SB

iTrader: (1)

I agree, but see his #3 reason. I think that could be the actual advantage ?

HuskerPerformance

Good points Boosted and I agree the seaweed issue is minimal although I dont agree with the over 100mph. With multiple outboard setups, especially in a pro stock triple engined race boat, the biggest advantage of this setup is speed, a good three to five mph is gained with high x dimensions and the right prop. The thru hull on the boat in question was identified when the protested boat was being crane launched for the second race (hard to see when on the trailer-they were moulded into the bottom of the hull not attached at the transom). The Chief referee concurred and DQ the protested boat from the first race, not the second since the protest should have been served prior to the start of the race. As for your other question, the answer is Yes we would, at the start of the next race event.

The big picture here is the Chief Referee made a decision and it was overturned by the President of the association through a complaint by the protested team. The purported reason was there was a missprint of the rule book?? No, the Chief Referee make the right decision and this issue forced him to resign. Even the Poker Run Magazine had the protesting team as winners of the class.

This gets to the core of ThisisTank message which sums it up perfectly.

To revert back to the roughest race in offshore history click the link and here what some of the drivers had to say.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

t500hps /Russ, myself, and two other guys which we have been 20-year-friends through OSO and offshore boating...
...all now currently race in NASA Camaro Mustang Challenge, a spec road racing series with a very well defined set of rules.

This is the rule that ends all the questions:

All of us have bumped up against that at some point when it comes to something we have done to our cars; in an effort to come up with a competitive advantage in a spec series.
Most of us have been vetoed by the Series Officials who are fellow competitors. We do have challenge protocols in place as well through NASA.

I don't get why the rules are so muddied when it comes to Offshore Racing. It's not like anyone is getting rich.

Ryan Beckley

Dude, seriously? You are complaining about a race that happened 20 years ago? I assume you were in the Smaller white COBRA cat back then? Everyone knew back then, only ONE guy made all of the rules and decisions, no matter what anyone else's job title was. Luckily , IMO, is on an up-swing right now, with more sponsors and bigger teams coming around, than in many years.

cheech

WTF!!
I thought maybe he was referring to last year.
If 20 years ago is correct.
BTW, that's meant for OP, not Beckley.

TYPHOON

Protest rarely get over turned in offshore. On course infraction have to be seen by a race official and unfortunately there is not that many on the course. Almost all turn boats are volunteers that aren't familiar with the rules. Im not sure I have ever heard of a on course infraction being called short of missing a turn marker. People get cut off all the time and over take rules are very lose at best. Off course infractions are hard to enforce after a race. Teams get to the crane and in the prosses there are lots of crew working on getting the boat out. If you are a cheater that gives perfect opportunities for someone to remove, change, add, ect. Some courses have 5-10 mile trip back to the crane and a long ride out site to cheat. The moral of the story is if you are one of those guys that are doing something that you know is giving you an unfair advantage I feel sorry for you in this sport. This is not a highly policed sport so don't think you are some smart person. Please understand that innovation is different than cheating. At this time we have a good bunch of teams that respect there competitors so i feel confident.

Bill Glueck

Agreed. Although there must be a reason to dredge up something from 20 years ago that relates to the present? Do tell.

phragle

iTrader: (3)

Different but worth mentioning in the general conversation...

Innovation comes from stretching the rules as far as you can before they break..

Another form of racing I did, I read the rule book frontwards and backards 427 until I had every word memorized and knew exactly what it said and more importantly what it didnt say.

I then built a machine that pushed every boundry. The first race was 150 miles, 5 30 mile laps. I took it easy the first lap and was right behind the leader. The 3rd lap, I lapped him and by the end I was a lap and a half ahead.

Cheaters aren't winners, but winners push the limits of skill and technology.....

Twin O/B Sonic

I only know offshore as a spectator, but I raced kneel down outboard hydroplanes for nine years and had an a APBA rule book that we dealt with as ironclad, to the best of our knowledge, everyone of those years.

IMO, if you know the rules are flexible, open to interpretation, open to guys with more money than you…..,why would you invest your time, money and effort to try and compete when you know you will lose?

On the world championship gig, I learned early on you can call any race you want a world championship!

I was reminded of this after bumping into an ex girlfriend many yrs ago, after I quit racing.

She was with her new boyfriend and enthusiastically introduced me as a “world champion boat racer”.

I was totally offguard and had no idea what she meant.

Ended up a race I entered and won,in Laredo Texas, was advertised as a “world championship”.
(Which I gave her a shirt for)

I won it which made me the world champion.
Correct?

My gig on that whole subject is, it cannot be a championship unless it’s a series of races, with a mandatory minimum number of race completions to be considered.

Let alone a world championship!

But, this is our world and has been for decades.

phragle

iTrader: (3)

I could be a one race deal, but it needs to be a specific one off deal..

Example: When I raced, seperate from the series, every other year they had a special 24 hour endurance race. They used the same course every time to keep it consistent. Racers came from several countries, factory teams came, the best of the best... and if you broke your class record, you were the world champion and had a world endurance record.

So even if you had never raced in the org before, if you came and beat the existing record...you got the title.