Andy,
I think if you read what "I have writ!!" you will actually see you have not quiet understood my points.
P1 is not nor can not be called offshore
P1 IS NOT RACING nor can it be called racing.
Predicted log perhaps or Time trial or what? you tell me yes these fabulous and inpressive boats are going around a circuit laid out specifically for them.
It can not even be classed as a Rally because that is an amalgamation of fast speed sectors culminating in a winner.
But to call it racing is an insult to your and my intelligence and to the great public who come to watch and event running as a "RACE"
Now, however exciting and fantastic the w/e was at Cowes friday was a farce. The loosers were the spectators, the sponsors and the guys who spend millions to race. That you have to agree is a fact.
I am not and very rarely knock the sort and this is the point you are missing.
What I draw issue with is those who promote something that is not what the say it is!.
I agree with some of what has been said and that is OFFSHORE is boring when like the C/T/C you see the boats for 5 mins then they bugger of for 2 hours and then come back in dribs and dabs.
What I have tried and want to do is to promote a sport that does stay true to its's origin yet cater for all.
I would quickly point out that there was no racing in the '50's!! It started in 1961 and was designed to improve boat design etc, and thanks to that we have boats like the Sunseeker to-day to name but one.
So how can we move forward while keeping to the original premise??
We do need to open the sport up as it was back the by having Class 1 2 etc which will allow "joe Bloggs" with his sunseeker/tremlett/abatte etc to go racing to far off laces but when they depart and you wait for them to return you organise a full program of events to keep up the excitement.
So the "offshore boys" boys roar ff then 20 mins later the first honda race,then a ski race and so on an EVENT.
Allow me to give an example BRISTOL DOCKS, cricuit I know, now the majority came to see the big boys who would race then all the smaller and more often than not the more exciting boats raced then the big boys would come out again.
The sport has to be an EVENT ev F1 cars have support races.
Little Nige mentioned Key West, what he has sid is 100% correct but he left out the fact that although the boats run within feet of the dock and in some cases inches!! they are still doing a big offshore leg or two and on the final days racing the big leg has some horrendous big holes!
Unfortunately, here in the UK we are not lucky enough to have authorities who allow the boats to run close to teh ports and shore line as they can in USA.
Organisers have to organise events and if it is to be called a race let the buggers race, not stop 100yds from the finish and have quick break and wait for the computer to say you can go again. Also to make it work truly efectively then you do really have to ban electronics and go back to charts and a stop watch..............................
Appologies for boring you all