Fledgling offshore racing organization plans to have six events next year, https://speedonthewater.com/in-the-n...-2018-schedule.

I have tried contacting RWO several times asking about other than canopy classes and got zero response. Did they clarify if there will be classes other than those listed on the website?

They did not provide any information beyond what was included in the story. Jason Johnson, my speedonthewater.com co-publisher, and I had a prior commitment so we could not personally attend the RWO press conference to ask questions.

So is there going to be a sbi schedule? Have the racers committed to run RWO ? There website shows only canopy classes.
Maybe sbi will just be worlds in nov??

My educated guess is SBI will have a 2018 schedule. But historically speaking, SBI tends to wait to the new year to release its plans.

The rest of your questions I can't answer. Racers aren't lining up to go on the record. As for the classes, early on (if memory serves) RWO had planned to go canopy only. I don't know if that's still the case.

This is what I'd have to call an "evolving story." Trust me, the lack of answers doesn't mean we aren't (sorry for the double negative) asking questions.

I am all for more racing, but OPA and SBI have both had fairly lean classes over the past couple of years. I would think the addition of another organization would only further lean things out. Is there really room for three organizations?? Not trying to start anything other then friendly conversation.

I think if done right a new org may revitalize the sport and bring in NEW blood. The economy seems to be going in the right direction and maybe the timing is perfect. IMO its all about the money and will this make it more affordable for new teams to come out. If its just the existing racers being spread out then someone will have to go.

SBI has the biggest following and probably the largest offshore racing as of right now right? I feel like with all of these racing organizations there's going to be TOO MANY races going on during the season. Which will cause some teams to have to decide what races to pick out for the year, resulting in some of the races only having a few boats.
I wonder where the great lakes race is going to be? SBI already has their race in Michigan City which is usually the first weekend of August. Hopefully none of these events interfere with other organization events with everything being dated so close together.

I at least hope we get to see some new teams, but I don't think the interest is high at the moment.

I hope this does not turn out like the NHRA - ignoring sportsman racing (Nitro/prostock gets the attention) and now their attendance numbers are down and no-prep outlaw racing is hot. Yes the big boats are bad ass but attracting new blood to the sport is not going to happen in a meaningful way in any canopied class except maybe SVL.

I, while never having participated, am a fan and have owned/own a couple performance boats, and seriously intend on fielding a race boat in '18 or '19. I have been back and forth looking at classes, trying to pick one that is within my "budget", that will also have other boats to race against when I show up. I can tell you, it's not going to be a canopy class to start with, just too complicated and too many extra systems for a new team IMO - so that probably rules out RWO, even though they have the most races close to my home base.

Did anything become of the new org out west that said they would not tell anyone the classes rules and schedules untill after they signed up??