GREATEST driver

[Dean21]

So who is the best power boat driver ever???????? :)

[Tony Davis]

This should be interesting!:hugegrin:

Bob Nordskog over in the States was known as the "winningest driver" in the world!!!!!! He's dead now though so it's probably Pete Little!:D

[rama]

This kettle o fish will be interesting, Is this a continuation from s&f s site ? when you say "best power boat driver" do you mean race driver or does it include ships etc.
sorry to stir things up :)

[Dean21]

err lets just keep it at best race driver for now :)

[Jon Fuller]

Noel Edmunds :D :lol:lol:

(He only hit a couple of things didn't he?)

[BluFin]

MMMH
IMHO there have been many great drivers past & present. As who the best would be ??
All have excelled in their choosen class. I think a defining thing would be those who could move into other spheres and still be competitive. What I mean is let’s say a circuit driver who could compete at the best level offshore also and vice versa offshore driver that could be competitive racing inshore circuit. So all we need to do is compile a list of those then have a poll / vote. Ive got my ideas but they are only that, as too who have done both. But not saying they are the best:
R.Molonari
J.Beard
A.Bullen
Any recent guys who have done both feel free to chip in, sure there are a lot more?
Guess Garr Wood has to be there also just from the number of times his name appears on the Harmonsworth trophy.

[BluFin]

Originally posted by Jon Fuller
Noel Edmunds :D :lol:lol:

(He only hit a couple of things didn't he?)


blobby..................blobby blobby........blobby:lol:lol:

[Dean21]

my old man keeps banging on about william shakespeare i didnt realise he was that old!!!!!!!. :yawn:

[Dean21]

sorry my mistake he just told me it should be bill shakespeare!!!!:hugegrin:

[BluFin]

Bill was a great driver until his death up at windermere neve drove offshore , dont count the one gate crashed cowes race.

[Matt]

Who was Roger Blowers?
And Derek Blowers?

[Dean21]

molinari what a driver but i think bill sebold allways gave him a run for his money , think you have to keep circuit offshore seperate as senna was a crap rally driver.:hugegrin:

[BluFin]

Thats why I thought of guys that did both ........

[Burty]

I believe its me, however i just need to proove it:D

[Andree]

What do you think about Laith Pharaon. He was a champion class 1 driver and is now Top F 1 driver. He also was a Top APBA Driver in the US Series. He is one of only two U.I.M. drivers who wins class 1 and F 1000 races.

[Ben]

Originally posted by Andree
What do you think about Laith Pharaon. He was a champion class 1 driver and is now Top F 1 driver. He also was a Top APBA Driver in the US Series. He is one of only two U.I.M. drivers who wins class 1 and F 1000 races.

The other being Felix Serrales?

I'm also surprised that no-one has mentioned the man known as the father of modern offshore racing - Sam Griffith.

[K9 racing]

imho i think ian sterling, ian blacker and ian sanderson are some of the best around.

[TreacleB16]

Hey, I hate to put noses out of joint, but Ian's name is spelt Stirling not Sterling. He saw the home page and was really chuffed - except for the name. He is just too much of a gentleman to say anything!! Although it was all his fault I started racing, it was with him that I first raced (and won!!)

[Matt]

Oh dear, that's my fault. Sorry Ian. (That's 1 I? :D)

[BluFin]

I'm sure you will be excused Nat :D

["Old beardy"]

Originally posted by Matt
Oh dear, that's my fault. Sorry Ian. (That's 1 I? :D)

No problem Matt, I have been called worse things!!!:cheers:

Happy birthday Nicole (TreacleB16) and good luck at Ilfracombe this weekend!:up:

[TreacleB16]

Thank you very much. I will try my best to keep treacle afloat this time, this sinking business is more expensive than I realised! The only trouble is the weather report we have received has implied that the racing will be interesting, having said that, it will be nothing compared with the atmosphere in the pits. (Look at the OCRDA forum especially this link http://www.voy.com/192053/164.html !!)

[RHINO]

in reply to k9 racing ,nick barsch ,samsung cameras driver would show all three of them the way home.he was undoubtably the best ocr driver

[Jon Fuller]

He certainly was great, I never liked that brown pinstripe suit he had tho'.

It was Nick who gave all the feedback to Steve for the 'XL' development, Steve never actually drove a 20' XL (AKA 19 XL, or 18 XL, it actually measures at 20')

[Dean21]

Originally posted by RHINO
in reply to k9 racing ,nick barsch ,samsung cameras driver would show all three of them the way home.he was undoubtably the best ocr driver


I was waiting for someone to say this!!! :)

["Old beardy"]

Originally posted by RHINO
in reply to k9 racing ,nick barsch ,samsung cameras driver would show all three of them the way home.he was undoubtably the best ocr driver

Totally agree with you Brian. Nick was unique in the way he approached his racing, nobody has ever got an 18 Phantom to perform the way his did. He was able to get the balance almost perfect so that when he trimmed out the nose rose sufficiently to allow the whole boat to ride on the cavitation plate of the engine with hardly any of the hull in contact with the water. That was achieved with no lifter, trim tabs etc and with a standard XR2.
I think Ian Blacker was perhaps slightly better in the rough as towards the end of his career Nick tended to set up his boat to suit flat to intermediate conditions, relying on achieving a placing in the rough, rather than pushing too hard for an outright win. :worthy:

[Adam]

The thing that has not been mentioned - but is in many posts if read into is that to be a great driver you have to know how to set-up a boat and prepare it.

Most of the work to winning races goes on before hand - the racing is the easy part. There have been many drivers over the years who have won races but are probably not that skilled!