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Wow...almost 12 boats race in Miami!
- Thread starter T2x
- Start date
SteveDavid
Icon / Competitor
About 3000 HP at 4500 RPM and over 70lbs of boost on Alcohol. AND it's over 60 years old 
While we use gearboxes to reduce our turbine speed at the prop, the Allison powered U-3 uses a gearbox to step up prop speed from engine speed. The torque (at boost) exceeds that of our turbines.
While we use gearboxes to reduce our turbine speed at the prop, the Allison powered U-3 uses a gearbox to step up prop speed from engine speed. The torque (at boost) exceeds that of our turbines.
glh
Charter Member
Back on the topic... (Wow feels like I am at work!)
http://www.class-1.com/flv/c109.swf
http://www.class-1.com/flv/dubai082race_home.swf
http://www.class-1.com/index.asp
http://www.powerboatp1.com/competitions/
I hope in the near future I will have resources to race offshore, and when such a time happens, analyzing the current situation and making a plan for effectiveness I would not race unless my resources would let me go on the circuits across the pond unfortunately. It seems currently that it is where it would be the most satisfying to win.
Godbless people racing here in the US during those splintered (organization wise) times it is quite the commitment.
Very sad state of affairs in Offshore racing in the US indeed.
Not at all, it looks healthy as can be if you look with binoculars (i.e. away from our shores unfortunately) at a somewhat consolidated sanctioning body structure that is attractive with it's stability to resourcefull sponsors and marketable to the masses...
http://www.class-1.com/flv/c109.swf
http://www.class-1.com/flv/dubai082race_home.swf
http://www.class-1.com/index.asp
http://www.powerboatp1.com/competitions/
You obviously don't have kids getting taught by NEA unionized teachers, they are missing 3 more checkered flags or have 8 to much.... Get with the program!!!!:rofl:
I hope in the near future I will have resources to race offshore, and when such a time happens, analyzing the current situation and making a plan for effectiveness I would not race unless my resources would let me go on the circuits across the pond unfortunately. It seems currently that it is where it would be the most satisfying to win.
Godbless people racing here in the US during those splintered (organization wise) times it is quite the commitment.
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T2x
Icon/Charter Member
I'm not sure what the "list" would encompass. Many manufacturers have stood 100% behind their products...and sadly...many others have not. To me the more expensive the piece , the harder...and more important..... it is to swallow your losses. That having been said, I have also seen a number of instances on the safety side where a safety system failure led to a "fix" for the affected boat only, while other hulls of the same era, from the same manufacturer, with similar issues have been left as is. To me this is a bad decision because the last thing you want as a high performance builder would seemingly be a bunch of "accidents waiting to happen" floating around. the biggest problem with any of these things is the personal liability issue. Hulls are cheap when compared to human lives, and you always want to be as pro-active as possible to safeguard the passengers in any boat. There are numerous examples of builders going half way in safety simply to satisfy the bare minimum expected by customers. In most cases the buyer relies on the builder to counsel him on what is, or is not, needed for maximum safety performance. I think this is a mistake on the buyer's part because, at the end of a safety "event", he is the one who winds up paying the price physically. If you have the checkbook and the cojones to run at high speeds, you certainly need to have full knowledge of the state of the art in safety standards.
The Lavin guidelines are your starting point and are available from Linder design...... glinder123@aol.com . I say starting point because you will also want to learn about the newest in safety hardware, HANS devices, the Unlimited hydro cockpit rules, etc. I also suggest that you acquaint yourself with the history of boat racing fatalities (and for pete's sake don't limit this to offshore racing only) and subsequent corrective measures so you understand the context and speed envelope that various accident scenarios played out in. The scary fact is that so far the "big one" hasn't happened in Offshore racing or Poker Runs, so there is no near 200 mph wipeout that anyone can point to for specific data. Other than the fatal turbine cat pleasure boat accident that occurred in the Chesapeake bay a couple of years ago in a single boat situation, the ultra high speed crowd has been lucky...so far. I would hope that anyone who plays in this rarified environment understands that he is in an arena that has claimed many lives in pursuit of speeds well below the current envelope. I also hope that you understand that fatalities like Dale Earnhardt's, Mark Lavin, Dick Fullam, Mike Poppa, and many others had little to do with actual contact injuries, but rather were the direct result of the dynamics inherent in sudden deceleration, air and water pressure peaks or drastic changes in "G" forces.
One final question: Who or what is the "observer" who can determine "cosmetic damage" from a distance during a race......? This is a guy (or device) I want to meet.
T2x
SteveDavid
Icon / Competitor
Without violating confidentiality rules, I was an expert witness for one of the plaintiffs in the Chesapeake Bay Skater incident (Mosmiller et al V Madden et al (Maryland). The case has been settled, but two fine people are dead. The boat was beautiful, some of the best people in the business put it together. All appearances before the accident would lead one to believe it was well assembled & well rigged, etc. Post accident inspection revealed that both front seats pulled loose from their moorings and the people essentially became marbles in the enclosed canopy. How the accident happened is speculative as there was no direct witness, but it appears it was a blowover.
I mention this because until, as Rich mentioned, the "big one" happens in Offshore at very high speeds, it is difficult to forcast the exact forces that will be in play. With the information currently available, one can only assume forces beyond comprehension and thus overbuild to the extent possible. Even at that, human decisions in the cockpit during the event, will in large measure determine any outcome.
Steve
U-1
I mention this because until, as Rich mentioned, the "big one" happens in Offshore at very high speeds, it is difficult to forcast the exact forces that will be in play. With the information currently available, one can only assume forces beyond comprehension and thus overbuild to the extent possible. Even at that, human decisions in the cockpit during the event, will in large measure determine any outcome.
Steve
U-1
MOBILEMERCMAN
Founding Member / Competitor
I saw the Stainless lift plates on the transom of that boat were bent over like aluminum flashing.
It must be hard to calculate and is harder to comprehend the force it took to do that.
It must be hard to calculate and is harder to comprehend the force it took to do that.
It is hard to stay focused on this thread (or threads) with all the different subjects, but I would like to weigh in on a couple of issues... First, there is no warranty on raceboats. I was Prez of US Cougar when we built treewood race boats, and we were almost fined by the Coast Guard for littering. We could have easily built boats that didn't break, but they wouldn't win either. None of our customers received, or expected, a warranty. Second, this ain't the Air Force. If you are going to go 200 MPH, it is up to YOU to be as safe as possible. Get all the advice that you can, from guys like Linder and Rich and Steve David. They have answers that might save your life. Having killed a few of my friends with old technology boats, I wish I could go back and do things differently, but I can't........
40FlatDeck
New member
This is a great thread. Thank you for all that have posted.
Erik
Erik
The day before that accident Ed told a friend of mine the boat was running 178. Assuming they were doing close to that when the accident happened the forces must have been incredible. RIP Ed and Roger
PS I am very glad the aforementioned friend did not accept the ride Ed offered him that fateful day.
T2x
Icon/Charter Member
phragle
Charter Member
I agree this is an excellent thread. It also seems to me that there is a fine line in there as far as boat building, that really hasnt been researched, that would be designed failure, similiar to f1 indy etc. in the event of a 200 mph wipeout, blow over etc. he boat comming apart in a semi controlled manner would absorb a lot of kenetic energy. easy to think about.. incredibly difficult to design.
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
If they're working with Dave, they have a lot of experience. Unlimiteds and Dragboats have tested some incredible limits of cockpit design.
T2x
Icon/Charter Member
There already are a slew of the wave piercing cats in production....including one in the Chinese Navy...... This is not new technology. I don't know what the costs for a monohull might be...but it is a much better cat application IMHO.
I love how this thread wanders all over the universe.....
T2x
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Rik
Sponsor / Charter Member
I get 473.30 psi for that speed.:rofl:
Rik
Sponsor / Charter Member
I saw the boat directly afterwards. Very sad event
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