Intriguing on many levels, http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-ne...edule-for-2015.

I love watching the Unlimited Cat Class even if there are only two boats racing, they are the fastest and baddest. If there were more it would be great but if not, I for one would be happy to see one or two with their throttles wide open and skimming across the waters surface as their tunnel is packed with air.

Will this be the death of SBI? How many teams can afford $50,000??? What other form of motor sports cost so much to participate in with so little $$ return? With so few participants now, how can raping the teams with fees, encourage them to race? Perhaps some will gravitate to OPA?? I know some will disagree, but when you rape your customers, do you think they will come back? Maybe the low boat counts are an indicator of how the racers feel.

Ah, yet another pay-to-play scheme in the racing world; this one is a beaut! It's not enough for these 8 to 10 teams to spend their $$$$ building the equipment & hiring staff, now they have to finance their own championship.

SBI ought to direct their energies to signing a corporate sponsor to underwrite a purse for this class payable to those teams that compete at all 4 to 5 events; if a team fails to show they forfeit their share. A % of the purse should be payable at race hq to encourage a team unable to race to bring boat for parade & dry pits display.

6 to 8 of these boats on a course at 4 to 5 events would make a good 1 hr broadcast on a new cable sports channel like FS2 or NBCSN.

Hmmm.. With Qatar, Geico, Lucas, CMS, running in the races, then Envy, real fast marine team, and Scudarri(sp sorry) being finished up is this a wise move for SBI? At least this class has boats racing in it.. Look at the other extreme v class (or whatever it is called now) that was changed. Been 1 boat (instigator) all but one race sarasota with twisted metal jumping in there.. Just because the teams run in the unlimited class dosent mean they want to spend unlimited funds or pay for a class to exist when another racing sanction would take them on....

You can enter the Indy 500 for 14K, a NASCAR race for $4.5K and they pay prize money amazingly.

GRAVITATE ?

You never know Bob, maybe some racers would consider it a step up ?

Pay 1 annual fee and race as many races as you want at no additional cost ? Seems like an easy decision. But for some reason people just are hell bent on Key West being the races of all races and don't want to miss out on it....

I think its great !!!! It should kill the class and force them to all race in Super Cat. If you want to race then race against as many people as possible. Less classes = better racing IMO It sucks if you own one of these million dollar boats but most of them have the funds to re tool or by new boats if they truly want to race. We don't need more speed we need more racers at livable speeds.
Randy

Big speed and unlimited power can be done at LOTO not on a race course IMO

I'm not a big fan of public forum but here goes. This new format is a great evolution for racers and the sport. We as the team owners asked SBI for this format. In NO way is this a extortion by SBI. John has be the ultimate gentleman with this whole thing (the unlimited class). Yes, 50k might seem like a lot of money but the reality is in this class it's small potatoes! Reason being, once a slot has been purchased, we pay no other addition fees during the year. This has a lot of value to team owners, not to mention the huge prize money to be paid out in KW 2015! I'm not asking anyone on here to agree or even understand but please do not knock what we are trying to accomplish here! More importantly SBI is a racing organization that has listened to their racers and is simply trying to improve this great sport.

Randy, as far as speed runs, you most of all know that although a its very dangerous it's not racing! Two totally different extremes!

All the best, Chris