right reasons

Good luck and HAVE FUN

boatme

I agree

Rich,

The big question is can it be done, and who can do it ?