Commentary: Can Offshore Racing Survive Another Circuit?
12-12-2017, 10:28 AM
#31
This thread has made for some interesting reading. As to the safety aspects mentioned, I would way rather take my chances crashing at 100mph in a canopy boat 100 miles from medical facilities than crash at 140+ within minutes of those same facilities. With the correct safety gear/systems in place, 100mph crashes in canopy offshore boats are very survivable, with minimal/no injuries. The big mph crashes in canopy offshore boats are yet to be proven safe, regardless of how close medical facilities might be.
12-12-2017, 10:59 AM
#32
I'm not really sure how you can say that I know numerous people that have been saved by divers. The fact is that if it would have been more than a minute later they would not have survived. All that safety gear that you were talking about in canopy boat works great until everything fails once a windshield breaks or you lose a lid and the canopy fills up with water in a matter of sec things change quick. A big factor is you have to be conscious if you're not it's disasterous without medical there in less than a minute. We all know too many that have died that way. We have all lost good friends over the years I pray everyday we don't have to lose any others senselessly.
12-12-2017, 11:17 AM
#33
Registered
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
what do you suggest this major change should be?
I've heard that year in and year out nothing changes and offshore continues. Many people on here have said offshore racing is not NASCAR I think people expect more from it that it is. Boat count is down there's no doubt about that I dont disagree and has anything to do with any organization it's completely economic. Late 90s to about 2,005 definitely was a bigger boat count but again all that's economics and how much races want to spend to race that is always been a common denominator it's never changed.
12-12-2017, 11:20 AM
#34
Registered
I think I posted the change....audio. A simple audio stream and everyone is that much more interested. Nobody in the whole spectator fleet had a clue what was going on. Running such small fields doesn't really make for a very interesting race, especially when nobody has a clue who is running where. But I have to say, the race weekend as a whole is a great time. The city really pushes the event hard around here and they make it a big deal. But the race itself it really one of the least interesting parts of the whole weekend.
12-12-2017, 12:00 PM
#35
I'm not really sure how you can say that I know numerous people that have been saved by divers. The fact is that if it would have been more than a minute later they would not have survived. All that safety gear that you were talking about in canopy boat works great until everything fails once a windshield breaks or you lose a lid and the canopy fills up with water in a matter of sec things change quick. A big factor is you have to be conscious if you're not it's disasterous without medical there in less than a minute. We all know too many that have died that way. We have all lost good friends over the years I pray everyday we don't have to lose any others senselessly.
12-12-2017, 12:15 PM
#36
I'm not certain if your post is in response to mine, but I'm talking about "correct" safety gear - which includes a full face helmet with mask and large oxygen bottle. With this type of setup, even in the event of windshield failures/unconsciousness, you will still be breathing bottle air while fully submerged. The problem I see with so many guy's safety gear is that they're running open face helmets with no mask - just a regulator over their shoulder. This is ridiculous! Many of the drownings that have occurred in OS racing would not have happened if the victims would have been wearing the proper helmet/mask/air system. H1/GP, F1/F2/F Lights, KRR, TFH/TAH/TAF/PO/PM drivers go over all the time in their capsules and do not drown - but not one of them is running without a mask. Why OS racers think they are safe running without masks is beyond me. I personally wear my Stilo full-face helmet and Tiger ambient-air/bottle-air mask with 10 minute bottle whenever I'm in a capsule boat. Drownings should never happen - SCUBA gear has been perfected for years well beyond offshore racing. The problem lies in the fact that many racers just don't care as much about their safety as they do about how fast their boats are.......
12-12-2017, 12:17 PM
#37
I think I posted the change....audio. A simple audio stream and everyone is that much more interested. Nobody in the whole spectator fleet had a clue what was going on. Running such small fields doesn't really make for a very interesting race, especially when nobody has a clue who is running where. But I have to say, the race weekend as a whole is a great time. The city really pushes the event hard around here and they make it a big deal. But the race itself it really one of the least interesting parts of the whole weekend.
12-12-2017, 01:06 PM
#38
Registered
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OPA (at least in St. Clair) has announcers on shore. Everyone in the park can easily hear the "play by play". In addition OPA usually has a live feed on Youtube and I have used that to listed to the race while in the boat patrolling the race. I know SBI does broadcast their events online as well, but I do believe you have to pay for theirs.
12-12-2017, 02:35 PM
#39
Registered
I don't think you would have many boats finishing a 125 mile race these days LOL. There wouldn't be enough tow boats. Could you imagine how long of a wait and then tow back would take and worse yet the cost LOL. I also don't see people building new heavier boats to race.
12-12-2017, 06:17 PM
#40
Registered
Gen X,Y, and Z are too poor and too brown for boat racing to have another heyday.
The post war US economy, demographics, and baby boom were a unique occurrence. I hope you enjoyed it!
The post war US economy, demographics, and baby boom were a unique occurrence. I hope you enjoyed it!
