That picture is ScottB when he raced P5. It is kind of an inside joke between us.
I agree with you, there is a degree of skill hanging it out at 130+, especially around a turn. Offshore racing's roots is about offshore abuse on both man and machine. That is what I and some of the people on this board enjoy doing and watching. This sport has sort of morphed into offshore and inshore. My memories of Bounty Hunter, Benihana and others propstanding off the rollers out the Pt. Pleasant inlet before a race are ingrained. That to "me" is offshore racing.

Sure, when they annouce 6 footers at the race meeting, I hate the physical pain I'm going to end up with once the adrenaline wears off, but love the challenge.

Besides, I can't afford to go 100+MPH anyway.

Very well said. I think that there was also another element to this, which is what the Fans like, and what we believe is exciting for them. I have raced since 1992, Super V Lite, Super V, Super Cat, and "A" Class - but I am also a huge fan, started as a fan of some of the Guys you are listing. The high speed stuff seems to really impress people, sure , its cool to see the boats come back from a Key West Sunday race with fiberglass and Drives hanging off of them, broken or worse - that is the result of "Man against the elements"... pound your chest if you survive the test and get out our checkbook - but for the Fan (the few we have) I beleive that deck to deck at 130, 140 150 ... it takes their breath away when they scream past you and creates a long term memory.

Gregg Reichman

OHHH !!!! and add a 285 lb caveman screaming at you to
"turn harder"

ps.. you wouldn't catch me in one of thoose 24 ft chine walkin suicide missions!!! No sir eeeee!! brave souls if you ask me!

Gregg,

My opinion (which sometimes gets me into trouble!) is based on three things. I am a huge offshore race fan. I have piloted a few small sports boats in both dead calm and rough conditions. I like taking photographs of raceboats.

The opinions of us all on here will differ and there will always be disagreements. But as you will agree(?!), they are only opinions, be it from a racing or non-racing perspective.

As a fan I have to admit that I have witnessed very few of the races where the conditions are flat calm and the sheer speed of the boats is the thing that impresses. I grew up in Cowes where the old school stuff prevailed. I love the noise, spray, spectacle, of at least a light chop - I like to see the boats get airbourne. As a fan I have to say that I recently looked at the footage of the Las Vegas race hosted here on OSO in the vid section - OK I am sat here on the other side of the ocean in front of a computer monitor so I cannot really appreciate what it was like as a spectacle if I had been there in person, but sat here - I may as well have been watching model boats on a lake. In all honestly the words from folks such as yourself expressing how challenging such events can be has come as a genuine surprise to me.

As a sometime pilot of fast sportsboats I have driven in different seas from flat calm to pretty rough. In falt calm conditions, personally I found it very uninvolving (but then I wasn´t doing 130mph!). In comparison with piloting a boat in the rough stuff I simply found it more exhilarating and challenging. I simply assumed rightly or wrongly that a racer would be of the same opinion. You have proved me wrong. Without wishing to sound patronising or sarcastic in any way - can you share with us some of the challenges in piloting a cat at 130mph around a course in calm conditions?

As a photographer I love to get shots of the boats airbourne. I have lots of photo´s from Key West during the mid 90's and from a personal point of view, whilst pleased with both of these following shots, the second to me evokes much more of the spectacular nature of racing.

Just my 0.02c worth!

Nigel

The premise that people only relate to speed is only a half truth. The other half of the truth is they relate to close side by side racing. People want action at 60 mph or 200 mph. People want a reality show on water that involves the human emotion. Thats why we like wrecks and machines passing each other. It's the human emotion pulling from the gut that is interesting and gets the blood flowing. Emotion brings out interest and creates the environment to rally around a team.

Take a still picture of a boat going 200 mph and one that has two boats side by side with a helo overhead. You tell me which has more personal appeal.

J

Agreed, and the Big Air photos are the ones that I have on my wall in my office - but if you are there in person, at the race site, no one could have even seen it happen becuase it was out in open water.

Neither condition (rough or smooth) is interesting if it is one boat running alone - there needs to be racing happening for it to be a race.

Gregg Reichman

I agree with Flashwave. Unless the fast boats are running so close you can feel it in your gut, it is not the speed that makes it interesting for me at least. Speed to the viewing public is relative when watching from a distance. It is the
1)RACE between 2 or more ADVERSARIES
2) the open challenges known by the public
3) the "show" of confrontation
4) seeing the competitors pushing the limits of their equipment, their bodies and their souls to the front to uphold their challenges, their place and their honor.

A slogan I remember well > "Race till the parts fall off"

I miss watching the "A" boats running in the open ocean, "averaging" 60-65mph, but it was all throttleman keeping it from stuffing.

Gregg Reichman,

just curious...how come you're not racing this year?

I am not racing this year because I don't have the time to fly to the East Coast for 14 events - in reality, they are 5 day trips for me from Arizona, = 70 days away, not including testing - so it is really more like 100 days away. That is almost 1/3rd of the year.

I have a plan that will put me back in competition in 2008.

Gregg Reichman

Oh, no wonder....Since you said you will be racing in 2008...Will it be with same boat or different boat since you are selling your race boat?