APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Now here's an interesting issue. I gathered from another post that APBA will institute a licensing requirement for all new racers in 2005.

Who was at the meeting in Deerfield and how will this work? Will racers need to rent a bat boat for one or two races? Will they have to run the course with an official on board?

Inquiring minds want to know........

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

License? we dont need no stinkin license!

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I was at that meeting and Pop say that no more will you be able to get into a race boat that you were not qualified to run. no specifics were given but this is the road that they want to take. Jo

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I have a driver's license, real estate license, law license and a few others..... can I race too??

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I think the license is needed to gain respect for the industry in racing, after endless hours on my own boat and putting 300 hours in with testing, and countless hours on board with me with some of the best in the industry, I would like to think other racers did the same or thats how they got started. Beside the license, it would be nice to have breathalyzer at each race site and the continued inspections. I say this only because it took me years behind the scenes to get started countless hours with poker runs and being active in several boat clubs. The license should be like the dunk tank test, maybe the dunk tank could be done on all racers each year to keep everyone fresh and up to the skill. If all manufactures offered a training course ( like Wellcraft) did, that would be a start to help APBA get started. I'll be happy to get in line for the license. Sarasota has great training waters for testing..To attract new racers and not just the ones in the industry the license may be needed. Not all racers own, work or test race boats for a living.

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

The bat boats got canned too

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I think history speaks for itself :D

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

How Much Is This License Gonna Cost!!!

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

THats just wrong!!! Hows business??

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I was looking for those exact words. :D

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Friends,

There is no cost for a license. While the word license was used, it is really intended for a racer to begin at an appropriate level based on their experience. This same rule applies in inboard hydroplanes and unlimiteds. The same is true for CART, INDYCAR, NASCAR, NHRA etc. the "license" requires someone to have demonstrated expertise in a smaller or slower class before moving into something significantly faster.

Again, no fee for the license, and in fact all of the APBA fees for 2005 have been reduced significantly.

Now Brett, for you we have a very, very special test :)

Steve David
APBA Offshore Chief Referee

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I dont have to take the swim test again do I???

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Gentleman I am now requiring APBA to obtain a license to have me as a racer- spectator or a sponsor. They first must demonstrate their ability to conduct smaller races before I will participate in or speculate in a larger race. This new policy is really intended for the APBA to begin an appropriate level based on their performance to conduct races.
There may be a fee for said license depending on my mood at the time.

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

All joking aside, this kind of move will hush alot of the critics of offshore racing. For year all I have heard is that "all you need is $$" to become an offshore racer... go buy a supercat and there you are. This type of move will lend some credibilty to the "professional" ranks of APBA. The question then becomes how to decide from the pool of current racers who is already qualified. I cant help but think that things are moving the right direction.

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Not as long as you can prove you are proficient at it. :D

J

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I think it is a great idea. Even in the slower classes there should be some training involved. While this will slow the process to get on the water racing it is needed.

This weekend in Ventura there was a racer that darn near took out two boats on the pace lap. In the end costing one P3 boat a chance at winning as two of us had to come to a complete stop to avoid an accident.

There is no doubt in my mind if a license was required, this individuals could be revolked!

btw, what is the news on the bat boats? Can I no longer race mine?

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

HI ryoung99. Sure you can race your Bat boat, they will now race in the appropriate P class, as opposed to a stand alone one design class. The goals of the APBA plan are many, one of them is a rule book that barring something unforseen, can remain unchanged for many years ahead from a hull and engine standpoint. 2nd.is to make the ProGrade classes the National classes with as much consumer recognized power as possible. P class(es) remain virtually untouched, allowing for innovation in both power, design, transmission, drive systems, etc. Whatever type of boat someone has, whatever kind of power they have, there is a home for them in P class, limited only by the appropriate speed bracket.

Thanks for supporting POPBRA!

Steve David

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Steve,
Thanks for the note, I was kidding as I was pretty sure the boat could still be raced.

We had a blast with POPRA this season and look forward to many more. So what were the rule changes? We have heard a few of them, but would love to see something official.

Thanks,
Rick

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Rick,

We hope to have the rules on the APBA website pretty soon. In the interim, feel free to call Jim Poplin. (I was late for the Saturday meeting and didn't get full details, my bad...................)

Stay well,

Steve

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Rick,

That guy your talking about that cut you off took 2nd in the Worlds with a 21 boat F1 start. :rolleyes:

I totally agree with the racing license concept. Should be interesting to see how it works.

J

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Jim,
I congratulate him, that does not change the fact that he almost took two boats out in about 2 seconds, by not holding a line.

Rick

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

MY POINT EXACTLY!!!!!

J

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

I personaly don't have a problem with this. Maybe the word "license" isn't appropriate but "experience" is. Only race what your "experience" level is. Call it a "Level 1,2,3,4,5" racing membership or just have the race level posted on your membership card as what class you are presently racing in. If you want to move up a class and you have proven yourself to be a proven and safe racer, it goes to the board to be voted on before you can move up a class. Existing racers are "Grandfathered in" to keep the peace but all new racers have to show credintials on the class they want to start in or start with the lower "P" classes. Just my thoughts, Dave

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

This discussion is leading to an interesting question, how do we train racers. To be honest I put myself into this category.

Tim and I discuss moving up to a bigger and faster class. Honestly the class I think most about is SCL. With that stated, Tim and I have no business in an SCL at this time, so we think more about SVL. But in all honestly a SVL will not get us any closer to being qualified to race SCL than the bat boat.

I really think we as racers need to think about how we would address training of new and existing racers.

Earlier I posted a critical statement about a fellow racer that in all honestly was out of line. While I stand by my assessment, what I failed to do is offer up a solution (mostly because I do not have one).

Any thoughts on this topic would be appreciated. But let's start by agreeing that running a few poker runs does not qualify one to race.

Rick

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Hey.... we could all be swimming at any given moment.

Biz is good, thanks.

Re: APBA requiring a liscense to race?
 

Mark,
I have considered those boats. Last year I got a great look at Harry Clacks AMT (as that is who I bought the bat boat from).

The bummer is and would be out west we would have the only one (just like the bat boat) and would end up running in P2 with it. I guess that is just the price we pay for living in California.

From what I have seen they are very affordable to buy used as well. At different times I have seen them for under $100k.

We need to sell our Nordic pleasure boat before I could think about adding another boat to the garage. The wife would flip if we had three boats, and we cannot sell the bat boat as it has become an icon for out Signs for Less stores.

Thanks for the thought.
Rick