Round the Island race

[Tony Davis]

Originally Posted by TimB-C

My career speaks for it's self..

Without a doubt, probably done more more than the rest of the forum members collectively.

I know about most of your offshore stuff, but were you ever a circuit racer?

[TimB-C]

yes O great one, and thinking of doing it again!!

[BluFin]

Originally Posted by verytricky

Hey, why not form your own 'special' organisation and bring back the 1972 rulebook, and get those with a death wish to race under them thar rules!

Where can I join

(Well kept secret) Shhhhhhhh.................. Motorsports are Dangerous

[TimB-C]

quote from 1990......
Powerbaot racing is NOT dangerous
U.IM. directive to all national authorities.
All crew must display their boat number on their crash helmets...


WHY???????????? so they can till which head belongs where!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ForTwo]

No TimB, because they want 2 be sure you to take the correct boat moffo !

[beachaven]

You are entitled to your opinion of course ...

Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
So Mike, I'm sorry but I do think the rules were bent or interpreted differently when you entered last year.

Not true ... boat was built to the 2006 rules and checked and confirmed BEFORE the season with P1. If any part was not legal we would have built something else!

As stated the rules are open to interpretation and have not been policed properly, especially if you enhance the P1 show. Your boat was not built to the rules, thats why you had to remove your crash boxes after Italy last year.


Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
At breakfast you were telling everyone how much fun you had in the (your quote "6m swells"), when all other crews were freely admitting they very scared at some moments of the race.

I don't remember the conversation, but bar talk is always different to the real thing. You only have to read Jackie's race reports to understand there are clearly times we are scared too ... nothing to do with a canopy or not.
Look at the picture FORtwo posted on this forum ... do you honestly think that didn't scare the c**p out of us???

Breakfast time conversation is not bar talk, but thanks for not trying to deny it, especially as you said it front of at least 6 of your fellow compeditors.
You said it as a macho-show-off thing I know and you probably regret it.
You are right about Jackie though, she makes obvious honest statements and seems very humble in her comments and attitude. However as you seem to admit, it would be far more scary in conditions such as Malta, in any other Supersport boat in the field! fair comment?



Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
When you were challenged, about its easier when you have an inch of plexiglass between you and the elements, your reply was "well you could spend £250 or 350k (I forget)on a boat, and then you could win".

Anyone can build a boat (as opposed to buy a second hand one) to the rules. How much do you think Roscioli spent on his, or Sunseeker as a team. I can assure you that Roscioli paid the same as us and Sunseeker way more!
How much do you think some of the evolution boats cost?? $1m plus

You are right other teams have spent vast sums of money on new boats this year, but they are all open cockpit boats, with no crew restraints etc. Also they seem to all capable of speeds vastly in excess of the safety speed limit set down in the rules. But reliabilty not counting they would have to be to compete with you. Evolution costs lots, I agree, thats the class you enter with your type of boat, if you follow the spirit of the rules. Supersport was suposed to be a cheap class of racing..ie fast production boats with all the cabins & other luxuries ripped out. I admit this progression is not your fault, but in my opinion if the spirit of the rules were followed for all, they would never allowed your boat to race in SS.



Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
But in my opinion your boat is the only boat of its type in the SS field and so gives you a massive advantage, especially in rough seas.

Maybe so ... that's the reason we built it to the rules in the first place. That said, in rough seas against two "open" boats in Belgium, the Diesel was more of an advantage than a cockpit! Eveyone makes a choice in their setup!

What c**p, you know and I know, reliability not withstanding, you will win all races, especially in the rough. And the cockpit makes a massive difference at the speeds you are racing at now, as you have freely admitted.


Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
Excuse my ignorance but how did you do in your previous racing?

I think you know! In any case, we raced OPEN TOP RIBS at similar speeds to those we race now, and won in those too often, so we are quite experienced with open top boats too.

But you did not win 2 championships in a row though, when racing fundamentally similar boats and facing the same physical risks as the rest of the field.


Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
I would like to know if you agree with this policy or should something else be done to make open cockpit racing safer? if so what?

I don't agree with what you state as policy. All the rules in P1 need to be tightened up both in in terms of safety and boat definitions, but also policing of this. If you know me as well as you claim, you would know that I have (as have other team managers) relentlessly moaned at P1 and given them suggestions to improve this. One was Dyno testing which happened for the first time in Cowes, and OUR boat (among others) was selected for Dyno testing in Belgium.

The issue with "open" cockpit racing is that if they go over at the speeds we are now doing in P1 there WILL be fatalities. There were several serious injuries this year including a fatality. My opinion ... is they need to reduce the engine hp (rev limiters, smaller capacity, maximum hp etc) to slow them down to 80mph max. Screens that cover the driver over the height of their head should be mandatory. Look at how far above the deck line some teams are!

My issue exactly, P1 has been running for how many years? and last month was the 1st time that P1 actually bothered to properly check a boats legality!
P1 is not really interested in the legality or by default the safety of the boats.
Its only interest is to turn P1 into F1 on water and make loads of money.
SS is supposed to be a (cheap) production boat series, how many fast production boats have screens that cover the driver over the height of their head?


Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
As for your comment re BuzziBullit not being allowed to race last year due to production rules, 2 points you might want to consider........if you are right how come they can race the same hull this year, after only changing the deck to side by side seating?

Because Fabio Buzzi convinced P1 he would build 10 pleasure versions!

I maybe wrong but I think you will find that FB had sold more than 10 of the hull, but none with the same deck, which was obviously designed for racing.
I conceed that the boat with its f16 canopy did not meet SS rules, but the hull did. However P1's ruling said it did not comply due to tandem seating, which was against the spirit of the rules. As a canopied boat I agree that their boat should not have been eligable for SS, but why did P1 say it was ok & eligable when asked previous to purchase.



Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
How many identical Dragon boats with your engine packages have been fitted with No6 drives (I know what the rules state, but the spirit of the rules seemed so important to some people last year)?

10 ... they only put #6 drives on now!

Funny their web site states that #6 drives are only fitted with engines of 850hp and over.!!!!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
Its not you winning that pisses people off, it’s your attitude to others. Most people use the word "arrogant".

You are entitled to your opinion! At least I post under my name openly, whereas you create an alias and post anonymously

I have no real problem with you and I like Jackie, but I do have strong opinions and feelings.....I'm a great believer in fairplay and genuine sport.
So anonymoue...suits


Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
A word of warning to all teams.........Cheque book sport may well work in F1, but where the sport is supported by enthusiastic, well off amateurs, the over realistic expenditure by a few will lead to a race of a few, until it is not a race.

The intent of P1 IS to make this the F1 on the water ... so don't get into this class of powerboat racing if you think you can do this on the cheap! This requires serious money and serious sponsors!! All of the teams are spending £100k plus per year just to race, and with repairs, a lot more.
This is like mid-tier motor (Car) racing anywhere else in terms of cost. I know, I used to run a Rally Car.

So how come you are racing this year? you told me in the winter you could not afford to enter this year without a sponsor....your boat shows no new major sponsor, so who's paying this year? Sorry to ask but you did bring it up.
As for the Rally Car, did Jackie let you drive sometimes!!! (just a joke)



Quote:
Originally Posted by beachaven
As a fan I hope next year the rules will be understandable & easy to interpret. But most of all be safe and lead to close racing.

Fingers crossed

Could not agree more

[Jon Fuller]

I don't know who you are, but I do wonder why your gripe seems to be with Mike & Jackie as a team, when actually, if you really have a gripe, it should be with the organisers for not enforcing these rules that you claim make 'Extremeboat' ilegal.

Racing is about taking the rules, and building/racing a boat to as close to the boundaries of those rules as possible, ask Fabio!

Stop this rubbish, and if you feel you have a genuine gripe, take it up with P1, not the competitors.

If on the other hand your motivation for this continuing attack on M & J is 'personal' which I believe it is, this is not the place for your ranting.

If you don't like Mike, tell him to his his face, I'm sure he'll be distraught!

Mike, you clearly know who this fella is, he's intent on causing public aggro for you, how about you tell us all who he is and what his 'position' is. It seems a little one sided as it is.


PS. I can't begin to imagine what makes you think you have the right to ask how M & J finance their racing! It's really NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

[TimB-C]

Well put and well said Jon,
I would also like to know who this AH and "roger" are..
As for the "how do they finance their racing" damned hard work and very long hours I should think, possibly these two mongrels know nothing about.
Keep winning Mike and Jackie..

[doug]

Mikey.

How can you be bothered to reply to such a Feckin tosser?

You and Jackie are doing a fantastic job on and off the water to promote the Class.
Imho. Anything over 80mph Canopies should be mandatory and if an organiser of ANY event says no canopies then they should be liable in event of an accident. Its the RACERS life at stake and he / she should be allowed to decide.

[verytricky]

I am confused, is Beachaven 'Gavin Brown' or is Rodger 'Gavin Brown'???

[Jon Holmes]

????

[verytricky]

Originally Posted by Turnip1

????

Did you know that when you bang your head on your keyboard it beeps at you.

[2.5 offshore]

Dont know if its just a coincidence but just came but from Malta on hoilday and Found a bar called Beach Haven in St Julians Bay. Dont know if there is some connection but the bay was full of ********s.

[beachaven]

Originally Posted by doug

Mikey.

How can you be bothered to reply to such a Feckin tosser?

You and Jackie are doing a fantastic job on and off the water to promote the Class.
Imho. Anything over 80mph Canopies should be mandatory and if an organiser of ANY event says no canopies then they should be liable in event of an accident. Its the RACERS life at stake and he / she should be allowed to decide.

My point exactly.....agreed Mike & Jackie do an excellent job of promoting P1, they also did an excellent job in choosing a boat to race. Also I agree it is upto them how much money they spent or spend on racing. However in my opinion I think that by P1 being so media/promotion driven, rules are bent, changed or interpreted to suit! to keep some teams racing within the P1 series. This situation, I feel will have a long term negative effect on the sport of powerboat racing. P1's business is wholly subsidised by well off enthusiasts.
As M&J have found out this year, corporate sponsorship is very difficult to find. So if teams have to spend vast sums of money to compete, we will find current teams pulling out and new entrants harder to find.
Mike agrees that current boat speeds in SS are dangerous, so why buy a boat capable of 95mp+ when the speed limit in SS at the time of ordering as 75mph on a speed gun?

The quote above shows a little ignorance. The rules say no canopies and set a top speed for safety. The problem is they are not policed. A change in the rules to what you and Mike suggest, would be sensible for safety. However a rule change of this type only suits M&J's boat and the rest of the field would have to spend a fortune to compete. Therefore no SS next year!! 2 years ago the rules worked and speed limits were rarely exceeded.

Others r right I may have got a bit too personal and for this I appologise. I have stated my opinion to P1 organisers more than once. They agree privately, but will not make decisions that will effect the media bandwagon.

I stayed in St Julians this year and did not see a bar called "beachaven". will look next year, for it though.

regards & good luck to all racers in Portugal, this includes M&J.

[2.5 offshore]

sorry my mistake it was st pauls bay

[beachaven]

I don't know who you are, but I do wonder why your gripe seems to be with Mike & Jackie as a team, when actually, if you really have a gripe, it should be with the organisers for not enforcing these rules that you claim make 'Extremeboat' ilegal.

Allready appologised for being to personal, --my bad--, sorry again. However I do generally not like selfish, arrogant people, as rule. If my impressions r way off base, then...SORRY.

Racing is about taking the rules, and buil lding/racing a boat to as close to the boundaries of those rules as possible, ask Fabio!

I agree with your statement for virtually every other class of PB racing, but you r not supposed to build race boats when entering P1 SS, it is meant to be a production boat class. I admit that over the last 2 years other teams have stretched the interpretation of this rule & P1 have changed the definitions to suit current & new compeditors.

Stop this rubbish, and if you feel you have a genuine gripe, take it up with P1, not the competitors.

The long term future of P1 powerboat racing and the safety of all racers is not rubbish. As stated I have made my opinions clear to P1. I thought this was an open forum, where views & opinions can be freely shared so all that are concerned or have a view, can have their say. I have read other strings where personal attacks have been far more extreme and crude.

If on the other hand your motivation for this continuing attack on M & J is 'personal' which I believe it is, this is not the place for your ranting.

Your wrong re motivation, but agreed should not be personal.

If you don't like Mike, tell him to his his face, I'm sure he'll be distraught!

Your right, so why create an atmoshere

Mike, you clearly know who this fella is, he's intent on causing public aggro for you, how about you tell us all who he is and what his 'position' is. It seems a little one sided as it is.

No intended public aggro, just an honest opinion. Pls explain how the “one sided statement”. Only 1 or 2 people have basically agreed with my views, where Mike seems to have many supporters in this string. Agreed the later do not seem to add anything really clever or really relevant.


PS. I can't begin to imagine what makes you think you have the right to ask how M & J finance their racing! It's really NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Your right, just curious though, as they told everybody who would listen in the winter
“that they could not afford race this season, without a sponsor”. But your right, its only their business.
__________________
miserable old sod

[Matt]

Originally Posted by beachaven

I thought this was an open forum, where views & opinions can be freely shared so all that are concerned or have a view, can have their say.

It is. You have, and so has everyone else.

Originally Posted by beachaven

I have read other strings where personal attacks have been far more extreme and crude.

That doesn't make it right.

Originally Posted by beachaven

No intended public aggro, just an honest opinion. Pls explain how the “one sided statement”. Only 1 or 2 people have basically agreed with my views, where Mike seems to have many supporters in this string.

If you believe they're cheating, protest them and put your honest opinion to the test.

Originally Posted by beachaven

Your right, just curious though, as they told everybody who would listen in the winter “that they could not afford race this season, without a sponsor”.

You honestly believed that? Gullible.

__________________
miserable old sod