Lets Stop Pointing The Finger At The APBA And Look In The Mirror
 

I was not even go to reply to the post about bigger markers..but I had some time to talk to my sponsors over the last 6 days( who all read whats up on this and APBA's web site). If you read that post it sounds like the APBA is unsafe the way the course is marked.. and if your a sponsor or someone involved with insurance you would want no part of it. But it is funny when they hear another side where the problem really lies. I can only speak for Sat. race in Savannah. For those that where not on the course at turn 5 their was a 40+ foot command bridge turn boat aprox. 1 mile was a marker the S/F marker with a 40+ foot cammand bridge boat from turn 5 to the S/F marker put you on a stright line to turn 1 aprox. 1 mile. From turn 1 to turn 2 was only aprox. 1/2 mile you can see the marker coming out of 1, from turn 2 to 3 was a 60+ foot shrimp boat with turn 3 on the outside of it you could not miss it aprox. 1 mile. From turn 3 to 4 was another 40+ foot turn boat aprox.1 mile away, and than turn 4 to 5 back to the 40+ foot turn boat. At any one time the longest marker was 1 mile away with a turn boat there but turn 1 which you had help from 5 to S/F. And all the boats were visable from the next turn you where headed to....Like I said before film dos'nt lie. you can see how big the turn boats where as we pass them from our on-board camera. A marker that is a little bigger is not going to make a differance if you can't find a 40+ foot turn boat. There is a team that shows on our on-board that was going to the wrong side of the 60+ foot shrimp boat aprox. 400 yard in front of it before he changed course to the right side of turn 3. If you can not navigate to the right side of a 60+ foot shrimp boat it has nothing to do with the marker. I agree the marker breaking away during a race is not good and I'm sure APBA is working that out....but here's the question...I got to talk to some of the teams that had trouble with the course and if you read the handbook you see the issues.
1. One team member said they had no coms.( You can loose coms. during a race and if you do you need to be that more aware of your position and use hand signals)
2. When you are next to another boat why your not keeping your where abouts is your responsiblity.
3. When going into a turn and there is another boat in your vicinity weather its a turn marker or you think its a turn marker to look before you make your turn.
4. If you have no coms. and the driver and the trottleman are not going to look before going into a turn or think its a turn is like NASCAR with no spotter and no mirrors.
I've only been racing 3 years and in the 3 years where there's been accidents you will see it comes down to a team not paying attention to there surroundings an being out of control.
We can always make things safer on the course,we can have markers every 50 feet...but maybe some teams really need to take a good look on there own saftey issues before they talk about the saftey of the way the APBA is setting the course. Next time your on the water look for a 40+ foot boat at 1 mile away, it's not that hard to see. So for those that have been talking about " just trying to make it safer on the course before someone gets hurt" lets try taking your own advise and look in the mirror and start there. The day we all start that is the day we will be all alittle bit safer out there.

Gino

We look in the mirror and we see little girls ....

Gino, one piece of unsolicited advice.

I have worked in advertising and marketing communication all my professional life. For very large corporations. And from that background, I can tell you that sponsors usually do not want to be drawn into a fight by the people they sponsor. Especially if it involves what could be construed as litigous noises about potentially lost business, yada, yada, yada.

I think this is all a bit beyond the pale.

Remember, these websites aren't read by your sponsors only. The whole world can read them. And acting like a whiner who can't let bygones be bygones destroys the carefully crafted image of a manly racer.

Randy... once again you think everything is all about you,, there is more things in the world than you....for one in the three years of racing the accidents I seen on tape where not of YOU! And its nice to see that you can post something about saftey but if anybody else dose its wrong. I did not say it was you behind us but if you did that maybe there's something for you to work on...and if you or any other racer can't read this post and stop and think we can all remember a time where we had a close call and maybe next time we all keep an eye on each other...if you can't even do that then your not unsafe ..your a loser.So since you asked I want everyone to read what I was talking about.
1 In Fort Myers 2 years ago an F1 Boat ran right into another..results both boats had damage..reason the inside boat went into the turn to hot and skipped into the outside boat.
2 Also in Fort Myers 1 F1 boat cuts off another going into a turn..they did'nt look going into the turn out come they where DQ
3 In Marathon last year 2 different accidents the first we all seen on TV, the second you did'nt behind the pack another boat ran into another both boats damaged not to mention the first 3 boats.

Randy if you say we where lost 3 times than it must be true and you guys are better than we are navigating because we thought we did a pretty good job....but we all have our say.
Me posting this has nothing to do with our win..it has to do with lets stop trying to get the APBA to make it safer for us and put the responsibility on us..since we are the ones racing.
So I ask one thing put your ego aside and read the post one more time and see if not only you all of us maybe can take something from it and maybe we all get alittle safer out there.

Uh, oh? maybe it would be much easier to put the gloves on in Milwaukee, a winner take all for $10k exhibition....I'll referee....

Peconic,
I don't know you and you don't know me...don't take this wrong but what I discuss with my sponsor and see there insight about Offshore racing I will discuss with other racers especially when they say I can and post it.
So what you think is good for a sponsor and what they think is good are two different things and since they are sponsoring us I think I'll take their advise..Sorry.
I know you are friends with Randy and I know your just started racing but telling me and my sponsors what you think is right.....well that says it all.

GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!!!
 

this is getting pretty boring. Get on the phone and hash out your differences. F1-00 was right in his recent post.

this little battle doesn't look good on the board.

Be gentleman and discuss it like gentleman off the board. It doesnt make for exciting reading.

Smack talk is exciting, but childish squabbles dont do any of us any good.

Bruce this has nothing to do with Typhoon..this has to do with having bigger markers on the course... alot of guys posted and said the size was fine and safe the only difference is that I agree and we the races need to be more aware of what where doing..ALL OF US!!!
Again you and Randy are good friends and so you know I have know problem with Randy or Glenn...Yes thats coming from me!!!!The only people that do our you guys and if you not going to beleive me then thats your problem....guys that know me know I'm easy to get along with and I don't whole a grudge....but you need to put everything I say back to what happend weeks ago!!!!SO DON'T STIR THE POT!!and if this is getting boring don't read it,but alot of poeple I talked to said they supported what I wrote 3 weeks ago and so far I have been getting calls all morning telling me that what I wrote made alot of sence.

Gino....

Im not stirring the pot.

I dont know what happened in Savannah, I wasnt there.

I dont necessarily agree that we need bigger turn markers, either. Yes, it would be nice but we dont need them.

We all have to navigate the same course. In OPA we have much smaller markers and somehow, we manage to find them.

Im new to APBA this year, and have been racing for 4 years. So Im still learning.

PLEASE!!! dont take this personally. Im not choosing sides. Im just saying it doesnt look good on the board.

I hope you guys work out your differences.

See ya in Milwaukee

Regards

PS
 

Dont make me go and buy the Gecko/ Activator and teach you both a lesson:D :D :D

You want'ed my attention now you got it!!!How about you see if he will lease it to you for one race it would be good to have two Activators out there...and maybe we can get Peconic out there with Typoon, it would be a battle......but don't foreget with a good insurance policy you can always buy my old boat and race if you can find someone to get into that thing.

Manitie I get you'r message. But damn boy use the spell check. You will have more creditability:drool:

Sorry bud when I type I have alot going on I don't even read what I'm writing. I will start taking my time and check what I'm writing.

No Manitie, keep writing the way you write and if somebody doesn't like it they don't have to read it.....some people just have too much time on their hands.....

Gino,

Are we going to see you in N.C. again this year.
Hope to see you there.

Frank
Koolhand

GIIIINNNNNOOOOOOOO, Nobody can bust your BAL%$ for saying what comes from the heart or what you feel........screw 'em, me I want to be face to face if I have a problem with someone, as for me and bigger markers I would like to be able to see them without relying on Kevin......but then he's 19 and I'm 48 so I'm getting a little fat, old and blind. Gino, run hard and be SAFE most of all.....see you soon. Augie

Augie...you cant even see over the windscreen

oh no not bigger turn markers.WHM won't be able to get over them.

That's Funny.

Yeah, he's still growing.

Isn't that a scary thought?

Funny

Frank,
Sorry Bud...I was going to run the old Fountain but with the fees for one race it would'nt be worth it.. we where going to in the Activator so we could run the Worlds but we've been testing trying to get the bugs out of the 525, If something comes up I'll be there I'm only 2 hours away.
Gino

Augie,
It's good to hear that there are still some people out there that will speak there mind face to face and not throught 5 other people. About the eye sight....sometimes we all need alittle help from our partner!!!
Gino

Gino,

Is your boat a new boat you had built over the winter,or a used boat? Good luck dialing the new engine in.
If you make it,looking foward to seeing you again,if not be fast and most important be safe...

Frank
Koolhand

Gino, I put ALL my faith in Kevin....he's a great kid. Ya gotta see the on-board from the Atlantic City race, besides being VERY FUNNY it shows how Kevin operates in a very positive manner all the while watching out for everything and everybody......pretty cool for a rookie. Hey, we may see you in Milwaukee.......Augie