! nailing the start & staying on the bouys will do more than any weight reduction program, imho. i have used my .21 ob sundowner to beat a good running eagle sgx (tim jones) in a runoff by doing just that. he was easily faster than me, but couldn't get by me on the outside. i can't take all the credit, chris wittrig called an excellent race for me, prolly couldn't have done it without him. in the end, tim hit the turn 3 entrance bouy trying a last ditch inside move on lap 5. his boat is fast, finished either second or won the fall nats in a runoff. forget which, but he won that run off. no matter what your stuff weighs, driving skill is the biggest determining factor B) ........
Yep! That's the way I feel. When my dad and I would go out testing boats he tested equipment I tested my driving ability. Of course he didn't like me getting so close to the buoys in practice... but even back then if I thought if I ran in close in practice it would be second nature for me in a race. We used to run these bouys that were styrofoam disk stacked together on PVC pipe. Found out that if you touched the buoy just right it would spin the bouy without upsetting the boat, leaving the buoy in tact. That was a fun game when I started to get bored. Object of the game. Spin all five buoys in a turn. Don't have time to practice near that much anymore.rodger, i couldn't agree with you more
Yay! I was the idiot that went to tap plastics to buy the styrofoam, make the hole in the middle, cut the disc shape on my bandsaw and spray paint the edges flourescent yellow/orange...Yep! That's the way I feel. When my dad and I would go out testing boats he tested equipment I tested my driving ability. Of course he didn't like me getting so close to the buoys in practice... but even back then if I thought if I ran in close in practice it would be second nature for me in a race. We used to run this bouys that were styrofoam disk held stack together on PVC pipe. Found out that if you touched the buoy just right it would spin the boat without upsetting the boat, leaving the buoy in tact. That was a fun game when I started to get bored. Object of the game. Spin all five buoys in a turn. Don't have time to practice near that much anymore.rodger, i couldn't agree with you more
Yah! Thanks Len. Draw back though is that the closer you get more often... the more often you hit them. Although my average may not be any greater than the anyone else, I've hit my share. Now I've learned you don't have to be that close. Just so long as every one else is on the outside. Protect the lane is what I always say.Yay! I was the idiot that went to tap plastics to buy the styrofoam, make the hole in the middle, cut the disc shape on my bandsaw and spray paint the edges flourescent yellow/orange...Yep! That's the way I feel. When my dad and I would go out testing boats he tested equipment I tested my driving ability. Of course he didn't like me getting so close to the buoys in practice... but even back then if I thought if I ran in close in practice it would be second nature for me in a race. We used to run this bouys that were styrofoam disk held stack together on PVC pipe. Found out that if you touched the buoy just right it would spin the boat without upsetting the boat, leaving the buoy in tact. That was a fun game when I started to get bored. Object of the game. Spin all five buoys in a turn. Don't have time to practice near that much anymore.rodger, i couldn't agree with you more
you were/are an awesome driver roger
=)
Yah agree on that. I remember having a discussion with Steve O'Donnel about the subject of weight. If I recall our discussion correctly mentioned that the benefit really comes from relieving the load and stress on the engine when you change direction (ie. going through turns) and with that I see the connection to acceleration and even top speed. Just not sure how much of an edge it gives to a heat racing boat.
I don't get to the pond as much as I would like to..... SO I need all the other edges I can get
I don't think being a good driver diminishes the importance of a light boat. I'd rather be a good driver with a light boat than a good driver with a heavy boat.
Yes it would be wise to get the edge wherever you can find it. : ) They all add up.I don't get to the pond as much as I would like to..... SO I need all the other edges I can get
Again just for the fun of good conversation..no big deal either way!
Okay... simply for the sake of conversation...Okay, but for the sake of conversation (purely for the fun of it of course)what about good driving, nailing the start, and hangin the bouys with a boat that weighs a 1/2 pound less than the others and is stable at speed in the straights and in the corners? I HAVE seen boats win races in lane 2 or 3 because they were simply faster....i have plenty of overbuilt boats(hogs! :lol: ) in my armada, but i do have a couple of lean hulls also and can see a big difference in performance...i WILL be the first to admit that i AM a pretty sorry excuse for a driver..at least most of the time!
unless, of course you, throw a hunk of weight in one and not the other until you do acheive that much speed difference.Okay... simply for the sake of conversation...Okay, but for the sake of conversation (purely for the fun of it of course)what about good driving, nailing the start, and hangin the bouys with a boat that weighs a 1/2 pound less than the others and is stable at speed in the straights and in the corners? I HAVE seen boats win races in lane 2 or 3 because they were simply faster....i have plenty of overbuilt boats(hogs! :lol: ) in my armada, but i do have a couple of lean hulls also and can see a big difference in performance...i WILL be the first to admit that i AM a pretty sorry excuse for a driver..at least most of the time!
I can say this has happened to me... When a boat simply powered around me.... in every case but one. I was running an OS Max and an older maybe even considered an outdated boat where as the guy passing me was running a Picco and the latest rig. In recent years I had it happen we both were running the same engine MAC .21 but he clearly had the better set-up (pipe, prop combo that day) and I clearly didn't.
In instances of all things being the same... Hull... Engine/Mods... Prop... Pipe and near the same driving skill I just can't see a lighter boat being 7 mph faster (what I heard somewhere that was typically needed) to pass on the outside in a heat race.
:lol: :lol: !!
I'm happy you arent into riggers!!
Thanks... that's good info but I don't think anyone was debating that lighter wasn't faster... just questioning how much it actually would make a difference to heat racing.
Thanks Grim, Now I have three stiches in the corner of my eye from that suggestion.. :lol: For what it's worth - Todd. You came along way with that hull of yours, and I was very impressed by the end of the year.. Just quit running over the top of me after the race is over.
Also, I understand what Grim is talking about, but not to under-estimate SOME advantages of a "Slightly Heavier" hull, can't be over looked.. Especially in heat racing. 
