How about

[Jon Fuller]

Trying to re-instate 1.3?

It seems to me to be ridiculous to remove the true 'entry level' that 1.3 represents.

buying and maintaining a 90 Yam/Tohatsu has to be imeasurably cheaper that throwing coils, stators and various other parts at an XR2! let alone the cost of feeding one.

If 1.3 was re-instated, with a length limit of say 20', in an effort to stop it spiraling cost wise, as a super light B23, rigged etc is no cheap entry level. To be a genuine starter class, it should be controlled a little like OCR, with production hulls like Marshan, Ring, Frode and Phantom.

A 90 Yam on an 18 Ring has to be a great, cheap, reliable way to go.

JF

[Cookee]

Wouldn't that clash with OCR? I think that promotion of the sport in general is whats missing because at the moment the reason for the lack of boats is not the money but just that people dont know about the powerboat racing!

[Jon Fuller]

I wouldn't have thought it would clash with OCR, after all, asuming we could get back to 'Offshore' courses, a 'real' navigator, and navigation is required (not knocking OCR at all, it's just different)

And I think that cost is a huge issue! mebbe not for you, but it is for most. 1.3 of this type would be easy run without sponsorship, back to privately run/financed small teams/classes.

If you think cost is irrelevent, ask Carl what's holding him back.


PS. Sure, promotion is always gonna be good for the sport, but it needs more than this alone.

[Carl]

racing does still feel like a closed shop,the thing that gets to me is the rya.....there website unless it has been updated in the last day or so doesnt even mention the finals at cardiff it hasnt been updated for ages,and sometimes, not all the time,it feels like you are a pain in the arse if you ever phone them up and disturb them from what they were doing,and some of the organisers think there shit dont stink......................but saying all that i remember my first race,and i dont recall one other racer coming to talk to us all weekend,it was as if we were not welcome,and we won, its feels like unless you have been racing for at least 10 years,some people would possibly nod their head at you....so maybe we need to look at how we treat people trying to get into the sport........i could go on and on but i think the whole sport and everything around it needs a shake up,and at the end of the day it is supposed to be fun.........................

[Jon Fuller]

The whole RYA thing stinks

[Jon]

Here, Here.

[Jon Fuller]

You mean 'Hear, Hear'


Only joking.

[Jon]

Whatever.

[Silversurfer]

Sod the RYA and make yourself the next Bernie Eccleston of none F1 Powerbaot racing Nice job if you do it!

[Silversurfer]

Originally posted by Johnson
You mean 'Hear, Hear'

What about a built in spell checker?

[Jon Fuller]

Bernie Eccleston!, me! more like fkkn Bernie Winters

[Jon]

now that tickled me.

[Jon]

If you cant laugh at yourself, you shouldnt laugh at others.

Anyway you cant be Bernie Winters cos thats my name.

You people make me thick, thick, thick.

Wheres snorbits?

[Cookee]

I agree cost is always an issue with everything but if you had seen the money the ski racers are spending on rigs - you would see that there are budgets around they are just not spending them on offshore!

My point was that the RYA / the sport needs to promote itself better!

[Adam]

Sometimes its not just the cost but justifying it as well. You can pay a big entry fee to turn up at a 'nothing venue' and still not be appreciated.

Racing has got to be fun - and whether that means better racing or better facilities or whatever - you have got to really want to do it.

All areas of the sport need to do their bit to give everyone that desire to race. Better races, cheaper entries (I liked the free entry at Cardiff) and more help from competitors / organisers / promoters to new competitors.

Also think 1.3litre could be made to work - but does need some serious re-writing of the rules to make it viable and most definately cheaper.

[Carl]

adam/ matt in your opinion could there of been a basic race at cardiff or was it to busy

[cider daze]

F 3 should be free , no entry fees . add £20 to each other class we need starter class to work up from, you also maybe need one design not ocr

[Jon Fuller]

So what's the concensus on 'Starter clases' or 'entry level' generally then?

[CB1]

We do need a starter class, but lets not put the extra cost involved onto people who race all the time. One thing that has got my back up is the rya insurance. They state that the maximum payout for any one incident is £5M. So why do we need £10M worth of cover in the boat??

[CB1]

Surley if the driver of the boat, or captain for want of a better word has all the controlls why should the talking "ballast" in the back have to be covered as well?