29scarab10,

How do you explain the runs with no radar readings at all ??

And the acceleration curve is not linear, so your math does not work. The faster you go, your wind resistance changes along with less wetted area as speed increases etc.

And as someone else stated, charity or not, the guys who run spend big money and time for the bragging rights they receive/earn. Don't they deserve an accurate speed reading ???

It is pretty accurate. The important thing is its the same setup for everyone. I dont hear the people in a 22' boat complain that a roller came through causing them to back off. Next thing you know, people will complain the conditions are too smooth & their boat needs 1' chop to get their best speed.

Then dont show up & spend the money. It's a free country, no one is forcing them to run the course. They show up because they love to be out on the boat, or show their equipment off. Im pretty sure 99.9% of them already know how fast their boat is.

If someone's self confidence is based on what their gps shows, then they have the right to post it. If they want everything to be official, then become a professional racer. By the time some of you guys want to implement all these changes, the whole point of the event- to raise money for the local firefighters/rescue squads, there wont be nothing left to donate. It's a two day course, sponsored by a guy that runs businesses at the lake, loves boats, & wants to keep helping the local rescue teams. If you want to fork over the funds to run things how u want, then volunteer it.

I also want to add that i havent heard any complaints coming from the actual people that ran their boats. Seems like most of the complaints are from people who are only spectating, not running. I appreciate all the guys that show up & run the course for the rest of us to watch.

Actually, in another recent thread here, Dave Scott gave the issues with the radar system as one of two reasons he didn't race this year.

If it can be improved with reasonable effort, why not? No issues from me with my small boat, but would be nice for the big guns.

Either way... fun event. :drink:

BDiggity-

If there were no complaints, then why did the My Way guys put the video out on You Tube ??

Maybe they didn't out right complain, but it sure was a nice way of showing the major flaws. And as was stated the reason Dave Scott passed on this year as well.

The fact that there were multiple times that the radar failed to read boats, tells me the boats are too fast or are not able to be clearly seen by radar. Time to try something else.

They should just use a pair of light beams in the last 100 feet. Time in, time out = speed. Simple as that.

Everyone who entered this unsanctioned event, knew how the speeds were going to be
measured. Everyone who participated, was measured using the same rules and
methodologies. Some choose not to participate, and are free to do so.

The boat is fast, no one disputes that.
The boat was the fastest on that given day, no one disputes that.

Should we raise everyone's 'radar speed'?
Should we change Romer's Skater 388 speed from the 'radar 191' to his 'gps 198'?

You want an official sanctioned result, go to an official sanctioned event.

Systems many be improved, and methodologies for measuring this, may change in the
future. For now, it is, what it is.

I have no explanation for no rader readings at all but it does happen.

I do understand acceleration curves are not linear but on average they are pretty close. Look at the graphs they provided. Like I said before, however made this video if they changed it to 4880' it would be interesting to see. My math was to only show that it was plausable. To answere your question do they not deserve an acurate speed? yes they do desrve an accurate speed but what they have proved with this video above is they do not understand the actually distance at which the speed is taken. They proved at the end of 5280' feet that they were going 217 mph however they have not proved that they got on the throttles at 0'1/64" at start line and they have not proved that where the rader was taken that they were at anything other than 208 MPH.

Last time I checked MYWAY recieved his trophy and bragging rights and when it was all said and done it was the same for everyone and as fair as possible with the resources available. What more could you ask for.

I can tell you this:
-I have seen gps give untrue speeds occasionaly.
-Transponder systems require wires above or below the water surface and will move causing irregulateries plus require a calculation that can be errored and slower to get speeds to spectators.
-With Timing lights you need to be the only thing on the water(no ducks, no jumping fish and no spectators) because they can break the beam and also require a calculation as mentioned above.
All just my opinions,
Allen

1) I would sure as hell hope that YOU are the only thing on the course when YOU are running over 200mph.
2) set the lights too high for the fish. It works in drag boat racing and has for decades.
3) Computer timing systems post speed and ET in milliseconds. I think the spectators could wait that long.
4) Not too likely there would be calculation errors.

The boats are built from material that is invisible to radar,so using that system is a bit of a joke you can never expect a good reading,Laser beams would be one option.

Someone mentioned a sealed gps unit in the boat but how would you determine everyone ran the same length and were not still accelerating past "X" point?