Yes or no, the schedules are crucial, https://www.offshoreonly.com/article...nother-circuit.

From the OSO home page.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

IMO - Each new association tries to outdo the group prior that was dominate in class participation. Offshore racing comes down to class numbers which unfortunately is directly effected by money.

Spend money on technology improving the less than quality PPV coverage of the races. More viewers = better odds of attracting sponsors as there is value for their marketing dollar.

NASCAR has reinvented the concept of going in circles so much and so often that their grip on sports entertainment dominance is falling faster than a run away car. Results are the team and corporate sponsors are going elsewhere.

If a new organization can attract boats without impeding another established organization it could work until the fields can devote themselves to what will work best for the sport as you stated Matt. If the outcome is all that it does is divides the fields. IMO its like watching Geico run by itself in class - only fun for so long before its not even a feature.

On a plus side, if you wanted competition seat time and could afford it - the schedule can allow it.

I wouldn't say that OS racing is surviving right now. Less than 50 raceboats at the World Finals when they used to have 150+, and OS racing is completely gone from the West Coast - where we used to get around 50 boats per race. National television coverage is non-existent. Compare that to drag boat racing that still gets around 200 raceboats at the World Finals and around 50 boats at regional races - plus national television coverage for the entire national series. All forms of boat racing are down from decades past, but OS racing has been hanging on by a thread in the last 10 years imo - about the same time we lost it completely out here on the West Coast. We could debate the causes for page after page of discussion, but that has already been debated in many threads. Every time any series splits, it fails - so I can't imagine it working this time.

I think you're confusing "surviving" with "thriving." Offshore racing exists, but there's less of it than there used to be. That's a fact, and one you point out. But you could say the exactly same thing about high-performance powerboating—there's less than there used to be, but it still exists. With center consoles and sport cats dominating the market, we've even seen an uptick.

For the record, the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series also saw some contraction this year, Augusta-Southern-Nationals-Drag-Boat-race-has-been-cancelled-434507603.html. Without Angel funding from Lucas Oil, that series, too, would be struggling ... but still surviving. Like offshore racing, it exists on the passion (and bank) of those involved.

Powerboat racing in general is a tough sell. X-Cat, which everyone thought was the answer, is struggling to survive. UIM Class 1 didn't have a season this year. In short, powerboat racing of any kind remains a tough sell.

The only way Offshore Racing will have a chance of surviving is to bring the sport back to "OFFSHORE RACING " !!! Spectators are not coming to watch boats that are not that fast go around a 5 mile course .. As a spectator I'm not paying $5000.00 in Key West where hotels are $600 a night just for the races. Bring it back to 3 or 4 classes . A) Production B Modified C Open D Unlimited (for the billionaires) If you want to bring a cat or a V we run no matter what the conditions are !!! Period .... Lets see how many guys are going to take 250 miles of rough sea racing where you can easily piss blood ,break legs,arms ,etc. like we did in the 70's and 80's . Offshore now is NOT offshore !!!! I'm a World Champion Offshore racer --- where was the race ??? Lake Hopatcong NJ ?? WTH ??? Ok .Then I hear this all the time now " We need to race close to bring in sponsors ". Well guess what- there are sponsors pulling out of this faster than I ever thought . When I was racing we had a min of 500,000 spectators at any race and sponsors were everywhere ,and yes we ran in the ocean . Have a live feed coming back to show the people the boats racing side by side in 10 foot seas ,then coming in for another ocean lap ,thats what people want to see !!! Not what there is now ..sorry My 2 cents

IMO only one org in the south is needed and will survive. Let the one that offers a better experience for the racers win. Then I would love to see the northern OPA and southern org align there rules once and for all. In the end that's the goal every racer I have ever spoke to wants and has asked for. They need a mediator to get this done but it MUST GET DONE for the future of the sport.

I wish I could double or triple like this post.

The las two years me and my family have gone to the mentor ohio race. We in joy it and will keep going but some thing about the open water running excites me more then laps. I would rather watch the old school open water racing then the new style racing.

And it saves most of youre sunday .Just go to the pier watch them headout ,then you go home .