A helicopter doing nothing but watching the course ahead is a solid idea but I am not sure having all eyes up on a chopper/ light instead of on the water is a great idea. How about a smart phone app that tracks and communicates GPS speed and position from either/both an internal and/or external source and then communicates over 4G back to command HQ, Airborne spotters, and course workers. Phone(s) are mounted where the driver/Navigator/Throttleman can see them. Promoter/Organizer/JohnnyLaw can geo fence the acceptable areas to run and set the speed limits before the event. Operators will know immediately if they are off course or speeding. Create a spectator version of the app that encourages spectators to choose safe viewing locations outside the "fenced areas". Command HQ, airborne spotters, or course workers can immediately notify the entire fleet, or just boats within a certain distance, of a safety issue, or they can warn just the jackapple running out of the approved area. Every 100mph+ boat to also run two HD video cameras for the duration of the event one forward one backwards and make the video available to Command HQ on request for review or appeal of any penalty or safety concerns. Minor infractions get the boat sent off the course for the day, in real time if needed. Blatant safety infractions, Failure to quit the course when asked or failure to comply with requests for video earns that driver and boat a one year suspension from all cooperating poker runs. Even selling the boat does not wash away the infraction. Make examples of a couple big hitters early on for the good of the hobby and everybody will fall in line or risk owning a boat they can't poker run and has it's marketability reduced for the duration of the suspension as well. Giving everyone involved an efficient method to share information will make poker runs safer.

Disclosure:I am the founder and CEO of a technology company that has patents pending on some of the functionality I have described above. Main focus is commercial transportation management but have looked in to the possibility of providing a similar solution for land, air and snow based rallies/runs. VC is not interested in motorized recreation angles as the numbers are too small but if an insider(s) are interested in providing funding to preserve what they enjoy, lets make it happen.

I am an avid lifelong go fast boater who understands how things happen on the water.

Got wet many times with a Glen-L Tiny Titan my dad and I built when I was nine
Pitched out of a Hydrostream Vandal three times while learning how critical proper CoG is in preventing hooking with a vee bottom circle racer
Walked away from two blowovers in pre-capsule SportE and SST60 OPC tunnels
Learned about tow boat wakes on a working river the hard way by spearing one in a Hydrostream Viking
Experienced the hard turn 20' Allisons are known for if the prop shaft height is too high,
Got wet again when my Seebold Eagle Warrior climbed the rooster tail of the boat in front of me exiting a corner
Had a gearcase lock up on a 24' Skater at full song and pirouetted in the blink of an eye


A degree in Good Judgement from the High Performance Boating School of Experience does not come without lots of tuition being paid. Tuition can not be paid for in dollars, hours on the water is the only tender accepted.

Hey VFCW,

I also run a tech company. I boat at Cumberland and the only real issue with what you suggest is many parts of the lake are still dead zones. Hard to believe in 2013-2014 that is still the case, but it is. The spot where the accident happened for example has rough cell coverage, and more then likely not 4G.

DJ

www.spacedata.net one sky site should do the trick.

Thank you for posting VFCW. The track of making this activity potentially safer.

Great idea and it sounds like the technology exists!

I agree. I really like this part too. This is easy stuff here.....and add an on board handheld GPS to this with course and speed record too.

Every 100mph+ boat to also run two HD video cameras for the duration of the event one forward one backwards and make the video available to Command HQ on request for review or appeal of any penalty or safety concerns. Minor infractions get the boat sent off the course for the day, in real time if needed. Blatant safety infractions, Failure to quit the course when asked or failure to comply with requests for video earns that driver and boat a one year suspension from all cooperating poker runs. Even selling the boat does not wash away the infraction. Make examples of a couple big hitters early on for the good of the hobby and everybody will fall in line or risk owning a boat they can't poker run and has it's marketability reduced for the duration of the suspension as well. Giving everyone involved an efficient method to share information will make poker runs safer.

I agree, it would work best if cameras that record full GPS data in sync with the video stream were mandated, there are a few on the market already. Lots of redundancy that way.

Agreed!! This helps with monitoring the participants for sure, and thereby helping the organizers control the event safety. What is the camera and telemetry data that is used in that AquaMania video from earlier this year.....

This video could also be used to improve the safety of the inside of the boats. I am sure if all the big boat manufactures had access to data and video showing how people died in their boats then they could make changes to help.

When I get in a boat I am immediately looking at what I am going to hit if there is a roll over or stuff. I am always surprised how many things that are not designed to reduce injury and somethings stand out as super dangerous. For instance when I sit in most boats with wrap around windshields the top of the windshield is right at the middle of my head. Even in a violent turn I could hit that hard and it could be very bad. I am also surprised more boats have such rough edges under the dash where your legs will hit in a accident. Auto manufacture have been dealing with this for years and all modern cars have features to reduce injury in a accident. I know its not pretty so see the results and learn from them but it must be done.

Even if a boat involved in a accident and medical records were made available to boat manufactures and safety equipment manufactures so they can make some informed design changes? The Air and auto industry do a great job of this and I don't see too much of this happening in the boat world.

MP

Imagine how cool the spectators would think it was to be able to call up the onboard GPS speed of every participant, I can see a substantial revenue stream from advertising on the spectator application. Call the total initial investment less than the cost of a Mercury 1350 if you deep pocket guys are listening.

There is a company here in Salt Lake that makes the Black boxes for auto racing. Having a box that goes in the boat that can track acceleration and speed could be cool for safety and for bragging rights.

I know a lot of this sounds like racing and for a lot of people its easy to say then just go racing. Its not that simple. I love Poker Runs and seeing these amazing machines that show up to poker runs is very different then looking at a race boat. Its a completely different experience then racing. I have not been involved in boat racing but I have done offroad racing and its very expensive and way more work then showing up to a poker run.

For boat racing you really need a purpose built race boat because you will be in any kind of condition and will always be forced to push the limits. In poker runs its not nearly as much pressure and if its rough water you either back down or don't run. Racing in the ocean is totally different then running a boat on a lake. I also want to be able to own one boat that can do both.

So maybe we need to challenge the idea of boat racing and Poker runs and try to combine them a little? No reason why you can't have a organized lake run that has some bragging rights and allows some high speeds but done in a safe and efficient way. Either way accidents and injuries will happen but if its organized then those can be reduced.

Bottom line is we love to go fast and build cool boats. We just need some way to do it right and I don't think the current racing or poker run format is the right way.

MP