Boats.com story on "Whatever Happened to Offshore Powerboat Racing?"

[BlackJack58]

Just read Matt Trulio's story on Boats.com - I'm sure everyone will have their own take on this...


"The Big Picture: Whatever Happened to Offshore Powerboat Racing?
On the domestic and international scenes, offshore powerboat racing is on life support. And the prognosis isn't good-as always."

The rest is here:
http://features.boats.com/boat-conte...erboat-racing/

[phragle]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling....

[TCEd]

Not a bad assesment.
ed

[LaughingCat]

He makes a good point. Nascar has identical cars racing right in front of the crowds. The security fence is critical. Offshore boats cannot get close enough to the mainstream crowds.

[shifter]

Sad but true.

Nicely written.

pat W

[jethead]

Ok I'm real new around here but I think that could have been a much better article. Some of the stuff I've read on this website could have made that article much more interesting....IMO.

Brent

[T2x]

Good Job Matt:

The racers are their own worst enemy. Matt makes good points and, simply put, the racers are the worst source for racing rules. They can't seem to see over their own bows., much less acknowlege that the rules they continually work on...have created a mish mosh of boring and confusing bedlam.

Blind enthusiasm....... of and by itself....elected Obama.

T2x

[Matt Trulio]

Phragle ... I never said the "sky was falling." My point was: It is what it is. Always has been. Always will be. History is on my side in this assertion. I hope someday I am proven wrong. Sadly, I don't think I will be.

TCed, Laughing Cat, Shifter, T2X (hello, Rich!) ... thank you.

Jethead ... knock yourself out. Write away.

[Ratickle]

Phragle ... I never said the "sky was falling." My point was: It is what it is. Always has been. Always will be. History is on my side in this assertion. I hope someday I am proven wrong. Sadly, I don't think I will be.

TCed, Laughing Cat, Shifter, T2X (hello, Rich!) ... thank you.

Jethead ... knock yourself out. Write away.

Hey Matt, welcome........

As you know I ran my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd races the last two weekends, did an interview with Jason......

We gotta chat..



Will you be in Michigan City?

[Matt Trulio]

Congratulations, Ratickle. That's very cool. How did you do?

Heard good things about St. Clair. From everything I've been told, it's one of the strongest venues outside of Key West.

I won't be in Michigan City.

[T2x]

Congratulations, Ratickle. That's very cool. How did you do?

Heard good things about St. Clair. From everything I've been told, it's one of the strongest venues outside of Key West.

I won't be in Michigan City.

St. Clair is a wonderful venue and the enthusiastic fans are a treasure. These people can't get enough of the race weekend and the site is one of the best in the sport.......it would probably make a great Champ boat course....except for the Great Lakes Ore Boats running through here and there. If boat racing is ever to be reborn, it will be due to fans and efforts like that......

T2x

[cigdaze]

Welcome Matt Trulio. It's a pleasure to have you aboard. Great article.

[Ms PatriYacht]

Having just attended the St. Clair race for about the 6th year, as well as about three times at Key West, New York, Metro Beach in MI and a few other venues, here are my observations.

While St Clair is one of the best venues it is till hard to see much of the race, this year they seemed to move the course even further from the shore line. I had binoculars and watched from the St Clair Inn, sadly the don't have speakers set up there so you can't hear the announcer so your really don't know what is going on. Even though I know many of the boats and have seen them up close, when they were racing there were times because of speed and distance that I could not figure out who all the boats were, it was just to hard to read the names and numbers and that was even with binoculars. Also we thought we had a good handle of who was in what class, yet it still was confusing, we often thought a boat was in last place and then would find out they were first in their class. Makes it hard if you are the type that like to cheer a boat on. I think most people find it confusing to watch a race where you have multiple races being run at the same time, this not something you get in boat racing. I also don't like races where they tell you how fast you can go and if you go faster by one mile for one second you get disqualified, can't there be some other fair way then setting speed limits, I thought a race was who ran the fastest, not who gets in a better turn position or doesn't break. If I did not have an interest in offshore boats as a hobby, attend poker runs, meet racers and friends through these web sites I really can not imagine just attending the race because I like watching the boats go around the course. If you ask me if I like going to the boat races I would say yes but it is because of the whole package, the party atmosphere, meeting up with friends in the dry pits, meeting people face to face that you know from the web sites, being outside on a sunny day and enjoying a beverage while watching the race.

[OldSchool]

I agree with Matt. It is what it is! Nice article and thanks for posting!!

[TCEd]

Having just attended the St. Clair race for about the 6th year, as well as about three times at Key West, New York, Metro Beach in MI and a few other venues, here are my observations.

While St Clair is one of the best venues it is till hard to see much of the race, this year they seemed to move the course even further from the shore line. I had binoculars and watched from the St Clair Inn, sadly the don't have speakers set up there so you can't hear the announcer so your really don't know what is going on. Even though I know many of the boats and have seen them up close, when they were racing there were times because of speed and distance that I could not figure out who all the boats were, it was just to hard to read the names and numbers and that was even with binoculars. Also we thought we had a good handle of who was in what class, yet it still was confusing, we often thought a boat was in last place and then would find out they were first in their class. Makes it hard if you are the type that like to cheer a boat on. I think most people find it confusing to watch a race where you have multiple races being run at the same time, this not something you get in boat racing. I also don't like races where they tell you how fast you can go and if you go faster by one mile for one second you get disqualified, can't there be some other fair way then setting speed limits, I thought a race was who ran the fastest, not who gets in a better turn position or doesn't break. If I did not have an interest in offshore boats as a hobby, attend poker runs, meet racers and friends through these web sites I really can not imagine just attending the race because I like watching the boats go around the course. If you ask me if I like going to the boat races I would say yes but it is because of the whole package, the party atmosphere, meeting up with friends in the dry pits, meeting people face to face that you know from the web sites, being outside on a sunny day and enjoying a beverage while watching the race.

This is why it will never work as a major spectator sport.
ed

[GENERAL LEE]

Good Job Matt:

The racers are their own worst enemy. Matt makes good points and, simply put, the racers are the worst source for racing rules. They can't seem to see over their own bows., much less acknowlege that the rules they continually work on...have created a mish mosh of boring and confusing bedlam.

Blind enthusiasm....... of and by itself....elected Obama.

T2x

I'm sure this direct question has been asked, but shouldn't the people in charge of the various racing leagues put THEIR foot down, and hash out the rules? Have any of them taken a tougher stance toward the racers, with a general attitude of "these are the rules, and that's the way it is"?

The racers ultimately would have to either follow the rules, find some other league with even less exposure, or just not race period. I know it sounds harsh, but that's the way other sports handle the rules, and the "players" do get used to them after a bit.

I can't say that I'd care what the rules are if I were to race, because they "are what they are", and I'd want to race! Everyone has to follow them, so why get SO upset over the way it is, IF you really just enjoy racing for what IT is?

IIIII don't know.....

[Dude! Sweet!]

Man, irony of ironies that the boat pictured in the is the Amsoil Skater, which didn't show up for the POPRA Rum Run (right in Teague's own back yard)...

[Ratickle]

I'd love to debate this one if everyone can do it constructively vs just negative..........

[Dude! Sweet!]

I'd love to debate this one if everyone can do it constructively vs just negative..........

Paul, I have opinions about this, but don't feel like I have the requisite "street cred" to express my opinions on the subject at this point. I am sincerely passionate about boat racing, but I don't feel like that's sufficient background to tell people how I think things "should be done"... I will state a fact, like the fact that the turn out for the Rum Run was poor and that a certain big name local team didn't show up. But, beyond that I'd rather sit and listen to guys like Rich and Pat who've been there and done that...

[Matt Trulio]

To General Lee's point:

In offshore racing sanctioning bodies, you don't have the equivalent of the France family, which rules NASCAR in a fairly autocratic, "my way or the highway" fashion. Sponsors, the real fuel for NASCAR teams, choose "my way" over "the highway" because NASCAR fans have proven to be loyal buyers of NASCAR sponsors' products. So even if a sponsor doesn't like a rule, he's less likely to walk away because it hits him in his own wallet. Pretty simple stuff.

Offshore racing has not proven that it can sell products, much less itself, and it probably can't for any number of reasons. So even if offshore racing had a France-style autocracy, what few sponsors there are would simply take their toys and go home when dissatisfied with a new rule.

However, we don't even get that far. The Offshore Super Series is a team owner-controlled group. So the owners must reach consensus for rules to be set. I am not saying that's inherently bad or unworkable, but it is tricky. Because racers are competitive by definition, and if I, as a racer, see a rule on the table that will help my chances, I'll be all for it. And if the new rule will hurt my chances, I'll oppose it.

It's not right or wrong. It's human nature.

To some degree, we are all self-serving. As someone much smarter than I am once told me: Without special interest, there is no interest.

Onto SBI. Love it, hate it, have no strong feelings about it, SBI has survived because John Carbonell runs it ... anyone? anyone? Bueller? ... as a business. Decisions are made on what's best for SBI, and while that might not always please racers or fans ... it's not their business. It doesn't put food on their tables. SBI is John Carbonell's livelihood.

Now, you might say the racers pay the bills with their entry fees, and indeed they do, and that they should have a voice. In fact, my friends, they have the loudest voice possible. Racing is a product. They can choose not to buy it. Same goes for the fans. They can choose not to attend. There are plenty of other weekend diversions.

It is what it is.