Struts on Sport40's (IMPBA)

[teddyd]

NO, ALL THE RULE WE HAVE CAME BY WAY OF VOTE. SO I GUEST IT'S SAD WE TOOK THE TIME TO VOTE AT ALL. HOW IS ASKING FOR A VOTE THAT YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR HOUSE TO MAKE IS A PROBLEM ?AND TO STATE THAT WE'RE FORCING SOMETHING ON ANYONE IS WRONG. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE RULE AS IT IS THEN VOTE AGAINST IT, THAT YOUR RIGHT AS WELL AS MY RIGHT TO VOTE FOR IT. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU FEEL THAT SUBMITTING A PROPROSAL TO IMPBA IS A WASTE OF THE ORGANIZATION TIME, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE IMPBA TO KEEP IT FAIR. BY THE WAY HOW DID WE GET ALL THE RULES THAT WE RUN UNDER TODAY? WHO CAME UP WITH THEM ? IF WE TOOK A VOTE FROM THIS FORUM TODAY, IT WOULD BE A CLOSE VOTE. CAST YOUR VOTE ..............AGAIN, THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.........TEDDY D.

What you will be forcing is a discussion. That will take time that could be invested solving real problems and fixing rules that are really broken.

THERE ARE NOT MANY RULES THAT BOTHERS ME, I LIVE WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE THE RULES.

TO FIX RULES THAT ARE BROKEN WILL MEAN ALTERING OR CHANGING THEM AND THAT WILL TAKE TIME AS WELL. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH BRING IN NEW BLOOD IS CLUBS FINDING WATER THAT VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND WILL BRING SPECTORS TO THE RACES. WITH ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF LAND IT GETTING HARDER TO FIND GOOD WATER, THAT'S THE PROMBLE WE HAVE UP NORTH.

CHUCK S. WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE BOAT COUNT AND FELT THAT IF WE COULD GET SOME OF THE CANADIAN SPORT 40'S TO COME TO THE U.S. IT WOULD MAKE A BIGGER BOAT COUNT.

I REALLY HATE TO TOUCH ON THIS BUT GAS IS GROWING 10 TIMES FASTER THEN NITRO. I JOIN THE OWMBC 3 YEARS AGO AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE SIGNED UP 1 NEW NITRO MEMBER. I HAVE 4 GAS BOAT

AND 13 NITRO BOATS. I LOVE THE NITRO CLASSES BUT GAS NEEDS NO SUPPORT EQUIPMENT, EASY TO TUNE, GAS $3.00 A GAL. I CAN GO ON AND ON, THE TRUTH IS UNLESS WE COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO ENCOURAGE GUYS TO GO NITRO OVER GAS, WE ARE GOING TO BE IN BIG TROUBLE DOWN THE ROAD.

I RACED INBOARD AND AS THE POLITICS AND THE COST OF RACING GREW, THE BOAT COUNT DECLINED TO THE POINT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BOATS TO MAKE THE CLASS. AT THE LONDON RACES JUNE 10,2006 WE ONLY HAD 3 SPORT 40'S AND 4 1/8 SCALES AT THAT RACE, WE WENT ALL THE WAY TO LONDON AND GOT NO POINTS IN SCALE AND SPORT 40. BOAT COUNT MAYBE BETTER WHERE YOU ARE

BUT ALL THE RACES IN DIST. 2 HAVE VERY LOW BOAT COUNT EXCEPT CELINA. YES, WE'VE BEEN TO EVERY RACE IN DIST. 2 THIS YEAR.

WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE NOT DEMOTE RACING.....................TEDDY

 

[Don Ferrette]

I HAVE A QUESTION ? WHY IS IT MANDATORY FOR 1/8 SCALE BOATS WITH A COCKPIT TO HAVE A WINDSHEILD WITH A DRIVER ? WHEN YOU CAN PAINT THE WINSHEILD ON THE COWL AND SAVE THE WORK. THAT A LOT OF EXTRA WORK TO DO KNOWING YOU CAN'T SEE THE DRIVER WHEN YOU'RE RACING.

Now the truth comes out, it's a matter of being lazy. <_<

Like Chuck G. said, we've got better places to focus our attentions right now. h34r:

 

[piper_chuck]

THERE ARE NOT MANY RULES THAT BOTHERS ME, I LIVE WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE THE RULES.

TO FIX RULES THAT ARE BROKEN WILL MEAN ALTERING OR CHANGING THEM AND THAT WILL TAKE TIME AS WELL. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH BRING IN NEW BLOOD IS CLUBS FINDING WATER THAT VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND WILL BRING SPECTORS TO THE RACES. WITH ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF LAND IT GETTING HARDER TO FIND GOOD WATER, THAT'S THE PROMBLE WE HAVE UP NORTH.

It similar down here.

CHUCK S. WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE BOAT COUNT AND FELT THAT IF WE COULD GET SOME OF THE CANADIAN SPORT 40'S TO COME TO THE U.S. IT WOULD MAKE A BIGGER BOAT COUNT.

I REALLY HATE TO TOUCH ON THIS BUT GAS IS GROWING 10 TIMES FASTER THEN NITRO. I JOIN THE OWMBC 3 YEARS AGO AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE SIGNED UP 1 NEW NITRO MEMBER. I HAVE 4 GAS BOAT

AND 13 NITRO BOATS. I LOVE THE NITRO CLASSES BUT GAS NEEDS NO SUPPORT EQUIPMENT, EASY TO TUNE, GAS $3.00 A GAL. I CAN GO ON AND ON, THE TRUTH IS UNLESS WE COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO ENCOURAGE GUYS TO GO NITRO OVER GAS, WE ARE GOING TO BE IN BIG TROUBLE DOWN THE ROAD.

I RACED INBOARD AND AS THE POLITICS AND THE COST OF RACING GREW, THE BOAT COUNT DECLINED TO THE POINT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BOATS TO MAKE THE CLASS. AT THE LONDON RACES JUNE 10,2006 WE ONLY HAD 3 SPORT 40'S AND 4 1/8 SCALES AT THAT RACE, WE WENT ALL THE WAY TO LONDON AND GOT NO POINTS IN SCALE AND SPORT 40. BOAT COUNT MAYBE BETTER WHERE YOU ARE

BUT ALL THE RACES IN DIST. 2 HAVE VERY LOW BOAT COUNT EXCEPT CELINA. YES, WE'VE BEEN TO EVERY RACE IN DIST. 2 THIS YEAR.

Want to get an idea of what's hurting nitro? Read this thread: http://www.intlwaters.com/index.php?showtopic=16506

An enthusiastic new person shows up with a decent RTR hydro. The club does their best to make him feel like a fool for buying an RTR nitro boat rather than the in vogue gas boats that they have. THIS is the kind of problem I think is a bigger issue than strut placement on sport 40s. If we want to stop the decline in the nitro classes, we've got to support the people buying these ready to run boats. Fortunately, someone in that area has stepped in and offered to help him. I'd say who that person is, but doing so would identify the club and I'm trying not to do that.

And no, the boat count in 1/8 scale and sport 40 is not stellar here either. At the most recent district race, we had 4 Sport 40s registered. Two of them had encounters with the shore during open water due to radio problems. One of the guys put a backup in service, but that hit shore too. The third person had engine problems, so when it came time to race, one boat was left to run the course. I'd really like to see sport 40 grow around here, running one lap races alone isn't much fun!

 

[Brian Blazer]

Unfortunately, In my opinion, Nitro is on its downfall. New guys are prefering gas to nitro. Why.....you have a lot more good days at the lake with gas than you do with nitro. Joe Shmo can get a gas sport hydro up to 65mph. You have to know more to run a good nitro boat.

A cool thing happened last Sunday at our lake...there were 14 nitro boats and 1 gas boat. I haven't seen that in years. Usually there are a few nitro and most gas.

With more people going gas, the nitro stuff is just going to get more and more expensive. $400 for a .21 engine is crazy, but we spend it b/c we love nitro. Would a new guy spend $400 for a little nitro engine, or $230 for a gas engine?

Brian

 

[Don Ferrette]

With more people going gas, the nitro stuff is just going to get more and more expensive. $400 for a .21 engine is crazy, but we spend it b/c we love nitro. Would a new guy spend $400 for a little nitro engine, or $230 for a gas engine?

Actually it's becoming more & more equal. A guy who goes out & buys a $230 stock Zen is NOT going to run up front. To be competitive he/she will cough up the $600-700 for a mod motor like everyone else. The headers & pipes are not cheap either, you will have $900-$1,000 invested in your modded motor & pipe system before you've even bought a hull & with the size of the bigger gas hulls they are typically $400 & up. We did an interesting comparison a recently on build up costs on a gas mono vs. a 80/90 nitro mono & it's actually cheaper to build the nitro & with the cost difference leaving enough left for at least 2 seasons worth of nitro fuel. Plus there is other things like one good stuff & that gas motor is toast when it hydrolocks. It's not like I have anything against gas, I run a gas sport hydro as well as nitro but this gas is cheaper thing is becoming less & less true as the gas motors become faster. The level of modifications are starting to get to the point that the motors are becoming more finicky, saw this first hand in the gas classes at the last big race. It's all becoming relative, only differing by what gets pumped into the tank which is fine by me, let's just go racin'!!

 

[Brian Blazer]

Whoa!!! You are getting ripped off if you spend $900 to $1000 for a pipe and engine.

Many of the new guys I see buy a stock engine, run it for awhile, then mod it after they become addicted to the sport.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Whoa!!! You are getting ripped off if you spend $900 to $1000 for a pipe and engine.

Brian I see it all the time. These guys go out & spend $600-700 for a fully modded motor, $150 for a water cooled Hanson style pipe & another $50-75 for the water cooled manifold & header pipe & $30-40 for a good stinger muffler. Even the newbies around here buy the hot rod stuff right off but it sure makes for some interesting racing from a spectator viewpoint. It's getting to the point that you're a gassers best buddy if you've got a roll of duct tape in your trailer for those "between round" repairs ...........

 

[piper_chuck]

Unfortunately, In my opinion, Nitro is on its downfall. New guys are prefering gas to nitro. Why.....you have a lot more good days at the lake with gas than you do with nitro. Joe Shmo can get a gas sport hydro up to 65mph. You have to know more to run a good nitro boat.

One of the consequences of Joe Shmo being able to get a 65 mph gas sport hydro (or fast mono or cat) is that he has yet to learn how to drive it. Some of the gas heats look more like a demolition derby than boat racing. I have reservations about putting MY Whiplash out in the middle of that carnage!

A cool thing happened last Sunday at our lake...there were 14 nitro boats and 1 gas boat. I haven't seen that in years. Usually there are a few nitro and most gas.

I see a significant amount of interest in lower cost nitro boats over on RC Universe. Unfortunately, as we've seen, the structure of organized racing doesn't embrace them.

With more people going gas, the nitro stuff is just going to get more and more expensive. $400 for a .21 engine is crazy, but we spend it b/c we love nitro. Would a new guy spend $400 for a little nitro engine, or $230 for a gas engine?

Brian

Did the .21 engine go to $400 because of a lower demand or other reasons? Did we perhaps do it to ourselves while pursuing ever higher performance? The case I pointed out is a perfect example, new person shows up with a <$300 RTR boat and (we) tell him to go get a "real" boat. This could very well be a person who "moves up" to something like sport 40 after gaining some experience with his smaller hydro.

Bottom line, WE are to blame for the high costs. WE could make racing cheaper, but every time it's suggested, a core group who seems to have an unlimited budget, or knows how to mod engines on their own, insists it wouldn't work. The new sport .21 rules would have been a good chance to try this out, but alas it's yet another class where anything goes wrt engine costs. There are at least a couple viable <$200 .21 engines out there, but to be truely competitive, they're not going to cut it against the $400 ones.

Also, are the gas sport hydros doing 65mph with a $230 engine, or the >$500 modded engines? Eventually beginners are going to catch on to the fallacy and realize that they can't be competitive with that $230 engine. Just like the <$200 .21 won't compete against the $400 one, the $230 stock engine isn't going to compete against the full mod de jour. Don't count on the mainstream gas racer to "enlighten" the newby to this during the "courtship" phase, they're looking at the newby as new fodder. The same thing that happened to nitro engines, spiraling costs and increasing finickiness in operation, are happening on the gas side. At our last district race I saw more than one gas mono heat where 8 boats started and only one or two came back in running. It seems we have trouble learning from lessons of the past...

Whoa!!! You are getting ripped off if you spend $900 to $1000 for a pipe and engine.

Brian I see it all the time. These guys go out & spend $600-700 for a fully modded motor, $150 for a water cooled Hanson style pipe & another $50-75 for the water cooled manifold & header pipe & $30-40 for a good stinger muffler. Even the newbies around here buy the hot rod stuff right off but it sure makes for some interesting racing from a spectator viewpoint. It's getting to the point that you're a gassers best buddy if you've got a roll of duct tape in your trailer for those "between round" repairs ...........

Here's some stats from our last race. In gas mono only 2 out of 20 boats completed all 3 heats. In gas cat, only 4 out of 19 completed all three heats. In gas hydro, 4 of 12 completed their heats. Of these, one would think gas mono would be the most reliable, but they had the worst record. While some of these flipped, many just stopped going!

 

[Brian Blazer]

We have ran 60mph in the Whip with a bone stock motor.

I totally agree with Chuck about making a class for the RTR's. Aquacraft is becoming very popular. I see the .15 stuff all the time.

Brian

 

[Chuck Spragg]

Unfortunately, In my opinion, Nitro is on its downfall. New guys are prefering gas to nitro. Why.....you have a lot more good days at the lake with gas than you do with nitro. Joe Shmo can get a gas sport hydro up to 65mph. You have to know more to run a good nitro boat.

One of the consequences of Joe Shmo being able to get a 65 mph gas sport hydro (or fast mono or cat) is that he has yet to learn how to drive it. Some of the gas heats look more like a demolition derby than boat racing. I have reservations about putting MY Whiplash out in the middle of that carnage!

A cool thing happened last Sunday at our lake...there were 14 nitro boats and 1 gas boat. I haven't seen that in years. Usually there are a few nitro and most gas.

I see a significant amount of interest in lower cost nitro boats over on RC Universe. Unfortunately, as we've seen, the structure of organized racing doesn't embrace them.

With more people going gas, the nitro stuff is just going to get more and more expensive. $400 for a .21 engine is crazy, but we spend it b/c we love nitro. Would a new guy spend $400 for a little nitro engine, or $230 for a gas engine?

Brian

Did the .21 engine go to $400 because of a lower demand or other reasons? Did we perhaps do it to ourselves while pursuing ever higher performance? The case I pointed out is a perfect example, new person shows up with a <$300 RTR boat and (we) tell him to go get a "real" boat. This could very well be a person who "moves up" to something like sport 40 after gaining some experience with his smaller hydro.

Bottom line, WE are to blame for the high costs. WE could make racing cheaper, but every time it's suggested, a core group who seems to have an unlimited budget, or knows how to mod engines on their own, insists it wouldn't work. The new sport .21 rules would have been a good chance to try this out, but alas it's yet another class where anything goes wrt engine costs. There are at least a couple viable <$200 .21 engines out there, but to be truely competitive, they're not going to cut it against the $400 ones.

Also, are the gas sport hydros doing 65mph with a $230 engine, or the >$500 modded engines? Eventually beginners are going to catch on to the fallacy and realize that they can't be competitive with that $230 engine. Just like the <$200 .21 won't compete against the $400 one, the $230 stock engine isn't going to compete against the full mod de jour. Don't count on the mainstream gas racer to "enlighten" the newby to this during the "courtship" phase, they're looking at the newby as new fodder. The same thing that happened to nitro engines, spiraling costs and increasing finickiness in operation, are happening on the gas side. At our last district race I saw more than one gas mono heat where 8 boats started and only one or two came back in running. It seems we have trouble learning from lessons of the past...

Whoa!!! You are getting ripped off if you spend $900 to $1000 for a pipe and engine.

Brian I see it all the time. These guys go out & spend $600-700 for a fully modded motor, $150 for a water cooled Hanson style pipe & another $50-75 for the water cooled manifold & header pipe & $30-40 for a good stinger muffler. Even the newbies around here buy the hot rod stuff right off but it sure makes for some interesting racing from a spectator viewpoint. It's getting to the point that you're a gassers best buddy if you've got a roll of duct tape in your trailer for those "between round" repairs ...........

Here's some stats from our last race. In gas mono only 2 out of 20 boats completed all 3 heats. In gas cat, only 4 out of 19 completed all three heats. In gas hydro, 4 of 12 completed their heats. Of these, one would think gas mono would be the most reliable, but they had the worst record. While some of these flipped, many just stopped going!

Now we are on the subject I was trying to bring across to everyone the boats are getting overpowered and some rule changing or lets call it relaxing the rule somewhat to allow hull change such as transom mount strut on sport 40, maybe full tunnels and transom cutouts yes maybe this would help, all in all the class is in trouble, relaxing some rules may be an answer .I see some boaters from Canada possibly would bring thier boats to our races that brings the count up . the more limits you have on a class the more people you limit from entering.

 

[piper_chuck]

Now we are on the subject I was trying to bring across to everyone the boats are getting overpowered and some rule changing or lets call it relaxing the rule somewhat to allow hull change such as transom mount strut on sport 40, maybe full tunnels and transom cutouts yes maybe this would help, all in all the class is in trouble, relaxing some rules may be an answer .I see some boaters from Canada possibly would bring thier boats to our races that brings the count up . the more limits you have on a class the more people you limit from entering.

Wasn't it established several posts ago, I think by Phil, that handling problems are not related to any (imagined) shortcomings in the rules, but were most likely problems with setup or poor hull design? Isn't part of the challenge of designing boats to make them work well within the rules? Isn't part of the challenge of racing learning to setup and operate one's boat within the rules?

How many boaters from Canada are you really talking about, and would they really come to our races, or are you just hoping that if you change the rules they will come? Think "Field of Dreams". Besides, changing the rules to pacify a few boaters in Canada would do little for the rest of the country.

Have you considered how existing sport 40 racers are going to feel about having to go up against these boats that conform to these "new and improved(?)" rules. If they end up performing significantly better, it's a pretty safe bet that when given a choice between buying a new sport 40, to keep up with the joneses, and perhaps moving to something like sport gas, you're going to see bunches choose to go to gas.

 

[Joe Wiebelhaus]

This is what I hate about e-mail and or message boards, stop complaining, spend all this senseless time putting a proposal together to IMPBA or NAMBA, put it to vote, put it to bed..................

wa wa wa, talk is cheap, DO IT !!!!!!

B)

 

[Don Ferrette]

Now we are on the subject I was trying to bring across to everyone the boats are getting overpowered and some rule changing or lets call it relaxing the rule somewhat to allow hull change such as transom mount strut on sport 40, maybe full tunnels and transom cutouts yes maybe this would help, all in all the class is in trouble, relaxing some rules may be an answer .I see some boaters from Canada possibly would bring thier boats to our races that brings the count up . the more limits you have on a class the more people you limit from entering.

The sport 40 class is not "in trouble", it has, like others, pockets of popularity in different areas. This is still one of the biggest classes @ the Internats year in & year out. Sorry Chuck but the case you're trying to make is weak at best.

 

[Chuck Spragg]

Now we are on the subject I was trying to bring across to everyone the boats are getting overpowered and some rule changing or lets call it relaxing the rule somewhat to allow hull change such as transom mount strut on sport 40, maybe full tunnels and transom cutouts yes maybe this would help, all in all the class is in trouble, relaxing some rules may be an answer .I see some boaters from Canada possibly would bring thier boats to our races that brings the count up . the more limits you have on a class the more people you limit from entering.

Wasn't it established several posts ago, I think by Phil, that handling problems are not related to any (imagined) shortcomings in the rules, but were most likely problems with setup or poor hull design? Isn't part of the challenge of designing boats to make them work well within the rules? Isn't part of the challenge of racing learning to setup and operate one's boat within the rules?

How many boaters from Canada are you really talking about, and would they really come to our races, or are you just hoping that if you change the rules they will come? Think "Field of Dreams". Besides, changing the rules to pacify a few boaters in Canada would do little for the rest of the country.

Have you considered how existing sport 40 racers are going to feel about having to go up against these boats that conform to these "new and improved(?)" rules. If they end up performing significantly better, it's a pretty safe bet that when given a choice between buying a new sport 40, to keep up with the joneses, and perhaps moving to something like sport gas, you're going to see bunches choose to go to gas.

Yes I agree with you they might jump to gas, but another thought is we dont want see this class come to an end either, we need some where for the guy that likes the looks of the real boat such is the case for me to go before he buys a scale boat comes to a race only to find out how hard it is to repair one and the other ones he destroyed along the way. its all about fun if you knew of a way to help more boaters finish heats other than just saying the rules should stay the same I would be all for this, we all know that a better handling boat be by any boat maker would make the class more fun just with more boats finishing, Here is what a great day at the races is for me no matter if I win or not is finishing all the heats I have raced in. wow I finished all my heats today, I didnt win a thing but I will gettem next race. on the side of the coin, I didnt finish but 1 heat all day this sport sucks. its all about fun factor, let me all of you whats more fun, standing waiting for retrieve boat or driving it back to shore. there is only one answer to this. if that takes a better handling boat to do this than why not. If for you out there that dont me I have a very good handling sport 40 that is as fast as anything out there made by PT it runs mid to high 50,s in heat trim with x450 slightly picthed and theres more but the boat cant handle much more speed before becomming unstable and the speeds are increasing due to new and improved powerplants and improved props and guys like Mark S. that know how to make you even faster. there will be a limit to how fast the current hulls can handle then where do we go from there. when all the fun is gone sorry about talking your ears off but I am truly worried about the class I love this class Dist 2 sport 40 points leader Chuck Spragg

 

[teddyd]

WE HAD JIMMY KING DRIVER OF THE U3 UNLIMITED AT THE BUOY BLASTERS RACE LAST WEEKEND, HE HUNG OUT WITH US THE ENTIRE RACE. HE HAD HIS SONS WITH HIM. THEY HAVE ONE OF THE E-LAM RTR

HYDRO. THEY TRIED TO RUN IT THE WEEK BEFORE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITH THE NEEDLE, THEY STUCK THE PISTON AND BROKE THE ROD. WE ARE MEETING THEM AT THE POND WHEN HE GET HIS ENGINE BACK, THEY SENT IT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURE. JIMMY WAS VERY IMPRESS WITH THE CLUB HOSPITALITY AND ALL THE HELP AND ADVICE HE GOT, THEY'RE JOINING THE CLUB. I TALKED TO A LOT OF SUPPORTER OF A RTR CLASS, WE NEED THIS CLASS SO BEGINNERS CAN BUY A BOAT AND START RACING

WITHOUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE TECH. SIDE OF RACING, THEY CAN LEARN IT AS THEY RACE.

I HAVE 5 GAS ENGINES THAT COST $225.00 EA. 3 OF THEM HAVE BEEN MODDED AT A COST OF $150.00

TO $200.00 EA. I BELIEVE WHEN SOMEONE COME OUT WITH A REAR EX. GAS ENGINE, WE'RE GOING TO SEE GAS SCALE HYDROS. LOVE THE NITRO CLASSES BUT THE TRUTH IS GAS GROWING SUPER FAST.

ALL THE LOCAL HOBBY SHOPS AROUND HERE ALL CARRY TONS OF GAS PARTS AND VERY LITTLE NITRO PARTS. YOU CAN WALK INTO LARRY'S RC SHOP AND BUY AEROMARINE, INSANE, BONZI, WAREHOUSE HOBBIES, C C RACING ENGINES, B.H. HANSON RACING ENGINES AND TONS OF PIPES, HEADERS YOU NAME IT , IT ALL IN STOCK ON THE SHELF IN THE BOAT ROOM. THEY HAVE A LITTLE 4X8 SPOT ON WALL FOR THE NITRO PARTS. TO BE TRUTHFUL I'M FINDING MYSELF LIKING GAS MORE AND MORE....TEDDY D.

 

[Joe Wiebelhaus]

TEDDY !

Tone it down a little ! (no caps)

 

[Josh Stollfuss]

I started R/C boat racing last year. With really no previous R/C experience. I now have 8 nitro boats and 0 gas boats. Why did I start out in Nitro? For me it was the cost, I found it easy and cheaper to buy used nitro hulls and engines and rebuild them. And yes this year I rebuilt a PT Sport 40, which has quickly become my favorite boat to run. I personally don't see changing the rules be advantageous to a new boater, it would have made no difference to me. From what I've seen so far Sport 40 is a driver’s class, just try to hang out and not get behind and make it 3-4 laps and let the other boats weed themselves out, then light her up. (That's how I beat Teddy at the Sumpter race) Mine's not the fastest boat by far, but it will run with everyone else. I say let the boaters have a choice on strut location, doesn't mean that I'm going to change mine, but I like the idea of having a choice.

Josh-

 

[piper_chuck]

Yes I agree with you they might jump to gas, but another thought is we dont want see this class come to an end either, we need some where for the guy that likes the looks of the real boat such is the case for me to go before he buys a scale boat comes to a race only to find out how hard it is to repair one and the other ones he destroyed along the way. its all about fun if you knew of a way to help more boaters finish heats other than just saying the rules should stay the same I would be all for this,

Why does the solution require a rules change? The way to finish heats is to learn how to trim a boat and then how to keep it upright. It's not magic (well, maybe it is)! The Top Speed 2 tunnel hull that I built this spring has only failed to finish 2 heats! I've raced it in both sport and open 20 tunnel, as well as offshore at Charleston against larger, faster tunnels. The cause of both DNFs were that it jumped a wake and submarined. I don't consider myself to be particularly talented, and I tend to have slow reflexes. The reason it finishes is I know what it will and won't do and I keep it within its limits while driving.

The bottom line is if you're seeing lots of upside down sport 40s at races, these people need someone to help them understand what they are doing wrong. It could be bad driving, perhaps trying to turn left at high speed, trying to cut through someone else's roostertail, hitting bouys, etc. It could also be bad setup. Either way, they will become better boaters by learning to cure the problems rather than blaming it on an imagined shortcoming with the rules. Changing the rules will not cure these problems.

we all know that a better handling boat be by any boat maker would make the class more fun just with more boats finishing, Here is what a great day at the races is for me no matter if I win or not is finishing all the heats I have raced in. wow I finished all my heats today, I didnt win a thing but I will gettem next race. on the side of the coin, I didnt finish but 1 heat all day this sport sucks. its all about fun factor, let me all of you whats more fun, standing waiting for retrieve boat or driving it back to shore. there is only one answer to this. if that takes a better handling boat to do this than why not. If for you out there that dont me I have a very good handling sport 40 that is as fast as anything out there made by PT it runs mid to high 50,s in heat trim with x450 slightly picthed and theres more but the boat cant handle much more speed before becomming unstable and the speeds are increasing due to new and improved powerplants and improved props and guys like Mark S. that know how to make you even faster. there will be a limit to how fast the current hulls can handle then where do we go from there. when all the fun is gone

I guess each of us has a different idea of fun. I get way more fun from running fairly evenly matched boats than I do from spending megabucks on the latest modded engine to end all mods! Same goes for the class rules. I think changing the rules to allow potentially faster boats will have a negative effect on people running existing boats, especially those with older designs.

 

[teddyd]

I'M JUST HAVING FUN WITH YOU GUYS, I'VE GOT TO BE THE MOST LAID BACK GUY IN DIST.2.

EVERYBODY THATS KNOWS ME KNOW I RUN GOOD, ALL MY BOAT LOOK GOOD AND WHEN THING DON'T GO RIGHT AT THE RACES I'M STILL THE SMILING LAID BACK TEDDY. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I'M THIS SPORT #1 FAN, ALL THE LIPPING I DO IS ALL FOR FUN, NOW WHEN WE MEET ON THE RACE COURSE I PUT ON A DIFFERANCE HAT, I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR ALL IN THIS SPORT................TEDDY D.

JOE W. THE CAPS DON'T MEAN A THING, I JUST LIKE USING THEM.

JOSH, MY BUTT IS STILL HURTING FROM THAT SPANKING!!!!!!

 

[SCOTT WITHERELL]

sport 20, sport 40, 1/8 scale.all or most have a after plain of 60% of the over all lenght of the hull may be the rules should stait( my opinion) that the strut should be no farther back than 60-65% of the after plain,so to keep the hulls some what equal with the choise of under or behinded the transom.that would help or Canada freinds,that have recest transoms.this is a drivers class, if you can't back off the throutel, get a rigger!!.there is a differents between the two setups,i stay on pipe easyer with a larger prop,with a 3inch long strut on the back of the transum. P.S drive smart and you will finish a race and place.