Ron I like your idea on colored background behind the boat #!!!! Color has a bigger impact on the brain to remember than numbers do. Or maybe each class has the beak of there boat colored to there class. Anything that has less letters and #'s is better. Should be a great year I will have 3 boats ready to race this year. I would also like to see some fine tunning done as well but will leave it up to you all.
PLEASE LISTEN TO WHAT THE RACERS WANT AND VOTE ON IT. SOME CHANGE IS GOOD GUY's
MD (TYPHOON)

Here are some class breakdowns from the past that worked.

The first time guy started in P class and worked his way up.

This is the Bacardi race in Miami in 1978.

I've seen that system used in off road racing and I'd be happy with it as well. My point is that I'd like more space on my boat to sell to sponsors, so if we could eliminate a character and a dash, that sounds good to me.

I kinda like the idea of being a "5 Series" boat.

P.S. "599" might ever be better cuz then I can just white out/black out the "P" and "-" on my team shirts without having to buy new ones right away.

Sean

I was hoping our class rep would have chimed in by now...Scott B...where ya at?

And I agree, the point here is to make the number panel smaller/shorter and still allow the scorers/spectators a way to identify the different boats/classes. Without discussing my sponsor fees in this public forum, another 12 to 18 inches on the side of my hull can make a financial difference to our team and help keep us racing. Is that a big deal? Maybe not to someone with deep pockets, but I don't know a lot of current P-class racers with deep pockets.

Sean

Since the Letter idea was shot down, I have no problem proposing the 100-500 idea for P classes. I need support to propose it so e-mail or pm me if you are a registered boat owner in support of this change, and I will propose it in Ft lauderdale.

My 2cents
Sponsors, sites, fan attraction can only be achieved through a higher boat count.
OPA is headed in that direction with the absence of entry fees and prize money. In order for this sport to grow, there also has to be a certain level of consistancy, professionalism, entertainment value, promotion, simplicity, and personal sacrifice by the racers.

Consistancy-stick with the rules and do not try to accomodate every boat out there. Go back to the same venues year after year. If someone can count on the rules being the same, they will find a way to to fit into a class.

Proffesionalism-Team uniforms, professionally conducted meetings, and mandatory attendance to certain fan/racer events.

Entertainment value-a fan will come back if the entertainment value is there. As we have seen with most of out sites, the entertainment value of a race by itself will not bring out fans. We almost need to make the pits the focus for bringing out the fans and the race as an added bonus. If the pits were set up with a carnival type atmosphere(like Sarasota) or a race held in conjunction with a local festival that already draws crowds, then the fans will already be there and its our jobs to sell them on what we do.

Promotion-Tv ads and radio ads are very expensive. If you are doing races in conjunction with other events, a certain amount of promtion will already be built in. Send out press releases to every, radio, tv station, and print media within 30 miles. Invite local radio or TV personality's out for a ride in a boat. Local racers get your equipment out, pass out flyers and sticks posters in every store window in town.

Simplicity-keep it simple, small # of classes.

Personal sacrifice-first and foremost, if you really want the sport to grow, make a committment and show up. Pick a race you want to help with locally and do it. Don't wait for someone else to ask for help, be proactive.
If you not local, you can help via internet or telephone. Second, take you equipment out and do boatshows, local parades, events etc. Take you equipment to a local school on career day. We have done all of these and they really are fun.
On career days, we talk about everything marine mechanics, marketing, engineering, photography, painting, and a whole host of carreers that could be related to boat racing.

Efforts are in motion for a lot of this stuff already with OPA this year and the growth of this sport as a whole can and will happen, but everyone needs to chip in. A lot of hard work from a few people pails in comparison to a little bit of work from many people.

The burden of growing Offshore Racing has to be put on the shoulders of the racers. Lets face it, forever it has been the job of promoters and sanctioning bodies to do this and they have failed with the exception of a few individual races

Well said my friend. Scotty for President

Scott,

Well said...I agree wholeheartedly.

I support the renumbering of the P-classes using the 100-500 series. Most of my aforementioned ideas were to capture in writing the rules we are using yet are not identified in the current rule book.

Thanks...and ya got my vote for President!

Sean

Well said Scott.

Allow me to add a bit more in regards to sponsors. In 1980, I was sponsored by the Government of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth and not a state.

What this means, is all federal excise tax collected by our Federal government at the time a bottle of rum from Puerto Rico is purchased here, has to be returned to Puerto Rico. The government there in dealing with me, represented all the rum manufacturers not just one brand.

In the previous year to my sponsorship, the total excise tax money was over $350 million dollars sent back to Puerto Rico. The government had a very clear vision of what they were trying to accomplish with this sponsorship.

The demographics of offshore powerboat racing at that time, was exactly the market they were after. They specifically wanted to raise the awareness of the American drinking public that rum could be used for any drink, not just Rum and Coke. If they could just get them to try it they would like it and continue to buy rum products.

The plan they executed was, that we as a team would go into the race area a few days ahead of the actual race and visit with the liquor distributors and do press interviews. Then the night before the race itself, they would hold an open party for everyone at the race site. They set up an open bar that provided any drink you wanted, as long as it was made with with rum, Rum martini's etc.

They then measured (quantify) the impact on the geographical market after we left, and the rum sales always were higher than before the event.....in other words they accomplished their objective.

My sponsorship money was $25,000 per race for a 10 race season.

BUT IN ADDITION.....They spent farmore in promoting this whole package themselves. This is really key with a sponsor...they must take responsibility to do as much as they can to promote their vision of a successful sponsorship on their own, using the team as a backup to their own efforts.

We did the press interviews and liquor distributor meetings, and we were at the parties to hand out t-shirts and sign autographs but they had planned it all to the last detail.

For individual sponsors for a team, or race event sponsors, find a way to show them the results in a quantifiable way...numbers. This takes out all the emotion and shows them that the money they are spending is getting a big return versus any other way they could spend it.

scott b amen as a fan. you had a outstanding party last year at fountain . took us in invited us to supper sat nigh. way cool thanks augie . but your show was great. you and amf are the class of the fleet. cant wait to see you at the races. robbie, allison, hunter, rogers .