General question
 

This post is not meant in a bad way, i want someone to help me learn. Last year at the Lake of the Ozarks race the "spec" boats All need to make weight. My question is why are the digital readouts on the scale, hanging from the crane covered up so people cannot see it, and only the official with the telemetry unit records weight. When you pull out you have to make weight or you are penalized, or loose position or whatever the rule book reads, so why shouldn't that info be public knowledge - either you made weight and your good or you didn't. Right? It's not that difficult to do the math on fuel burn of the 525EFI and you can have a general idea how many miles to be covered, and gas weighs X per gallon, so there isn't that much mystery in what weight the boat went in at or should have went in at. So why can't people see the scale?

I believe the only reason the scale is covered is to shade it from the heat of the sun. Upon occaision the batteries will explode inside the scale.

:drink:

That sounds like it could make sense, Possibly a minute or two so "shades" or "Screen awnings" could be fabricated from cardboard or plastic or something, that would allow others to read the scale, while keeping the sunlight off of it.

so let me think about this for a second,the suns hotter at lake of the ozarks than in key west???

In Europe at world champs they measure the weights before & after the race to be sure that no hidden watertanks could be used. As said earlier fuel consumption is basic calculation for every team :o) but no reasonable team is using scale to do it...pump it out babe ;-)

OSS Weight Rules
 

Per Mike Mares, OSS race control director, and chief referee, Mike Tomlinson:
"The scales are covered as stated to keep the sun off them because when they get hot they give erronious readings. Any one from the boat's team can stand next to Monica and see the reading, but they must be a team member of the boat being weighed." MM

"The officials are trained to read the scales and report only "legal" or "illegal". Our officials are professionals and do not show favoritism to any individual, team or manufacture. Weight of a boat is proprietary information just like other setup information. That is part of racing. Everyone must make their own decisions in set up. Weighing is part of inspection, inspections are closed to all but the owners/crew of a boat. Again, to protect any proprietary information." MT

That is what is called BS, It should have to be a team member from a different team. I do not doubt the professionalism of any official as i do not know any of them. But you cannot assure or prove that there is not favortism, to a team, person, or manufacturer. without checks and balances.
How can weight be Proprietary info, More often than not lighter is usually faster and should excellerate quicker, generally speaking, that is why you have to make weight coming out. Hey if you want to go in heavy and come out heavy and you were able to win the race, why does that need to be hidden from other teams.
Set up info is only secret to a point, when you have required classes with required gear ratios, and or weights, propellers, and drive heights, these items need to be available for all to see, oh yeah and boat length.
It is supposed to be spec racing equal equipment

Jason,

It is what it is... With OSS being an owners group, this rule is what they voted on and how they feel how it should be. Good, bad, or indifferent, the only thing you can control is if you decide to race with them or not. If this rule does not meet your criteria, then dont race with them; if its something you can live with as the OSS racers have seemed to, then race with them, be safe and have fun.

Trent

As a racer I prefer to keep my boats weight to myself and not let every other team know it. That is especially important when it's rough water race (boat balancing issue)... all other teams need to know that it was in leagal limits.

What goes to informing spectators, let them know minimum weights.

Trent,
Good to hear from you, and you know there is no intention from me on running in the OSS. Just some items I have observed in the past that make you go hhmmmm.
Koho,
Weight is still weight, the scale doesn't show where it is at to the other teams or balance, ( unless someone is there calculating strap attchment points, and tilt angle, and strap length etc. ) and i doubt anyone is figuring that in the short time from a trailer to the water. So it still shouldn't be a mystery. I guess my point is unless a competitor can confirm it's legal, then who really can say its legal.
"Hull drain plugs must be removed, Ballast tanks must be empty. The weight does not include crew, lifejackets, crash helmets and bilge water." from oss rule book.
Does this mean everyones bilge plugs?
oh well i could be beating a dead horse, and Trent i agree with your post. Hope to see you some time.

Jason......as an OSS racer I've never hears another OSS racer question the official readings. Also OSS HAS disqualified racer for being under weight. The crane officials do a great job at the races and are not questioned by the racers. If there is an issue it is always handled among the racers and officials. If you want to buy a spec class boat and come race it with OSS / OPA / or SBI you'll be able to see how it works with each group running there programs a little different from the next. Are you racing in Simmons or Team Kansas this year? I don't think either of those boats has a spec weight? Do they?

Wonder why OSS is gone ? You are so nice to others when asked a simple question:bsflag::bsflag: .
Next year will be fun without the rude ,condescending comments from the likes of you .

Ryan,

I refuse to put words in Jason's mouth, but even though I really had no choice but to move into the Production class I have kept my old spec habits in tack. With my philosophy of refusing to sandbag I have always set up my boat to be the proper weight to get max performance. SVL's havent really posed a problem for me with my sealed 500, but I still want to get that F2. :lolhit:No there isnt a spec weight persay, weight is still vital in how I race. I just know my boat runs better @ 4650 than at 4500 for example. Personally, being a former spec racer, I never had a problem with anyone knowing my weight, it never gave me or my competition a competitive advantage one way or the other. I always had an open door policy with my setup, if anyone cared to know, if it helped them be better racers then great(or if they could learn from my mistakes), its not like I am a professional racer that gets paid a mil a year.

As I said in my other post, it is what it is. We only wish you and the new management success with OSS's future endeavors.

Trent

No the boats I have raced in did not have spec weights, And i have sat out this whole season, unable to commit to the schedule being raced with the Simmons boat. I do miss it. The officials need to be questioned by racers, and Currently I do not want ( nor could afford ) to buy a spec class boat.

The reason why I mentioned weight is critical in rough water race is that we do use extra weights and I do not want every other team to know how much we had ... as it makes easier to maintain higher average speed and suffer little from top speed, if you get my point

I'm right with ya bud, funny thing is I have learned more on the outside than I ever thought I knew on the inside

Ken

Sorry you feel I am so bad for the sport and don't like what it is I have to say. I guess I can't please everyone, I'll try to work on that. Jason if you are at the LOTO race please stop by and say hello. I think we met in KW a couple of years ago.

If there was ever a Ambassador to Racing, Ryan Beckley would be a top pick, he eats, sleeps and breathes racing, he has raced across the globe and has had a passion for it. If OSS is no longer around in 2010 it will have nothing to do with Ryan. But certainly in the end he will continue to race and support Offshore racing.

But lets say Ryan does throw in the towel, let me make sure I understand
"less teams racing is more fun to you" Correct??

scales
 

justed wanted to clear up the scale issue.

sun or sunlight does NOT affect the accuracy of the scale. the digital screen will get affected by the direct light, same as if you put a calculator out in the sun. the screen sometimes blacks out because of the liquid crystal display. this does not affect computer part and crane scales are designed to work in tough work environments.

Ryan I hope to make it to the pits at some time over the weekend, maybe I'll bump into you, and yes I am here, actually my shop is in a cove right off the race course, Should any one need any thing I can be of assistance with by all means let me know, Did a little late night TIG weld last year, just here to help out