The Great Unification

[Ratickle]

I like SVL because they are the obvious starter spec class boat for a newbie. I really can't think of anything else with the loss of F1 and F2. The 525, small Vee, Modified Bravo combination makes for a reasonably priced Spec race season.

And last, they had the largest turnout of any Spec Class overall this year.

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

It is all just talk. Dean I respect your perspective. I see it different as you might expect. I don't see any way to run # 6 boats with Bravo boats ever. You don't think SVL is a premier class. I see Super V among the most fractured. I don't see SV bravo as a premier class. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great class as OPA has it structured.

It is easy to say me not you. Ours not yours. More of the same is not the BEST answer.

When the season is complete we can look at who did every race with in their groups.

I do agree with one V and one Cat as National series classes. There will always be a few more cat and V classes in divisions.

A couple more things to consider the SVL's are willing to travel for a National series. The bravo SV haven't yet shown that willingness. Premier needs to be THE National series competitors. Not just a strong group in any given division. SVL , Cat Light, and Cat outboard are the only classes with boats in 3 orgs that showed up with enough boats to race.

Everybody wants to be Premier and National. It just can't be every one.

Oh well, we will see what December brings.

 

[DAREDEVIL]

Well classes are whole other problem. But here goes.
C1-6
Cat Outboard (if 5 or more boats)
SV Power to weight (with weight advantage for Bravo Boats)
Cat Power to weight or air restricted not sure which works better for cats.

Dean,, i would agree. But wouldn't it be better having the C/or P classes for only 3 classes.
Like 80, 90 and 100 MPH, would bring alot more boats in to racing against each other.
ok,,,in OPA u would have to add 70 for the class 6 boats.
But i think it would be alot better racing and a P4 boat could go down to 80 MPH where the P5 boats move up and so on.
It would still be fair because most of the P-4 boats would maybe break out and have a disadvantage in eccsellaeation.
Same for the 95 and 105 MPH class.
Just trownig this out there ,,,but i think it would add more boats in each class and be better for the race ???!!!!!

 

[DAREDEVIL]

Oh well, we will see what December brings.[/QUOTE]

X-MAS !!!!!!:sifone:

 

[Wahoo 214]

Jim, you have a good point about teams willingness to travel. How many teams are there that will actually commit to a full schedule and travel nationaly? OSS is the only Org that has tried it recently and they a National Championship race and had only 14 boats show and most of them didn't run the entire series.

This is perhaps the best arguement for a north and south division.

Also the SV I listed a possible class going forward was not the OPA SV but rather a power to weight 6/bravo system so it would include all the 35'+ twin Vs in one class. That would be a premier class by anyone's standard.

 

[XtremeRacing]

Jim,
Thats a good point picking 4-5 racing and making it a nation schedule. This way we can race the best of the best. Something that needs to be looked at for sure.
The weight to horse power isnt working in Europe and was tried in OSS and SBI and no luck, that isnt the answer .

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Also the SV I listed a possible class going forward was not the OPA SV but rather a power to weight 6/bravo system so it would include all the 35'+ twin Vs in one class. That would be a premier class by anyone's standard.

I agree. That is moving in the right direction. Add a balance of rough water to the schedule and go with it. Most important work with owners and orgs alike to standardize the class across the orgs.

The teams that don't comply CAN/SHOULD be labeled the ones who don't want to race anyone.

 

[Dunbar 104]

I think before any joint races are to happen , I think that the teams need to be asked where they are willing to travel to. Some teams will travel anywhere, where some won't over a couple of hours. I would like to see a joint race at Sarasota, St Clair or Ocean City and maybe Orange beach, Biloxi or, LOTO. I also want 10 boats in one class, any class. Right now that is only OPA class 5.

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Jim,
Thats a good point picking 4-5 racing and making it a nation schedule. This way we can race the best of the best. Something that needs to be looked at for sure.
The weight to horse power isnt working in Europe and was tried in OSS and SBI and no luck, that isnt the answer .

There are many factors at work here. It is hard to equalize such a broad range of power, boat and drive configurations. Then you add the experience/ skill factor and it gets tricky.

In years past as soon as some team emerges as dominant many others tend to surrender.

This adds to my point about a national series. The teams that constantly continue to improve and seek competition can coexist in a class with boats that will focus on their divisional rivals.

 

[Pete B]

Dean,
You said Catob needs to go unless 5 boats?? to really start with a effective balance of boats , If a boat fits a class thats where it should race, In St clair there should have been 6 Cat OB, instead 3 boats ran class 3 and 3 ran Cat OB, this is where the problems begin, teams want to better thier chance of winning a checkered flag, instead of racing against competition. Most know GB is hard to beat, but not impossible. and if you attain this feat you have beat one of the best.

Also, it is the biggest class worldwide, if you were to become indepently wealthy, you could race the same boat in the mid east as well.

 

[Wahoo 214]

Pete,
The only reason I singled out CatOb was I think, for what that matters, there should only be 2 "premier" classes when all is said and done. One V and one Cat. That is the only way I think we will ever have 20 boats in a marketable class.

 

[Pete B]

I understand what you are saying, but this in reality is one of the strongest classes worldwide. and most fans can tell the difference between a OB and Big block.

 

[Ratickle]

I think, (this will go over well), the Big Vee's and Big Cats should be in the same class. Wouldn't a big Vee with 1150's and a big cat with 850's be fairly equal? Or ????

Then Cat Outboard and SVL.

3 premier classes.....

And have those as a seperate entity within the entities. A division in the SOuth, Northeast, Midwest, and West where there are 6 or 8 races each, and these "Premier" classes travel around and do 2 in each region.....

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

World wide Cat ob is the only class to ever have 20 or more boats year after year. It has been around the longest too. Stock in the mid 80's was a huge fleet of twin cats.

One could argue that is the only real class. 100++mph 4000lbs. Talk about exciting.
It will take much more work to make One V and One Cat then it will be too bring out all the Cat obs and SVL's.

I think if there were 4 : the Cat , The V, Cat OB, SLV. The last two would outnumber the entries of the first two.

The biggest, fastest have never outnumbered the more modest classes. Not now,,,, not ever. Its the big fancy boats that add to the fracturing of classes more than any other. I think it is naive to think they will magically all run together.

I hope it can happen but, don't kick the others to the side in the process.

 

[Ratickle]

What boats, and how many, are coming over for Key West from overseas this year? I've heard rumors up to 8?

 

[Sean H]

I think, (this will go over well), the Big Vee's and Big Cats should be in the same class. Wouldn't a big Vee with 1150's and a big cat with 850's be fairly equal? Or ????

thats a good deal as long as you are in the cat... :sifone:

KW last year, 850 SC was the third fastest class behind turbine and unlimited superboat..... even cash killer with 1550 and 47' has a hard time with a 850 boat.

and once again, we are creating a class that nobody is in. Who runs 1150's in a Vee right now? 1 boat? 2? Who would actually spend that money to get it handed to them by Supercats?

I don't think it has to be just 2 classes, maybe 20 years from now we can do that, but lets get it down to a reasonable number first. How about 4 specs and 4 brackets? 2 races on Saturday and 2 races on Sunday.

SV (?), SC (750/850), SS (300hp), SVL (525) and then 4 brackets (70,80,90,100?)

 

[Ratickle]

Here are the total boats that raced OPA this year. I'll see if Ryan can get the total for OSS.


Class # Name Total
Turb
113 Geico 200

Xtm Cat
19 Cat Can Do 100
20 Reliable 90
52 Superheat 200

Xtrm V
14 Saratoga Stamp 81
21 Cintron 181
30 Miccosuke 102

750
30 Talkn trash 81
45 JD Byrider 181
57 Efusjon/dunaway signs 203

Cat Lite
00 Motley Crew 90
46 Learning the Ropes 81
77 Amsoil 303
388 Team Prop Stop 91

V Lite
10 Imco 187
21 Fluid Sealing 53
29 Typhoon 187
66 Progressive 167
104 Underconstruction 95
514 Serious Racing 68
605 Reindl One Silver 60

Cat OB

S1 Stihl 91
9 Miccosuke 102
111 OPA Food 81

Class 100
6 Wicked 207
30 Miccisukee 81
105 Lightning Jack 538
1 14 Cancun Cantina 74
125 Extractor 276
129 Cleveland Const 524


Super V
V01 Wazzup 586
V06 Strictly Bus 534
V09 Bad Boy Bandit 492
V14 Wahoo 414

Class 300
301 Wanted 167
321 Xtreme 256
323 Lighthouse Racing 81
324 U’re gonna have that 288
330 On the chip 277
360 Bll on the Beach 560
381 Jim Reihl’s 146

Class 400
401 Simmons 384
P4 2 National Guard 68
417 Team Purfect 348
421 Dirty Pearl 75
421 Xtreme Motion 66
429 Typhoon 251
434 Fast Company
447 RMK Vicious 73
451 Bounty Hunter 521
461 Nuwaveparts 83
466 Progressive 429

Class 500
510 Mitigator 357
512 Specialized 568
514 Serious Racing 156
516 Reinforcer 222
517 Saris 194
529 Typhoon 394
530 Jersey Pirates 57
531 Whoz ur Daddy 295
532 Dock Blood 167
538 Goumada 204
552 Superheat 147
555 Adrenalin Rush 35
568 Outragious 330
569 Tyler Crockett 175
444 Steady Pumping 53

Class 600
602 Reindl One Purple 240
603 Reindl One Red 153
605 Reindl One Silver 449
606 Locke’d Up 360
607 Akula 180
611 Cotner Trailers 548
633 Wazzup II 529
644 Knot Guilty 241

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

That is a big nice list but, in terms of high points only 2 classes had boats that competed in all events. Few are willing or able to do a full series.

SV and class 5..... 6 boats total as I recall.

Now extract from that list and the other orgs list who did 7 or more events.

 

[Sean H]

That is a big nice list but, in terms of high points only 2 classes had boats that competed in all events. Few are willing or able to do a full series.

SV and class 5..... 6 boats total as I recall.

Now extract from that list and the other orgs list who did 7 or more events.

I think there was 11 boats that did all 6 opa races.

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

1 from each class, the SV's and 2 in class 1.

Great series. I mention it in a discussion about a National series.