If I thought I could step my boat up to 72 MPH I would have come down to Key West to see if Chickens have lips. :D

I agree 100 % Keep everything the way it is the slower boats have all winter to step up.

TYLER, Come on down to Florida this winter and I'll have Matt build you a new prop? Or we can just drink a beer at the show in Orlando!!!!

All the "bickering" is a good thing-because we are victims of our own success. I agree with Carbone-the rules are set for three years, however I don't see anything wrong with "tweeking" them for the benefit of OPA and all it's members.

So a dry-sump supercat 750 is still legal in class 5? just need to make that clear...:cool-smiley-011:

while we're at it...anyone got a spare bravo???? :angry-smiley-038:

More sad news
 

Boomer here.....Bob Costa From Reliable Carriers, just donated an 850 hp injected motor for my race boat. Thanks Bob. Boomer

gonna put that in a Batboat ? :eek::D

I will be in Orlando for the diet beer :drink:

You can run a 19P prop and 1.65 gear ratio and 7500 RPM and your right at 75 MPH Perfect !!!!! My new class 6 engine is twin turbo charged with nitrous and makes 1400 HP at 5600 so I can run a bigger prop.:hitfan:

new boat for 08 Thunder struck racing
 

well , the squirrel has been busy gathering nuts for 08 season . 26 ft profile is sitting in the shop I'm kinda wondering should I punish 6 class or 5 class ? Hmm" How would 671 or 571 look on the side of my boat ,or I could just change my prop and turn on the nitrous and run 3 class. "O thats right I have already done that 371 hot licks. Can't wait for 08 It's going to be a BLAST. HOT LICKS & THUNDER STRUCK "UNITED WE RACE"

Boomer...you know Bob Costas the sports commentator? Sweet! didn't know he was into racing! :rolleyes: :D

You better gather bigger nuts to run with me !!!!!!!!!

squirrel power
 

One BIG NUT 540 inches "around". Now thats a big nut. Tyler, in the Marine Corps, we had a saying, I quote: "Lead,follow,or get out of the way. USMC. I will follow you for a little while:D

i dont post very much but i think this is getting ridiculous...everyone cries and cries and cries but all of you are missing the big picture here... check this out...if you start modyfing rules that are always being modified anyways, you can pretty much forget about people from SBI wanting to race in opa and opa people wanting to race in SBI ....we need unity here and i think in the big picture if you have one organization with a whole different set of rules than the other it just makes it that much harder for smitty and j.c. to coordinate things and make big things happen for the better of the sport.....my 02. is run whatever the hell you want, i dont care, im going to compete against you and if i win , i win and if i dont , i dont, but we have a good time and we all get along and we get the sport to grow..rules are simple, i dont care if your boat does 200 mph. if you break out of the class ur running , you lose.........it makes no difference to me. prop your boat so you have enough torque to make it to the appropriate speed for your class the fastest and there u go , maintain your speed and you win.......... my 02. i promise i didnt mean to offend anyone but i always see people complaining in a sport where there really shouldnt be very much complaining. out of the entire world, key word entire world, there are very few people that can say they are lucky enough to be boat racers........everyone that is, is blessed..now do what you gotta do. prop your boat, run whatever freakin class you want, and win, if you break out thats your problem, you lose. just my 02. love you all...one day hopefully we can all get it together and run 100+ boats on a single race weekend !!!one can only dream

I have the same plan Leading class 6 and following class 5 :D

I have 2 1:36's that I can sell for $2200 for both. I bet you could trade that for what you need.

There is no easy solution to maximize parity in the bracket classes of OPA.I think that even though the rules have been locked in for three years;they constantly need to be evaluated.Any sensible changes can be made prior to the start of the 2009 racing season.Even though it is a "run what you brung" format,some parameters need to be maintained in order to prevent boats from "stepping down" in class in an attempt to win.This situation is compounded with the increase in prize money over the last few seasons.

The bottom line is that the more variables(length,weight,hull design,number of engines,horsepower etc.) that you address in the rules for each class;the better the racing will be.Just look at how the length limits in both Class 5 and Class 6 helped increase the boat count and the level of competition in both of those classes.

Look at it this way...it is a good problem to have.There are alot of boats already registered to race with OPA;and it is growing each year.More boats makes for better racing for the racers and the fans.When you are able to win a race competing against a bunch of great teams, you really know that you have accomplished something.I really look forward to racing with 15 or more Class 5 boats next season!

Lets all work together to keep OPA moving forward.With a great fleet of boats,a solid schedule,series sponsorship, and televsion coverage;it is definately headed in the right direction!

Havn't been around very long, but I think this makes the most sense.

why not? bats can fly..:D

More ocean races would help even this out as well.
MD

Lake Huron or Lake Michigan will really slow everybody down when it kicks up. Evertbody will need 4-6 weeks to glue their boats back together then the cost of racing will really go up. Plus the chance of more accidents on the race coarse also go up.

I agree but thats TRUE OFFSHORE racing! Thats what most of us have built our boats for. Flat water blows in my opinion and takes very little team talent. It also adds great expense to team that have older boats that cant compete with the new stepped bottoms. I think an older boat has a better chance in the ocean then in flat water any day.
MD

I am all about the rough water too I think if you can run out front in flat water you should run out front in the rough if you got the balls!!!!. The step bottom boats have free speed with less power. I think you can turn a non step bottom harder without the chance of spinning out. I think this thread started because nobody wanted to spend money upgrading their motors to keep up they rather spend money on fiberglass repair. Also they are trying to get closer racing how many boats started in Ocean City and how many finished in 2006. I am not knocking the rough water races I am just stating what the out come is.

Need big water??? Grand haven or Chicago would be two additional sites worthy of an OPA visit. Just check out the pics and articles on past poker runs from those areas...big, rough water with great city sites (both have beaches that draw big crowds on any weekend).

You're killing me. What do you think? We just walk into a city, collect a check and go boat racing? There is a little more involved than that.

Sounds good, why not?! LOL But seriously, I threw those sites out there for a reason as potential sites for the future. Both have great history with performance powerboats.

Grand Haven has been a coast guard town forever and VERY supportive of the powerboats. A popular site for races when the Silver Cup Series was alive in this area. Rumor has it the people who organized those are still around, I'm sure someone could pass along contact info. Blondin and Luellen (Smoke organizers) would be perfect contacts for this venue as well.

I said Chicago but I think it was actually Milwaukee. Anyways, it was the APBA site for a couple years and had great viewing from the dry pit / city park area. (especially when the turn buoy came loose and drifted closer and closer as the race went on!).

Point is, these would be excellent sites that have been supportive in the past. No need to re-invent the wheel, just get the wheels in motion of past organizers (or atleast hit 'em up for valuable info).

Any thought to site sponsors Smitty??? PM me with details, I have a few companies that might be interested in the Metro race you just added.

Smitty....count to ten......those P5 and P6 guys have been bounced around to many times.....and there a little slow....

The combination of calm water races and rough are great....
some guys have great ruff water boats and some are good clam water races...plus if all were ruff....with racers every 2 weeks there is no way teams could put there boats back together after ruff waters....and then teams would say...well I'm out of the points so why do all the remaining races...

Thats one thing thats should change in Offshore....a little less complaining and a little more being apprecating on what we have in OPA...

Tyler...I could name a number of boats that are not both ruff and calm water boats...

Team Wanted....a great ruff water boat...but in the clam its a hand full..
any 29 Fountain.... a great calm water boat...but in 4 to 6's forget about it....
JC performance....great boat for 2 to 3 foorters....
Crime Pays....great clam water boat....can't keep up in 4 footer..

I could go on an on....but thats whats great about it....


Thats what is so good about OPA....Teams are coming out because they feel they have a shoot in either the calm or ruff...and will go out and do there best in the oppisite.

Smitty....keep the blinders on and keep moving foward...there is no way you can please everyone....it will never happen.....I know you want to listen to everyone and that great....but when it comes to schedules and citys paying out the money.....do what you have to do and we will show and make that city happy....

Personlly guys...and its only a opion...don't you think Smitty has enough on his plate then to justifie why we race were we do...

Some Orgs do not even have race sites to race at in 08....

This thread is about whats really fair in P5 and P6 with the big HP.....You would be so much more succsesful if you all get together in your prospected class's and came up wtih some idea's if you feel you can make things better and present it to OPA....

You guys all know each other....get together and come up wit some ideas....Vinny said it best....build a boat to fit the class not the other way around...

[QUOTE=MANITIE;2357455].....You would be so much more succsesful if you all get together in your prospected class's and came up wtih some idea's if you feel you can make things better and present it to OPA....
QUOTE]

Ya but then I'd actually have to listen in on these damn customer conference calls instead of jumping on OSO! :evilb:

In all seriousness, Smitty should not be taking too much of this to heart. Online forums are just a place to toss around ideas and let others know what's on your mind. Thoughts and ideas shared here are only the starting point but a good one. I'd imagine no one really expects any changes for the '08 season, I know I'm not. I'm just sharing ideas based on what I experienced this season.

Smitty and OPA has indeed done a great job and as such the organization has been a HUGE success. Watching myself and friends boat racing at a Michigan venue...on FOX?! Are you kidding me?! Ya they're doing something right! :drink:

Gino you forgot one our old Velosity great calm water boat ....... Did not survive rough water............ I agree with Vinny build a boat to fit the class. ( I did ) :D

What about 3.5kg per HP like the Evolution Class, I think
that equals to 7.7 lbs per HP. Don't hate me, this thread was
started looking for ideas and its just that, thinking out loud.

Hey Eddie, I think the old f-1 guys have come up with an 8.8 lbs that works based on a real hp #.This would then give you a flexable weight that would allow a lot of boats to race some sort of spec. style racing.NOT trying to start another class here? but let's just bump the speed up a couple #s and I bet it cuts down on the break out problems ???