Originally Posted by p4-33 (Post 2238698)

We're in! I just booked a home large enough to house my team as well as our sponsors.

Think about it: multiply the number of people in your party, times the number of nights staying there, times (very conservatively) a $175-200 hotel room. These numbers add up quick, and for a few grand you can all have a private home with a pool, kitchen, lots of bathrooms, and still be close enough to stagger home from Duval.

Take a look at some of these property management companies:
http://www.vacationkeywest.com/
http://www.fkren.com/truman/weeklyrentals.cfm
http://www.historichideaways.com

The Konrad / Fountain of Youth Team is looking forward to doing it again this year!

Cheers,
Brian

Originally Posted by KenD (Post 2220981)

I understand a proposal has been placed on the table by OPA that would give the OPA teams a $1000 discount for coming to KW. In addition, OPA has offered to take $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and put that up as additional prize money for the KW P-Class races.

Primary flaw with this proposal is SBI/APBA teams would be paying the full load of fees while non-member teams would get the discount. This would not be very good for the relationship between SBI/APBA and the teams that have been loyal supporters. Those core teams are the ones that keep the organization alive through their support and participation at the races that everyone else either stays at home or goes to some other venue. Giving a non-member team a discount would be a real slap in their face. If this proposal where to be accepted, SBI/APBA would be compelled to give its member teams the same, if not more of a discount as a gesture of customer appreciation.

Furthermore, under the proposal, there would be an incentive for SBI teams to join OPA to receive the $1000 discount. This would undermine the ability of SBI/APBA to raise the funds necessary to finance the KW Worlds, and its membership base. Not a very smart move if you’re SBI/APBA.

SBI/APBA has already made a major financial concession when it opened the 2007 KW Worlds to any team that has raced two races with any organization during the current racing season. When you figure the 45 teams OPA proposes to bring to KW (their number, not mine), this alone has cost SBI/APBA $119,250 in lost membership, registration, and entry fees for the two races the teams where not required to race with SBI/APBA, as required in previous years. That's a pretty hefty concession that SBI/APBA has left on the table.

To ask the organization that is responsible for paying for the KW Worlds to give a discount to any team to race is not realistic. By the time all the discounts are figured in (to both non-member and member teams), the fees needed to cover the cost of the putting on the event would have to be raised to a level that would negate any discounts. Since the fees have already been set and publicly posted, that would be almost impossible to do.

This doesn't mean the issue is dead. We all know that if you really want to do something...there is always a way to skin the cat.

From talking to others who are aware of the current OPA proposal and understand the reasons it just won’t fly in its present form, the consensus is that it would be more feasible for OPA to take the $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and apply that to the 2008 OPA registration and membership fees of the teams that go to KW. That $25k would cover the OPA equipment registration fees of 50 teams. If 50 OPA teams do not go to KW, the balance could be pro-rated toward the 2008 OPA membership fees of the teams that raced in KW.

This scenario has a lot of pluses; e.g. it would further Haggin's "United We Race" philosophy by getting more teams racing together; benefit OPA since the organization would be getting the up-front registration fees it needs to cover expenses during the off season; gives each of the OPA teams that race in KW a financial reward for participating in the races (spreads that $25k out among all the OPA teams, not just the podium finishers)...and the list goes on.

This is not the only scenario that could work, there are probably others. However, if you take the aforementioned scenario and carry it forward, it is pretty clear that this could be a first step to something much bigger. If OPA where to keep the 25k it has already offered and apply it to 2008 OPA registration and membership fees; those members who race in the 2007 KW Worlds would also be SBI/APBA members. With the majority of the OPA teams already APBA members through SBI and their participation in the KW Worlds, it would open the door for OPA and SBI/APBA to work out an agreement for OPA and SBI/APBA to unite under the APBA banner.

If OPA where to become, let’s say…OPA/APBA under the SBI/APBA agreement, the racers would reach a monumental milestone towards the dream of unity in Offshore. The infrastructure is already in place for racing clubs and organizations to become members of APBA through the Divisional program. The precedence has already been set. There have already been autonomous APBA Offshore organizations that have previously held club, APBA Divisional events, and hosted APBA National events. The club and Divisional races where held with the member organization’s own officials, rules, inspections…and they even had regional TV. There is no reason this can not happen again…and we are on the threshold…all it takes is a little imagination…finding that win-win scenario…a willingness to cooperate...and the racer’s support to make it happen

Yes, I believe we are very close to something that we all would like to see...more teams racing in KW…and Offshore unity. The proposal on the table is a first attempt that will not work, but that doesn’t mean we should give up and say it can’t be done.

What is it Smitty says….’you never know”

Originally Posted by ricochet myk (Post 2245730)

:party-smiley-048: I cant wait, I cant wait, I cant wait, I cant wait, I cant wait...:party-smiley-048: . Mike S-13

Originally Posted by Wazzup Racing (Post 2251901)

Ditto, Both Wazzups will be there. We won the worlds Three times, Looking for four. Smitty

Originally Posted by Wazzup Racing (Post 2251921)

Not Yet

Originally Posted by GARBAGEMAN (Post 2251970)

Hey Smitty what class would me and curtis run and what boats are in it ?

Originally Posted by Wazzup Racing (Post 2251901)

Ditto, Both Wazzups will be there. We won the worlds Three times, Looking for four. Smitty

Originally Posted by Pitchfork (Post 2244237)

Originally Posted by Wazzup Racing (Post 2251901)

Ditto, Both Wazzups will be there. We won the worlds Three times, Looking for four. Smitty

Originally Posted by chriscarbone (Post 2252665)

wICKED mARINE wILL bE tHERE wITH 3 bOATS

Originally Posted by louietherigger (Post 2252067)

Jimmy, you guys would run P-nuts lol, your scaring all the P-1 boats. Great race in N.Y. there are some video's on the OSO video section, you guys were honkin!! Louie

Originally Posted by screammachine (Post 2252378)

Gabby...the boyz from Morehead here...are you, Dennis & tommy commin' up sept 21-23????? Hope so...jeff said ya'll sold the machine (apache) any truth to dat? Dennis bought a fountain??? Let us know (252)725-2979 John or 252 422 8854 or www.teamscreammachine.com www.crystalcoastgrandprix.com later Gabb we will be in Key West P2-9 or just # 9 he he johnny

Originally Posted by KenD (Post 2220981)

Giving a non-member team a discount would be a real slap in their face. If this proposal where to be accepted, SBI/APBA would be compelled to give its member teams the same, if not more of a discount as a gesture of customer appreciation.

Originally Posted by sharkeymarine (Post 2258707)

Ken,

How many other boats have been offered their fees waived just to get them to show up and race in New York this weekend ??? :confused:

Originally Posted by F1-00 Racing (Post 2258853)

Tim,

How many? and who?

Originally Posted by GARBAGEMAN (Post 2253590)

Hey Rigger can we rent your p2 boat ? I want to race those dudes in that predator boat. I watched them in Hollywood this year and they are bad ass mo fos.

As far as NY goes it was all you pal. ALL jokes aside, no kidding around you made that happen and I hope we made you proud !

Originally Posted by KenD (Post 2258911)

Shark,

I wish I could be of assistance in answering your question. However, I do not have the information you are requesting. My suggestion would be to follow the following instructions:
I would do this for you, but I really don't think it is any of my business and I wouldn't want to get in the middle of a matter that does not concern me.

I certainly hope this helps you in your quest for information. The turd is always more odiferous after it is stirred....Enjoy!

Originally Posted by louietherigger (Post 2258894)

PS Sharkey>>>>>:nhl_fight:

Originally Posted by sharkeymarine (Post 2258939)

Louie, you're such a player..... :cool-smiley-026: