2004 World and European Class 3 Champs

Cookee · 15-03-2004, 09:34 AM

VIAREGGIO OFFSHORE 2004

WORD CHAMPIONSHIPS Class. 3D (4 ltr.) – 3S (6 ltr.)

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Class. 3C ( 2ltr.)

SEPTEMBER 15th - 19th 2004

CLUB NAUTICO VERSILIA

P.zza Palombari dell’Artiglio -Darsena Europa -55049
Viareggio (LU) Italy
Tel. +39 0584 31444 - Fax +39 0584 31447
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA MOTONAUTICA Via Piranesi, 44/b – 20137 Milano – Italy
Tel. +39 02 701637 - Fax +39 02 70163325
E-mail info@fimconi.it

More details at the end of June - if you want a copy of the PDF file with more details on it PM or email me and I will email it to you.

I have done this event before and if anyone needs any help or advice let me know,

I believe the 2 litre worlds are to be in Sweden this year, although the fuel issue from last year in Norway has yet to be resolved as far as I am aware, and I think that it will be even worse in Sweden as the "Aspen" fuel is more readily available! ............. Ah well.

Adam · 23-03-2004, 06:13 PM

Who is racing what, where and when this year?

Cookee · 23-03-2004, 07:03 PM

Dunno mate - I'm doing RIBS and poker runs though!

Adam · 23-03-2004, 10:26 PM

We are going to do most Nationals in 2 litre and planning to go Sweden. Depends on time and money I guess - both of which I would like more of!

Hopefully do a few other events incl. poker runs with the demo RIB.

Cookee · 24-03-2004, 08:54 AM

I would clarify the RYA and the UIM's standing on fuel - the Aspen fuel used by the Swedes and Norwegians in Norway at the Worlds was about 100 octane (I think!) -

It was certainly rocket fuel and they even had it delivered in 20 litre barrels - when we said it wasn't pumped fuel they just said they would put a pump on one of the barrels for our benefit!

The RYA, the Italians and the UIM got nowwhere with it but Roy Smith still won and we had a podium in the second race, but if had been flat none of us would have had a chance!

doug · 25-03-2004, 07:19 PM

lets hope its flat this year then.

Cookee · 25-03-2004, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by doug
lets hope its flat this year then.

I take it from your comment that you would be happy for the Scandinavians to walk over the rest of the world with thier use of an illegal fuel then?

Have I upset you or are you just being provocative or a

doug · 25-03-2004, 07:44 PM

No you have nt upset me at all but im sure youd agree that "flat " water would be better for my boat.

Cookee · 25-03-2004, 07:58 PM

You had better get yourself a Swedish or Norwegian tuned engine and some jet fuel then - they had a cat that reckened he was doing 94 mph in the Fjiord - and it looked like he might have been from where I was standing - it didn't last in the rough water though - he stuffed it at well over 70 mph!

doug · 26-03-2004, 09:09 AM

And hes still got a smile on his face!

Is that Thomas Wrenklers old boat in the back ground and if so how did it go?

Cookee · 26-03-2004, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by doug
And hes still got a smile on his face!

Is that Thomas Wrenklers old boat in the back ground and if so how did it go?

- And he is the Norwegian UIM rep - I quote " We only use this fuel to stop us blowing the engines up!" So would we if could could run stuff like that but we don't because it's illegal!

He was quite philosophical about the whole thing - he knew the boat was far too small for offshore when it got rough - he just can't help himself and admitted to pushing too hard.

Despite all of the hassle with the fuel they are a great bunch of people who made us very welcome indeed.

I think he ended up on the podium in the end - the UIM book only lists the winners - probably got the results on the website?

lindeman · 28-03-2004, 04:51 PM

Thomas Wrenkler finished 2nd with fellow Swede Thomas Rosén finishing 3rd...

When it comes to the Aspen fuel, it is 99/93 octane. It is defenately not rocket fuel - the regular unleaded pump fuel (98 octane) is actually burning faster. The problem with regular 98 octane in Norway and most other European countries is the big change that happened to the specs in 1998. The XR2 couldn't really cope with it - and we started blowing up engines. This was defenately true in Scandinavia where the cats are running at more than 7000 rpm over longer periods. What we found out from the oil companies was that they couldn't garantee smooth running of their fuel on the old XR2s. We then changed to Aspen to avoid racing getting much more expensive. I can give you a hell of a lot details about the history behind this :-)

My boat should really have managed stuffing at 70 mph, but some sort of structural failure forced us to retire. (The first time my boat was running ok last year). For this year I have a brand new Argo 23 - the old one was a bit short on the downwind legs...

I was actually running the old boat at 97 mph in a regular offshore race last year, and with an engine that had been set up by Marcus Johnsson (it was his old boat) for Italian fuel - not for Aspen. Aspen did nothing to the speed...

Also for the record - I'm the President of Powerboating in Norway. Eivind Smedstad is our UIM rep in Cominoff...

I hope to see you all in Sweden in August - if I've got the time.

-Morten-

Cookee · 28-03-2004, 05:10 PM

Morten,

Nice to hear from you - sorry about confusing who was the UIM rep!

Thank you for your and your friends hospitality in Norway, I know from the other teams we were all felt very welcome there and we had a great time - driving down the Fjiord flat out in a race boat and those starts are something I will remember for a long time to come!

As you know we felt that buying fuel in 20 litre barrels does not contitute "pump fuel", and There must have been other differances in the fuel to warrent you running your engines on 100 jets when ourselves and the Italians were running on 90 or smaller jets. The other point is that if we can run on pump fuel then surely so can you! Yes XR2 engines can be fragile, and I think you will find that in the UK we run over 7000 RPM as well, but we don't run with seperate water pickups either.

I would be very interested in what happened about protests from ourselves and the Italians about the fuel as I understand it was going to be sorted out with the UIM afterwards but I have heard nothing else since?

I think we will be too busy racing in the RIB formula 2 class to attend the World championships in Sweden, although I would be tempted to make the trip over as a spectator if I can!

All the best and welcome to the forum (by the way I have a copy of the video - it's great!)

doug · 28-03-2004, 05:57 PM

Morten

Can you tell me how the silver hydrolift to the left of yours in the picture did in the worlds. Im presuming it was Thomas wrenklers origonally and that its last owner was Thomas smolderen, please excuse the spelling if Ive not got his surname right.

Thanks.

Doug.

lindeman · 28-03-2004, 07:24 PM

Doug,

the boat left to me is the old boat of Thomas Wrenkler and Thomas Smordalen. C-94 is currently owned by two Norwegian brothers, named Ore. They did not do very well in the championships, but I cannot remember their total placement...

-Morten-

lindeman · 28-03-2004, 07:34 PM

Nice hearing you had a good time in Norway, specially after all the fuzz about the fuel!

UIM Cominoff had their mid-term meeting this weekend, and they wanted a comfirmation from Norway that the upcoming event world championships will not be run on other fuel than the unleded 98 octane available from the local gas station. This was confirmed by our Cominoff rep.

I think the jet size has something to do with how you set up the engine, but I'm certainly not an engineer, and I only have to refer what others are telling me.

I don't really know the difference between the fuel in UK and in Norway and Sweden, but I know for sure the quality of fuel in Norway is not the best. What we don't like to see, is for competitors blowing up their engines because of poor fuel.

Btw; if you have some friend of yours running a car from the 50s/60s, please ask him if he/she is running on regular, unleaded fuel. I know the answer...

When competing in the Norwegian Championships, boats can be set up with separate waterpickups, but currently no-one is using it.

-Morten-

Cookee · 29-03-2004, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lindeman

UIM Cominoff had their mid-term meeting this weekend, and they wanted a comfirmation from Norway that the upcoming event world championships will not be run on other fuel than the unleded 98 octane available from the local gas station. This was confirmed by our Cominoff rep.

Btw; if you have some friend of yours running a car from the 50s/60s, please ask him if he/she is running on regular, unleaded fuel. I know the answer...

-Morten-

Hi Morten,

I thought the Championships were in Sweden this year?

As I understand the leaded fuel situation it makes no differance at all to a 2 stroke as the lead is only there for the valves etc in a 4 stroke?

As far as jet sizes are concerned it would be interesting to know if the "set up" would have to be changed for regular pump fuel?

All the best,

lindeman · 29-03-2004, 09:28 AM

The 3C championships is in Sweden (Nynäshavn), but we have the 3B worlds...

You might be right about the leaded fuel. Neverless, the change in 1998 really f.... up a lot of the Scandinavian XR2s.

When it comes to the jet size, I don't think they matter that much for detonation - which has been the problem for us. The MON number is very low on the Scandinavian unleaded 98 octane fuel (98 = RON) - it has been measured to be 87 octane for fuel samples. A standard XR2 with no modifications at all can experience detonation from our regular fuel...

-Morten-

Cookee · 29-03-2004, 09:36 AM

I see forgot about the 3B worlds!

I hear what you are saying about the changes to the fuel, but out of all of the other boats (4 english and the italians) there was only 1 engine problem (me!) and I don't think that was a fuel problem as we ran 2 races on the same fuel!

I hope you get a boat sorted out for this season and maybe see you in Sweden?

lindeman · 29-03-2004, 09:40 AM

I hope to be running in Sweeden with my new boat as well, preferably on Aspen fuel, allthough my engines are able to run on the poor 98 octane as well. (Please note; with slightly better performance).

My problem is that I'm currently very busy with a project in London, together with lots of things to do in the Norwegian Motorsport Federation. Could someone please give the day more than 24 hours?!

-Morten-