Racers need to stay racers and let the orgs and promoters work it out. In large the current racers aren't unhappy with how things are now. I think they would be just fine with unification coming from common classes/rules and a common National Title.

The one thing to remember by this statement is to look back at all forms of motorsports and not just powerboat racing. A Racer controlled racing organization has never worked before in the history of all types of racing. NASCAR has been successful I think in part do to the fact that the rules were made by the organization. They still take the input from the racers and owners when decisions on rule changes are made.

In the history of Offshore here in the USA there was an organization formed similar to NASCAR, it was APBA Offshore LLC. The rich guys got upset took there ball and went and played somewhere else. You don't see Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick, Childress, etc. running off to start another racing organization when things don't go there way.

In a nutshell, until you have a large group of RACERS and I use that with caps being these guys want to race and could care a lot less about the show you will not have anything overly successful sanctioning body here in the USA.

I couldn't agree more with this statement! Again I will say again "reguardless what anyone thinks about APBA, their name holds power in the eyes of the public". I believe they want what is best for the sport! They do listen to the racers & what they have to say. I have personally witnessed this myself.
Dare I say this & open my self up? What the hey anyway: I think APBA holds the key to the unification of the sport! But time will only tell.......

With there not being any kind of offshore license anymore, any and all teams can become APBA members for only 125 per team. This includes teams that race in OPA and/or SBI.

That being said, what is the benefit to my team by paying this money? At this moment I cant really fathom paying 125 for a 1 year subscription to Propeller Magazine, I'll pay the 15 and get Powerboat

Unfortunately APBA is populated with thousands of small boat home town racers that really have no concept of what goes on at an offshore race. One offshore boat can cost as much as an entire APBA inboard hydro race full of boats. And in case you haven't noticed, APBA can't get boats on TV either. I have seen what APBA offers to an offshore race organization and it is pretty one sided, unifying offshore will require something for everyone involved and not just one group. As for the APBA cachet and the public, I suspect if you got any more than 10 miles from any coast or large lake in the country 90% of the people asked could not tell you what APBA, OPA, SBI, POPRA, or any other race organization's initials actually meant or even what sport they were involved in. And that is the real dilemma-how do you get more than the 20-30 thousand people that have even a clue about offshore racing to pay attention?

On a side note, "Racers Wife" I am not being negative or trying to screw up your wheaties, however we've been down this road every year for the last 10(thats my tenure, all I can verify) What is so different now?

I would love to see unification however several things need to happen and sorry to be the bearer of bad news, they aint gonna happen anytime soon....

Why dont you call SBI and talk to JC and ask him all the great things APBA did for him. Sorry to break the new but APBA was like a monkey on his back and closed more door then they opened from bad past perfomacnes.If APBA was the wonder drug why did all the bigger ORG. that they spoke to first want to have nothing to do with them?? JC had a contract with them and gave it up why?? You really need to ask these question and find out what wolf is behing this fox.
I truly beleave you are trying hard and mean well for the sport, but as Trent said you are going where we have all been before we should of all learn from that, this is like beating a dead horse....APBA. I really dont want to get to negative here and say things that really dont need to be said on the boards but if you really want to ever talk about it and i mean talk about it please feel free to give me a call. As Ted said APBA is not the house hold name you think it is, and for sure not the anwser to save Offshore we have enough hands in the pot now to be paying them for nothing. I know i sounds one sided so if you dont believe we do yourself a favor, talk to all and i mean all the SBI racers and you ask anyone of them if they every in the 3 yrs that we as racers where part of APBA did they ever see anyone from APBA at a race. The second test instead of beating this up on the boards call the cities that OPA and SBI race at and ask them about APBA.Last but not least call Speed Vission and ask them about a small out standing balance, and why SBI couldnt air on SV any longer now that he was involved with APBA.....Hummmmmm
None of this is good or bad just the truth.....!

HORBA is building a worldwide circuit.

We are now associated with the English Cowes - Torquay race. Whichever team does the best in the combination of both the Cowes race in August and the Don Aronow Around Memorial race in Sept, will be awarded the British Bahamas Trophy. Presented by Sir Max Aitkens daughter, who will come to the Long Island race for the presentation.

The European boats will stay here for OFF in October and race again in the HORBA November race. The Bill Wishnick Memorial race from Fort Lauderdale to Key West, the Saturday before race weeks start in Key West.

The Long Island race was won last year, by a 1987 30 foot Sonic, with small blocks and Alpha drives with showers.

We are only going to have 4 races total in the US. Each in a different locale. Bring what you brung (No canopies) and we can fit you in the broad classes we have.

OK, let me count
1)SBI
2)OPA
3)OSS
4)PORBA
5)HORBA
6)P-1
7) 10 days till April fools

DPT, Racer's Wife and Xtreme,

You all speak from a level of experience I do not have. And I will not try to go toe-to-toe with what you bring to the table. My comments come from an unbiased, outside view of what seems like the best course to elevate the sport.

It may be true that the racers might be happy with the current set-up. It is true, the promoters might be satisfied with the current business model. But if we all really want to see plateaus broken and growth achieved, which includes significantly larger sponsor money (something racers and promoters both undoubtedly want), change must be embraced.

While letting the racers alone dictate the outcome may not be the best model, the racers need to unite and commit to a new standard. The existing circuits could be incorporated to become the regional divisions that unite for the year-end play-offs and/or Superbowl Championship.

But uniformity in boats, classes and standards is necessary to achieve this.