Yes every form of keeping things equal can be beat for the most part thats racing pushing things as far as you can and get away with it is it cheating maybe so or just streaching the rules.
At this pointe the opa dosent have the budget or man power to keep tech inforced on a spec class .
Also i do agree if you want to race you need to pay a fee the opa fee of $ 1300 a year is the cheapist thing going just look at the other org fees .
Not trying to be a opa cheerleader but for a cheap way of racing its the best thing going and and this post is about quote entry level racing well cost of entry is a big part of it you maybe able to build a boat but cant afford the entry fees.
O and what about travel expenses

Sorry got off track of the real reason of this topic

Remember that more races means more breaks to sell beer/food/other stuff. Sponsors and local vendors would need to see that value, I would think. If local venues makes money, then chances are they will want you back. It is also confusing enough for spectators as it is. An "all at once" race would be very confusing.

That said, I admit that I don't know squat about racing.

Don't underestimate yourself. You have a pretty good grasp based on your comments here. Racing is not just about the "race", the sponsors/vendors etc.. are all part of putting an event together.

If future racers are granted permission to race a single engine outboard style race boat in bay and ocean races, we should look to the betterment of the sport. You all may not have met me, however there is already a team in the works to answer "sob" class questions. The team and i hope to learn more at the opa event this upcoming weekend. Just remember interest and participation could represent great possibility. Therefore it may be best to listen and read then interject at this point...

All i want to do is race!

Randy please call me or pm your #
Christian
215.510.8007

I understand your concerns;but there were plenty of rough races back then...with everything from a 21ft outboard vee in F Class to a 46ft cat in SUPERBOAT Class...the little boats always stayed to the inside of the course..and the bigger boats to the outside of the course.The courses were a little longer then so it helped spread the classes out around the course more.The spectacle of all the boats coming out of the inlet at once was a big part of the show..and i think it would be exciting to do it that way again.A longer course would also alleviate all the issues regarding lane assignments,holding lanes etc..and i am only suggesting this format for ocean venues.Again,just my opinion as a spectator and as a racer.Having to negotiate lapped traffic made the race exciting for the entire race...and not just the first turn or the first lap.

i would rather watch p5;p6 class and p4 after that to me its not fun watching 3 boats race each other smaller boats are alot more fun to watch.

That was awesome when it used be done in Point. But Point put a stop to that and won't allow is anymore. I forget what year it was stopped. There were people that just went to the rocks to watch them blast out the inlet, but then a lot of them never stayed to watch the races

Here's where I'm probably gonna get beaten up .... I'm one for shorter courses.

I feel it would make for closer racing. With shorter straight aways, it's will probably come down to more skill in the turn then just the speed in the straight. You all know I am usually on a turn boat so if it appears I'm getting a little board, what do you think the fans are feeling? However, I do feel the course for ocean races should be longer than the flat water races. But you also need to take into account then when on the ocean, how do we know who is just at the beach and who came to watch the races? The sponsors & organizers need to see large groups of people on shore for the races. If there is $10,000 people there to watch the races, it is more impressive to see them spread out over 4 miles than it is if they were spread over 5 miles.

However, I have many conversations about this with some racers, and it seems that most I spoke with about this would rather longer course with less laps than shorter courses with more laps. In reality, it comes down to the SHOW the race puts on. Which will put on the best show to keep the races coming back to that town.

Below is how is went in 2012

• Ocean City: N/A
• East Tawas: 5.5 mile course
• St Clair: 4 mile course
• Port Huron: 4.55 mile course
• Solomons: 4.6 mile course
• Jupiter: 5 mile course

OK...I gotta ask. Why is it people in other classes are even worried about a class their not even in?! Im in class 6, I dont give 1 sh!ts about somebody elses power in class 3 or 4 or 5! So why is it some other people are worried about all the other classes? Just seems alittle wrong! How about letting the class worry about their class and the organization as a whole worry about the condition of itself! I think every class is messed up with items that the people in those classes should worry about.

Do we need to enforce the rules that have been set for years to help other teams come into OPA and race? YUP!

Has some classes gotten away from how they were meant? YUP

Has the grass roots of offshore racing been manipulated? YUP

We could keep this going on forever! How about this, how about everybody delivers on what they promise to people and we'll start right there! Meaning the race sites, the organizations, the teams, the sponsors, EVERYBODY!

Thats a great start.....

Well said,

I promise your gonna have ur hands full with BAD NEWZ this season! that work? Is it spring yet?