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26-10-2013, 12:06 AM
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#1
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Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Coventry (but from Lee on Solent)
Occupation: Sales Director
Interests: My Boat of course
Boat make: Extreme 21
Engines: Merc V8
Cruising area: Solent
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Coventry (but from Lee on Solent)
Posts: 587
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Race boat experiences
I was reading the Unipart thread and it got me to thinking. Many of us on this site have been lucky enough to own / drive small single engine race boats. This is, however, one of the few offshore powerboat communities that is fortunate enough to include members that have owned / driven some of the most iconic powerboats ever to have existed.
I'm thinking of some of the big cougars, CUVs, Buzzi's Cigs, as well as some of the other class two 4& 6 litre cats and phantoms (modern and classic) and marathon boats. it really would be fantastic to capture some of the first hand experiences of those that have been lucky enough to throttle / helm some of these boats.
I was just thinking that if we dodn't start to capture some of these experiences we might miss the chance... Which really would be a travesty. So come on you lucky buggers... Tell us how it felt to open the taps on several hundred ponies in an offshore race situation
I for one would love to hear of some of the thrills and spills...
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The Docta
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27-10-2013, 03:37 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 43
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Surprised there hasn't been any replies so perhaps someone could help me with my quandary to push this thread along.
To fly a helicopter you need:
One foot on the left pedal & one foot on the right pedal to control left and right yaw
Left hand on the collective leaver & throttle to climb & descend
Right hand on the cyclic stick to steer left, right, go backwards & go forwards
All can be mastered by one pilot whilst navigating and talking to fight control
Lets be honest here, virtually any one person can pilot a powerboat with some degree of success with minimal and even no instruction.
So perhaps someone can explain why it take two people to pilot a one of these iconic crafts that Docta refers too, when it only takes one person to pilot a helicopter that is way more challenging to control than a boat.
Or what’s the history of this one person steers and one person throttles thing?
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27-10-2013, 04:07 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Country: uk
Location: salcombe
Occupation: semi retired
Interests: racing(middle east class 3 6l)
Boat name: still no worries
Boat make: phantom18
Engines: 2.5 efi
Cruising area: salcombe
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: salcombe
Posts: 499
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helicopter = nice smooth air and by your self
power boat= bloody big waves inches from another powerboats
and anyone can pilot a powerboat but winning a championship is a whole different matter !
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27-10-2013, 04:25 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by still no worries
helicopter = nice smooth air and by your self
power boat= bloody big waves inches from another powerboats
and anyone can pilot a powerboat but winning a championship is a whole different matter !
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Year I know, I've done both.
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27-10-2013, 04:31 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Country: uk
Location: salcombe
Occupation: semi retired
Interests: racing(middle east class 3 6l)
Boat name: still no worries
Boat make: phantom18
Engines: 2.5 efi
Cruising area: salcombe
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: salcombe
Posts: 499
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so you know the answer to your own qustion
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27-10-2013, 04:32 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Country: Guernsey
Occupation: Postie
Interests: Heavy Heavy Metal
Boat name: Slayer II, Slayer, Pen15
Boat make: Phantom 19G-R, Bernico F2 Extreme, Ring 15
Engines: Evinrude 115HO, Yam 90
Cruising area: Channel Islands
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,460
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A helicopter isn't usually racing other helicopters over an ever changing terrain...
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27-10-2013, 05:01 PM
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#7
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Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Laandan meyt
Occupation: R&D Projects Director
Interests: Racing Boats? Building Superyachts.
Boat name: Atlantic Challenger
Boat make: 1 x Honda 27ft race - 1x 17m Challenge prototype
Engines: 225 - tickled. Force Rotax 500 hp x 4
Cruising area: All of UK
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Laandan meyt
Posts: 126
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Not proud of this...... but then when the right foot does nt know what the hands are doing, plus the Nav is saying make your move later it can all end in disaster............. memories......
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27-10-2013, 05:10 PM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 43
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I’m not trying to offend anybody here. What I’m trying to say is you have to do many tasks at once in a helicopter and indeed in a single engine race boat to get the best out of them, but it can be done. So why does it take two to pilot a larger boat? It’s a genuine question. Perhaps it is a simple as big waves makes it physically impossible to do it solo. I don’t know, I’ve never piloted a large multy engine race boat before. I would like a genuine answer as I’m sure many other people would. And what’s the history behind it? who was the first to do it and realise it gave them an advantage.
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27-10-2013, 05:24 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,374
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We only competited in RB8 and 1 CTC so not that much experience.
The boat was a 10 meter non stepped Hunton Rib with twin 425's so not that quick. Your correct 1 man can do both, however if you really want to push the boat and fly over the waves I will either steer or throttle and never do both.
Remember you have to trim the boat and we found that the driver has more time and feeling. Throttle man has to concentrate looking for the big wave that comes along.
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27-10-2013, 05:27 PM
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dellboy
Not proud of this...... but then when the right foot does nt know what the hands are doing, plus the Nav is saying make your move later it can all end in disaster............. memories......
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That’s kind of my point, I think!
You had all the controls with one brain making the decisions and got it wrong. So it must be even harder to read and react to what the other pilot will do. Or can the other pilot correct or compensate for his co-pilots errors? Does that make sense?
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27-10-2013, 05:29 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Country: Guernsey
Occupation: Postie
Interests: Heavy Heavy Metal
Boat name: Slayer II, Slayer, Pen15
Boat make: Phantom 19G-R, Bernico F2 Extreme, Ring 15
Engines: Evinrude 115HO, Yam 90
Cruising area: Channel Islands
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,460
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I don't think it's because it's impossible for one person to throttle, trim, steer and navigate a larger boat... I think it's because 2 people working together can do it better. One guy concentrating on keeping the boat trimmed properly and throttled while the other takes care of navigation and steering makes much more sense than trying to do it all yourself.
Also a twin engined counter rotating boat is somewhat self-levelling roll wise. On a smaller powerful single you have prop torque, meaning steering and throttle input play a much larger role in keeping the boat flying straight without twisting - therefore easier for one person to handle than two.
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27-10-2013, 05:34 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Country: uk
Location: salcombe
Occupation: semi retired
Interests: racing(middle east class 3 6l)
Boat name: still no worries
Boat make: phantom18
Engines: 2.5 efi
Cruising area: salcombe
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: salcombe
Posts: 499
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x-cat
when i raced an x-cat the throttle man had throttles x2 trim x2 and all the dials to keep an eye on (tacho"s, trim gauges, water pressure, fuel pressure, water temp, all x2) and the all important waves, the driver had the start run and the course + all the other boats to worry about, you could pilot an x-cat by your self but its a good bet you would be slower ! there"s probably more to think about than flying a helicopter,
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27-10-2013, 05:36 PM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 513
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It's called "teamwork"
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27-10-2013, 05:45 PM
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 43
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Some good replies thank you, any more?
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27-10-2013, 07:46 PM
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#15
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Registered User
Country: UK
Location: london
Occupation: Powerboat Skipper
Interests: Boats , bikes!
Boat name: Renegade
Boat make: GPV-RENEGADE
Engines: 150 HO etec
Cruising area: Thames, south coast, anywhere!
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: london
Posts: 2,330
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Do a basic race and find out yourself. You have the boat. Do the shakedown race.
Paul
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27-10-2013, 07:47 PM
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#16
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Registered User
Country: UK
Location: london
Occupation: Powerboat Skipper
Interests: Boats , bikes!
Boat name: Renegade
Boat make: GPV-RENEGADE
Engines: 150 HO etec
Cruising area: Thames, south coast, anywhere!
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: london
Posts: 2,330
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul E
I don't think it's because it's impossible for one person to throttle, trim, steer and navigate a larger boat... I think it's because 2 people working together can do it better. One guy concentrating on keeping the boat trimmed properly and throttled while the other takes care of navigation and steering makes much more sense than trying to do it all yourself.
Also a twin engined counter rotating boat is somewhat self-levelling roll wise. On a smaller powerful single you have prop torque, meaning steering and throttle input play a much larger role in keeping the boat flying straight without twisting - therefore easier for one person to handle than two.
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Didn't John Clarke throttle and drive??
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Im re branding pepper spray as Arsehole Repellant.im going to make a fortune.
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27-10-2013, 08:04 PM
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 513
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Renegade
Didn't John Clarke throttle and drive??
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Yes, I believe he did, which only goes to prove it's a 2 man job.
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27-10-2013, 08:09 PM
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Renegade
Do a basic race and find out yourself. You have the boat. Do the shakedown race.
Paul
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Think that was meant for me but did six seasons in the Honda series - 130's, won the 150's and raced 225's so know how close and challenging boats can be. Just never understood why it takes two pilot a boat but I now have a clearer understanding.
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27-10-2013, 09:00 PM
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#19
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Registered User
Country: Sweden
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 279
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No problem with throttle and drive. Did it in RB 2008 and still do.
Think Dean Gibbs drives his 2000 hp Fountain with footthrottle.
Didn´t Jackie Hunt do that also in the P1 Arpro?
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27-10-2013, 09:25 PM
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#20
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Registered User
Country: Guernsey
Occupation: Postie
Interests: Heavy Heavy Metal
Boat name: Slayer II, Slayer, Pen15
Boat make: Phantom 19G-R, Bernico F2 Extreme, Ring 15
Engines: Evinrude 115HO, Yam 90
Cruising area: Channel Islands
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,460
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikko Oikari
No problem with throttle and drive. Did it in RB 2008 and still do.
Think Dean Gibbs drives his 2000 hp Fountain with footthrottle.
Didn´t Jackie Hunt do that also in the P1 Arpro?
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Mikko do you use hand throttles? What about trim and ballast tanks?
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