Round Britain 2008 - Page 11

Martin The Talker · 02-11-2006, 08:21 PM

Jon,
No, I didn't know Smitty died.
Couldn't have been that old - was it the "usual" - ie Big C ?
Havn't heard of him at all for long time - doyou know if he was involved in racing still ?
MJN

TobyC · 10-11-2006, 01:15 PM

seems to have gone mighty quiet on this thread recently how are everybodies plans for putting boats together for this going?

Mike Lloyd · 10-11-2006, 02:21 PM

Just in case you are all thinking that we are sitting on our backsides twiddling our thumbs in the hope that some divine force will intervene and produce a huge amount of cash, well we are not. Every day we are talking and are continuing to talk to a lot of specialists in an endeavour to find the monies we need to put this huge event on.
TV is the key to the whole event and that is where we are concentrating our efforts right now but it all takes time. If we get that then it naturally leads on to everything else. There is sure no quick fix though. Lots of compliments on the race. We are hovering on 48 "Intend to race" situation. More later. Wish us luck.

FabFour · 10-11-2006, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon Fuller
No boats with full canopies.

If it has a full canopy, the top will have to come off.

So a flydeck sunseeker would be ruled out, as would any of the larger sunseekers, the round Brittan record holding BladeRunner all class1 boats and all ProVees? You know you can not just cut off the top. That will weaken the boat, and increase the chance of a fatality if you rollover.

You actually survive crashes when travelling over 90mph in a canopy as opposed to death. The UIM restricts non-canopied boats speeds for a reason.

I really dont understand the resistance to canopied boats...

.....really, not just arguing, I really dont understand.

Burty · 10-11-2006, 04:24 PM

Prooly cus if canopied then you could be trapped and its not like you have safety boats at every turn, they just wouldn't be able to get to you in time

Mike Lloyd · 10-11-2006, 05:19 PM

Burty has got it in one. As for Sunseekers we want as many of them to come out and "do it" as possible regardless of the fact that Sunseeker themselves aren't interested. The ProVees and Class One mono's will have to have an open top to enable the crew to get out in a hurry and of course FlyBridge Cruisers, if they can do 40 knots, can always have the back door open so the crew can get out quick as well. Simple really. We will know within 5 seconds if you have stopped but it will take slightly longer than that to get to you. Can't have you floating underwater for up to 15 minutes 30 miles out can we?

FabFour · 10-11-2006, 05:19 PM

Think.... How do you get trapped in a canopy? The sort of accident required to knock you out so you can not get out the canopy by yourself - or cause bad damage to the craft so that you are trappedin the canopy - would almost definately kill you in an open boat.

So the tiny chance of being trapped means that all the safety provided by the canopy is thrown out the window?

So what you are saying is you would prefer to have floating bodies in the sea rather than strapped in bodies? Dead is dead, and you clearly have a much better chance of injury and death in an open boat - this is just simple fact.

Mike Lloyd · 10-11-2006, 06:15 PM

If there was one possibility of that (dead bodies floating etc) I for one would not have started making this race happen. Can’t stop you being reckless to the point that you have a serious accident, we can only rely on your sensibilities, self preservation and skill.

Johnny Rocket · 10-11-2006, 08:13 PM

Just playing devil's advocate . . .

Quote:

Originally posted by OldMan
If there was one possibility of that (dead bodies floating etc) I for one would not have started making this race happen.

It is a possibility. There are various things that can be done to reduce the likelihood, but the possibility will always be there.

Quote:

Can’t stop you being reckless to the point that you have a serious accident, we can only rely on your sensibilities, self preservation and skill.

If you're relying on people not crashing then why not allow canopied boats? Are they more likely to crash?

That's a genuine question by the way. I guess that canopied boats tend to get driven harder, so may be more likely to come unstuck . . .

Carl · 11-11-2006, 09:01 AM

what if you had the canopied boats but they raced without the canopy door,so if anything did happen the crew could still get out,so they would become half canopy boats so to speak,but i guess you dont want anyone strapped in?

Mike Lloyd · 11-11-2006, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by carly baby
what if you had the canopied boats but they raced without the canopy door,so if anything did happen the crew could still get out,so they would become half canopy boats so to speak,but i guess you dont want anyone strapped in?

That's a very sensible solution. I was thinking about this this morning, I think you have the answer. Thanks. If the guys want to strap themslves in then I wouldn't have a problem with that. It would be up to them.

FabFour · 11-11-2006, 09:42 AM

Most of the P1 'non canopy' boats have full racing harnesses. ( oh, and the obligatory kill cord in case they fall out

roger · 13-11-2006, 02:35 PM

Most of the P1 'non canopy' boats have full racing harnesses

XXX fab4 has got it wrong on this point. Restraints are potential life removers in open boats (and motorbikes).

In roll over or stuff -- occupaqnts usually get sucked out of an open cockpit.
The fab4one Belgian crew turned up to a P1 race with belts in an infalible Ring. The boat was described on German TV as the "KILLER BOAT". The belts were removed.

One factor to consider in marathon racing, is the isolation from the elements when restrained in a canopy boat. V24 class boats are an example of this phenomena. In moderataly rough sea conditions they will beat speedier Class 3 bat boats and ribs with open cockpits.
In a 'race' such as the Round Britain the organisers and the competitorsw must realise that 'safety boat' coverage is effectively zero. Each boat must be prepared for all eventualities without a nanny.

Cookee · 13-11-2006, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by roger

One factor to consider in marathon racing, is the isolation from the elements when restrained in a canopy boat. V24 class boats are an example of this phenomena. In moderataly rough sea conditions they will beat speedier Class 3 bat boats and ribs with open cockpits.

I would choose to disagree with you I'm afraid - I have driven a V24 in rough conditions, and whilst it is true you are removed from the elements inside the canopy, the reason they are quicker is the weight and power of the inboard compared to the very light outboards!

Mike Lloyd · 13-11-2006, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by roger

In a 'race' such as the Round Britain the organisers and the competitorsw must realise that 'safety boat' coverage is effectively zero. Each boat must be prepared for all eventualities without a nanny.

We are fully aware of that and hoped to ensure that all competitors were as well. However, thanks for putting it so succinctly and I am sure the competitors will take that on board as well as your other remarks. As mentioned earlier we will be aware where every boat is at all times exactly but actually getting to them quickly will be a problem, but we will be getting to them together with the RNLI, the Coast Guard via Air Sea Rescue and our own back up RIB's. Having said all that the racers are going to be "on their own" out there and should therefore be fully prepared for ANY eventuality and fitted out accordingly.

FabFour · 13-11-2006, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by roger
Most of the P1 'non canopy' boats have full racing harnesses

XXX fab4 has got it wrong on this point. Restraints are potential life removers in open boats (and motorbikes).

In a 'race' such as the Round Britain the organisers and the competitorsw must realise that 'safety boat' coverage is effectively zero. Each boat must be prepared for all eventualities without a nanny.

I personally think open boats are the danger at any sort of real speed. So does the UIM - and their research backed it up. And you can not tell people in a race 'Dont Crash!' - I dont think anyone plans for an accident, by their very nature, they happen 'by accident'.

As for P1 boats with restraints, I was on the championship winning boat of Mike & Jackie, and they definately have 5 piont harnesses, and they use them in the race. I was looking at other P1 boats and saw similar harnesses fitted and assume they have to be in use, or why else have them fitted!

Quote:

Originally posted by OldMan
Having said all that the racers are going to be "on their own" out there and should therefore be fully prepared for ANY eventuality and fitted out accordingly.

Incredible as it may seem, canopied boats do not require some one to rescue them if they roll over! They have to do a helicopter crash test to learn how to recover themselves. And in the case of an accident the canopied occupants will be in a far fitter position to assist themselves than the occupants of an open boat who would have been thrown into the sea at high speed.

Mike Lloyd · 13-11-2006, 11:15 PM

A couple of young men want to take part in the race and are looking for a boat that might be suitable. 26-29ft with either twin outboards or twin inboards sufficient to make it competitive in S1. Anything available out there, any ideas?

MrRob · 14-11-2006, 07:30 AM

Hey OldMan, did you hear from my Pilot? I was just wondering if he ever got in touch.

Mike Lloyd · 14-11-2006, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrRob
Hey OldMan, did you hear from my Pilot? I was just wondering if he ever got in touch.

Nope! erh which one?

Tony Davis · 14-11-2006, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OldMan
twin outboards or twin inboards sufficient to make it competitive in S1. Anything available out there, any ideas?

Nope, but then I'm having a bit of a problem finding out what the rules for that class and all the others are, the UIM website really is crap, or perhaps it's me!

Anyone got a link to the actual rules?