IMPBA Boats per class

[BigChuck]

Scale class has a six boat limit..........Why??? Is the price of the equipment any different...??? over the years even a 8 boat tunnel heat is not a good thing.

One of the added down sides to large numbers in a heat is time lose in retrieval. What you hope to gain in cutting down the number of heats you lose in time on race day.

Chuck,

There is nothing like an 8 boat tunnel race. 20, 40, open. Done every year in Charleston and I have never heard a complaint, period. Of course, tunnel drivers are a cut above.....

Lets stick with Twin, F Hydro, and maybe scale. Lets leave the other classes up to the limits of the race site and the clubs.

Ron, I have to agree to disagree............8,70+ Mph 40 hydros...........oh my bad, Brett say 80mph

40 hydros is Not a good recipe. As for the tunnels......your right. Everything else IS a cut about...

 

[Bob Morton]

I like post #12. I like Mikey have pulled out because of to many boats in a heat. Drivers must have first choice at the rail over a pit

person.

 

[Bob Morton]

I like post #12. I like Mikey have pulled out because of to many boats in a heat. Drivers must have first choice at the rail over a pit

person.

 

[dwilfong]

At the last winter Nat we tried to combine two twin hydro heats to a 7 boat heat to save time.

It was put to the drivers every one was good but one.

My input on the stand was. It's there race it is up to them.

the conversation went. What you mean its there race!

My response was. If it was not for them there would be no race!!!!!!!!

Some times you need to put thing in perspective.

We ran two heats.

 

[dr gary turner]

Mikey, It is not only the money but the TIME it takes to get a good hydro built and tested. If the heats get greater than 6 it is too much 40 hydros and up are pushing 80 mph and more than 6 is too many at that speeds. The size of the lake plays a role BUT the general size,"Groove" is the same. No one will be trying to run 50 yrds off the buoys. Everyone wants to be in lane 1 or 2. I maybe sitting and watching in Atlanta if the heats are out of control. Maybe we should grill some Brauts. If you got the grill I can get the dogs.

 

[John Knight]

Guys,

I am actually gratified that Joe started this discussion. At last years Fall Nats, I went much further and few really noticed and none complained. I cut the big block classes down in numbers in each heat. F Hydro, Single Engine F Hydro, Twin Nitro, Twin Gas, E Hydro, Gas Sport Hydro, Gas Rigger and Gas Tunnel were all set up as 6 boat heats. Gas Thunderboat were also 6 along with 60 Scale as per the rule book. E Mono, F Mono and D Hydro were set up for 7 boat heats.

I am planning on going to the spring nats and watch the class competition very closely. B & D Hydro, E & F Mono classes will be looked closely as well as the other ones noted above. Some gas classes will be also reviewed. I cannot see going beyond 6 boat heats of the classes I noted above. Further class reductions may be done for future fall nats. The down side is that there would be fewer slots available for racers. With that race selling out last year in 6 hours some hard and difficult choices will have to be made. However I look at it as an improvement of the quality of racing for all when more competitive racing is created. Safety for all is a plus too.

Please just realize that there is no one correct solution that fits all. Too many variables and situations to create a one size fits all solution. Think about the race for all racers, the quality of the racing and the safety of all at the venue when planning on a race.

 

[Doug Smock]

http://www.intlwater...owtopic=54096

 

[Jeff Schindler]

Ive got a variable for each class that I rarely change. Over the last 3 years i have only changed them very little. This year though, I may lower Gas Cat to 6 boats due to the increase in wildness on the starts last year.

7 boats max per heat - RTR, B Tunnel, Sport 20, B Mono, Gas Cat, D Tunnel, Sport 40

6 boats max per heat - Classic Thunder, B Hydro, D Mono, D Hydro, Gas Sport Hydro, Open Mono, E-F Hydro, 1/8 Scale

5 boats max per heat - Twin, Unlimited

Our lake is pretty large though so you may not be able to run 7 at your site.

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

Ive got a variable for each class that I rarely change. Over the last 3 years i have only changed them very little. This year though, I may lower Gas Cat to 6 boats due to the increase in wildness on the starts last year.

7 boats max per heat - RTR, B Tunnel, Sport 20, B Mono, Gas Cat, D Tunnel, Sport 40

6 boats max per heat - Classic Thunder, B Hydro, D Mono, D Hydro, Gas Sport Hydro, Open Mono, E-F Hydro, 1/8 Scale

5 boats max per heat - Twin, Unlimited

Our lake is pretty large though so you may not be able to run 7 at your site.

You can't have 7 gas cats go in lane 1 at the same time in first corner. Lol.

 

[P THOMAS]

7 boat Sport 40 heat in Mendota, IL. Big pond. Only issues was the rough water.

http://youtu.be/bL5xZvGUIFY

That water was like glass before the race, Start didnt go too bad just a couple zigs around slow boat and a cut # 1 bouy in the first turn :huh: . Mine was the red and yellow boat held back at the start and missed the mayhem. After a few boat flips i managed to make a pass and got a 1st place.

That boat got totaled at the last Hobart Masters was a big heat of sport40 comming down for the start and I was too wide and hit that darn dock

 

[Tom Foley]

Rough water ?????? That looked like a dream come true in terms of water conditions ! Nice lake !!

 

[Mark Grannis]

Let's be clear....This is about the potential of boat damage while racing and not a safety issue. The safety required for a 7 or 8 boat heat is no different than the safety required of a 5 boat heat. Safety is for PEOPLE not boats, and we all take the risk of damage to our boats every time we race.

The chance for accidents is greater with more boats per heat, but the protection must be equal no matter the boat count.

 

[Grimracer]

Has the Safety ever been considered In F class Racing & the number of boats per heat?? Many of the lakes we race on have narrow front straightaways and the #6 Buoy and the bank relationship are narrow on many lakes. It can become much worse on a low water level lake. Strange no one has ever considered a MAX Boats per class rule?? especially in the High Mph classes.... :huh: what do you consider to be safe & actual Racing? 5,6,7??

Mark,

When I read this it looks to me "Safety" related. Not crash related. Am I Wrong? Joe.. jump in.

The reasion I say this is because I too take the boat risk and undrstand it. Most of us do. I think Joe was really talking "satety" here. Not boat crash dammage.

Grim

 

[dr gary turner]

Mark: The racing is much better with 5 boats and max of 6 and less boat damage as you mentioned. . Remember our battle in 60 hydro at Charleston. NOW THAT WAS BOAT RACING!

 

[Tom Foley]

With high boat count heats it's all about the Creepy Crawly in lane 1,2,3 to get a good start . With lower boat counts fast , wide open clean starts are possible . This makes it more competitive and less about attrition

 

[Andy Greene]

This coming from the guy that goes out to BurgerKing in lane 80 and then bonzi's the beach in an 8 boat X-Mono heat ??? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have video

 

[Tom Foley]

This coming from the guy that goes out to BurgerKing in lane 80 and then bonzi's the beach in an 8 boat X-Mono heat ??? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have video

Gotta do what you gotta do !!

 

[Joe Warren]

Has the Safety ever been considered In F class Racing & the number of boats per heat?? Many of the lakes we race on have narrow front straightaways and the #6 Buoy and the bank relationship are narrow on many lakes. It can become much worse on a low water level lake. Strange no one has ever considered a MAX Boats per class rule?? especially in the High Mph classes.... :huh: what do you consider to be safe & actual Racing? 5,6,7??

Mark,

When I read this it looks to me "Safety" related. Not crash related. Am I Wrong? Joe.. jump in.

The reasion I say this is because I too take the boat risk and undrstand it. Most of us do. I think Joe was really talking "satety" here. Not boat crash dammage.

Grim

Its interesting that the IMPBA puts in on the club, Many clubs oversell there event & they become limited on How many they can run in a class... However that does not mean it is OK to Run 8 - 40-60-90 & twin hydros in one heat...... Not many callers can keep up with that many boats in the Water on the pipe and driving intense.. the rule book needs to be more clear so entries know what to expect. Right now it depends on how many boaters entered the event?What is the interest in the preferred class & If the club can get by with jamming more boats in a heat to make the race by Sunset on Sunday... There is NO WAY you can say the RISK FACTOR DOES NOT GO UP for the attendies on the bank when you increase the Boat count from 5-6 to 8-9 in F class Racing or the other classes mentioned... I believe all clases should have a MAX boat per heat in IMPBA....

 

[Grimracer]

From the man.. well said Joe.

 

Adding more boats to a heat is like racing on a short track. The potential for incident goes up.

 

I like racing with lots of boats in the heat but it really does not make the racing all that much better.

 

Adding speed.. Incident up

Narrower front stretch.. Incident up

Improper netting.

No netting

 

The list goes on. Taking just one slice (even just one) of this and addressing it does “lower the chance of incident”

 

 

Grim

 

[Andy Greene]

From the man.. well said Joe.

Adding more boats to a heat is like racing on a short track. The potential for incident goes up.

I like racing with lots of boats in the heat but it really does not make the racing all that much better.

Adding speed.. Incident up

Narrower front stretch.. Incident up

Improper netting.

No netting

The list goes on. Taking just one slice (even just one) of this and addressing it does “lower the chance of incident”

Grim

That said , whether it be IMPBA OR NAMBA - Spectator safety is paramount.......

If this discussion is truely about safety- boat count means NOTHING if you cant keep a single 10-15lb + / 70-80 mph object in the lake. The orange safety netting is a joke in the upper classes, will it catch a 20 mono or tunnel- all day long. Would it suck to have your boat run into a chain link fence wfo with a lost radio- yeeeep - But how bad would it suck if it left the water and into spectators ? The amount of boats in the class would help with our own carnage, but whats more important, our boats or the people watching ?