Smooth water looks about as exciting as watching stock cars go around in circles. Rough water is like watching a Formula One car go through Ol-rouge in Spa at full tilt boogie!!! Whole different skill level.

Funny, when you talk to people at the Drivers meeting just before a race with real 6 footers, most of them aren't too happy about it going out and wrecking all their Shi_, but to write about (admit it) it in public, apparently that is taboo..

I totally disagree that Fans don't like smooth water races - nothing more booring than watching a bunch of boats at 60 or 70 MPH bobbing around like corks...strewn out all over the course, Supercats next to P-5 boats.

On the other hand, 5 Supercats screaming past you at 150MPH is totally cool- and you might even be able to identify them as being in the same class, and in the same race - wouldn't that be a novelty.

Gregg Reichman

Pickwick this weekend, well it will be smooth and flat! Last year as Hooter's was trying to put the move on Popeyes lap after lap, it was intense and what racing is about. Hooters finally passed them! SCL is about real estate and speed!

Also... just food for thought ... if we Racers are supposed to be creating a marketable motorsports product for the Fans, ask yourself this question..

When was the last time a "Fan" came up and asked you how slow your boat can go in rough water - or what is the highest you ever flew it into the air?.

Answer - never - but they almost all ask this question...

"how fast is it?".... right, that is what they find interesting, how fast can that boat go?.

I rest my case.

Gregg Reichman

Gregg your driver last year in the worlds Rick Turmel was hoping for very rough water in Key West in order to be competitive. The flat water almost got you both run over in turn one on Sunday. If it were rough, those smaller P4 boats would`nt have been near you.

I totally agree with that - all I am saying is that I have been in some of the nastiest water, and raced it very hard and some of the flattest water and race it very hard. I think that the high-speed competition is more fun, for me, for my team, for the Fans. You can debate the skill issue, I think both take a lot of skill - in big water, part of the skill is getting back in one piece and finishing, in the flat, I think it is all about how skilled you are at getting the last 1 or 2 MPH out of your boat, and I would venture to say that it takes more skill to do that, to get the last 1 or 2 MPH then to "survive" a Miami or Lauderdale or Dania on a rough day.

I honestly think the high speed stuff is more interesting for the fans, and for me personally, the most fund I have had in Offshore was when we could run flat out as fast as the boat would go, no ballast, no tabs, trimmed out.

Just an opinion - for what it is worth.

Gregg Reichman

These guys run pretty even and make a dam good show!

I am no expert but I think too rough would be when itīs so bad that the boat is unable to stay on plane. To my mind it also sorts the experts from the would-beīs in the throttling/trim department.........

Cleveland 02'

Interesting that almost no one here thinks it takes skill to run the boats at top speed.

I bet Randy Scism can run most any MTI faster than most of his customers, same boat, same day .. same with Mike Fiore in Outerlimits, John Tomlonson in the Skaters, Rick Turmel - just generally...in any boat...

Any thoughts on that... ??

Gregg Reichman