Cowes Classic 04

[Ben]

Originally posted by nobwaver
I should think :-

"Theres no room in the pits for your Honda boats, they will have to arrive by water"

might have something to do with it!!!!!!

Ned Ive nothing against noisy boats or men with grey hair, just the persons who ONLY want that combination at Cowes, they are the people who are killing Cowes.

"not" was a reference to one of those persons.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I think I'm becoming a bit thin-skinned in my 'dotage'.

[Tony Davis]

The "kiddies" class is up and running with great success at the RM in Poole. It's also travelling round the country to different venues.

The RYA Powerboat Racing stand at the LBS last year was pretty good, it's just a shame that it was the RYA.

Once you read the list of costings from them to put a boat on the water you realise the money could be better spent. It's hard justifying the costs to the family for an hours enjoyment/torture half a dozen times a year.

What with Licences, medicals, measurement certificate, entry fees etc your fckd before you start.

The first season with Honda was good, the purchase of the boat included all the fees as well, (Honda covered them) and the winner won a car! Don't know how it's done now as I'm not involved.

[Tony Davis]

Ned, you've had the misfortune to have your head on the chopping block on a few occassions, what are your thoughts?

[Louise]

Originally posted by Tony Davis
The "kiddies" class is up and running with great success at the RM in Poole. It's also travelling round the country to different venues.

So if Poole can get it right (with kids' and adults' races), why can't this be applied to the rest of racing?

The RYA Powerboat Racing stand at the LBS last year was pretty good, it's just a shame that it was the RYA.

I spent a day at LBS last year and didn't see anything about racing - if you only find it if you're looking for it, surely it isn't being publicised enough? I would have liked to see a race boat on the water, maybe even giving rides, as was done at RIBEX this year.

Once you read the list of costings from them to put a boat on the water you realise the money could be better spent. It's hard justifying the costs to the family for an hours enjoyment/torture half a dozen times a year.

Is there a way round this? What about some form of co-ownership? Race horses are often owned by a syndicate so why not race boats? I know race boats can't breed so that source of income from the investment is not available but surely, if it was marketed well, having a share in a race boat could be a similar kind of 'status symbol'. I know businesses already sponsor race boats, but I'm talking about individuals. Obviously the race teams would need to offer something in return - rides in the boat (non-racing!), clothing items, naming the boat after the main sponsor, etc. Anyone tried this?

[Louise]

You all thought I'd shut up, didn't you...?

Just a couple more thoughts and then I will:

1. How much 'self-publicity' do racers do? I know it's yet another drain on their time but... My parents (and Dad loves boats and has owned little displacement boats virtually all his adult life) live in South Devon (the home of Bananashark Racing for those who don't know) and yet they did not know that a powerboat racing team was based just a couple of miles down the road! I'm sorry to use you as an example, Cookee, but it's the only one I can use!

2. How can 'celebrities' be persuaded to join in? As our society seems to be obsessed by all things to do with 'stars', perhaps they could be encouraged to take up powerboat racing? Ones who spring to mind: Richard Branson (did a stunt with an 'aquacar' not long ago); Eddie Irvine (ex-F1 driver - loves speed and boats); David Beckham??? (Well, if he got into powerboat racing, everyone else would have to as well!!!)

OK. My lips are sealed and my fingers are tied together!

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally posted by Mrs Nobber
You all thought I'd shut up, didn't you...?



Richard Branson (did a stunt with an 'aquacar' not long ago); Eddie Irvine (ex-F1 driver - loves speed and boats); David Beckham??? !

Richard Branson's Virgin group of companies sponsored the Cowes race in 86, don't remember if he continued after that but I imagine that someone who is as "publicity hungry" as him would be very unlikely to sponsor it again.

The likes of David Beckham wouldn't be allowed to due to contractual problems and the risk of injury.

[Louise]

Originally posted by Dirk Diggler
The likes of David Beckham wouldn't be allowed to due to contractual problems and the risk of injury.

Maybe when he's retired from football - if he's not too busy commentating, or managing or a being a chat show host or whatever!!!

Anyone got any thoughts about the other points I raised?

And what about advertising racing? Don't remember ever seeing anything at the yard where we keep our boat for example (which shall remain nameless as Ice Kiddie worries about security if that kind of info is broadcast on the 'net!)

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally posted by Mrs Nobber


1. How much 'self-publicity' do racers do?

With a few exception none what so ever. Cookee obviously does his bit, needs to win a race occasionally though.

Shelly Jory over at Honda does loads, always in the local Southampton paper, Tom Crump and the lovely Vicki get quite a bit in Bournemouth, just a shame it's nearly all untrue.

It seems most teams can't even be arsed to fill in a profile, but maybe past experience has shown it's a waste of time.

Ross Nott used to do some PR work for the sport, but she's now involved with the sick, lame & lazy at Cowes.

[bert]

going back to the bit about people critisizing and standing on the side lines i looked into going in to basic racing cost me 1k to get the boat through all regs which is saftey so fair enough but saw carly thread about costing him £750 just to do one race at basic level
why cant basic mean basic like what drivers wharf do on poker run day cost £50 for boat £20 for passenger and you get champayne breakfast lunch in cowes and full buffet in evening with entertainment and race around all day aswell as having saftey boats and the proceeds go to charity and with a good turn out if they can do it and make money for charity why can`t rya or whoever is in charge do it
if the race is going on anyway why not have basic race that is cheap enough for normal people with small boats who just want to have fun that is what it is what it is meant to be all about anyway isn`t it there is enough people on here with fast boats that if only cost £70 / race would do it
and with more people going could charge £5 for public to sea racing or pits
or am i just being niave

[Ben]

Originally posted by Tony Davis
Ned, you've had the misfortune to have your head on the chopping block on a few occassions, what are your thoughts?

Please allow me the luxury of negativity to begin.

I am certainly no apologist for the RYA's Powerboat Racing Division, but even if it did its very best to promote the 'sport', it must be remembered that it is the Royal YACHTING Assoc. We are tolerated at best. The next paragraph is from one of my earlier posts. Sorry to repeat myself.

"The RYA has increased calendar fees to the organising clubs (which are in turn passed on to the competitors) at an alarming rate whilst insisting that nationally registered boats must be re-measured yearly, a revenue producing measure if there ever was one but this initiative is of no benefit to the competitor. The money is collected, secreted away and gone forever but then again, I'm sure it benefits some sailing programme somewhere."

The following is from my resignation letter to a powerboat club that I have been associated with for some time. It was written in August 03 but not sent.

"What benefit is derived from association with the RYA? The obvious answers are affiliation with the UIM and some forlorn notion of legitimacy. Surely, with the number of offshore craft racing in the UK we should be dictating to them, not the reverse. According to PB1 2003 it will cost the average racer approximately £200 for his or her licence plus £55 to renew a measurement certificate and this outlay of £255. does not even include RYA membership. RYA personal membership is currently £25 - £28 and includes a multitude of benefits (look to their website for a full list). The sailors pay less than £30 and get everything. Offshore racers pay ten times that and we get the powerboat racing manager going to New Zealand to try out jet boats. Oh well, it’s only money (ours) and was probably a fun trip.

The new classes set out by the RYA are interesting. Formula 1, 2, and 3 could be workable. Similar boats of similar power having a good tussle. Formula X however is remarkably ill conceived. Unlimited ribs versus Touring boats. It seems inconceivable that the owner of an Extreme 26 with 425hp would want to go head to head with something like ‘The Big Rib’ (ex Roger Fletcher 40’ Techno with close to 2000 total horsepower) but alas, they are in the same class. Admitedly, I have a vested interest (I spent the better part of a year, 1995. helping to get the Sports/Touring class underway- hundreds of phone calls, mailings, numerous meetings RYA and otherwise and all of this as an unpaid volunteer and at my expense.

We are simultaneously the cash cows and the black sheep of the RYA. A quote from Abraham Lincoln regarding the Confederacy springs to mind, “It’s like holding a wolf by the ears, you don’t like it but you dare not let go”. This is an apt description of how the RYA regards powerboat racing. Get away from the RYA, they are an irrelevance. .

My opinion of Basic Racing (from the same letter)

"It was with great dismay that I read a letter in the June edition of Motor Boat & Yachting that there was to be no basic race in Cowes for 2003. The correspondent had done safety at Cowes for a number of years and had decided to take the plunge and race in 2003. Imagine his disappointment when he was told by the event director that there was to be no basic race as there were “too many boats”.

I played a role in the first Cowes basic race in 1998. Actually my participation after getting the idea from Barry Cass and running it past Tim Powell (whose response thankfully was ‘go for it) was phoning everyone I knew with a fast boat and placing flyers at most marinas on the South Coast. As the phone calls were received, they were collated, race instructions were dispatched. There was no monetary gain in this but I was happy do it. If we could get more newcomers onto the water it had to be a worthwhile endeavour. It was an opportunity for the novice to rub shoulders with the ‘big boys’, to experience the glamour and bask in the reflected glory. A number of racers turned up on the day and some continue racing in the Internationally recognised classes today. Perhaps it is no longer of any importance to give ‘the little guy’ his moment of glory. I find this deeply depressing."

Now on a positive note. The way forward IMHO is for powerboat racing/poker runs etc. to be totally dis-associated from the RYA. The main clubs/associations that organise racing in Britain are Allhallows, BIBOA, BPRC, F4SA/UKOBA, ORDA, The Royal Motor and V24 (please forgive me if anyone has been left out). Perhaps it's time for representatives from each of these organisations to meet and try to come to some sort of accord. The UIM might be more than willing to listen and if we don't want UIM recognition and just have national class racing, that might not be a bad thing either.

[Louise]

Originally posted by Ned
Perhaps it's time for representatives from each of these organisations to meet and try to come to some sort of accord.

Wow! Thanks for that very detailed response, Ned.

So who's volunteering to get in touch with all the reps? Perhaps they could be pointed in the direction of this forum, too?

[Louise]

Originally posted by Tony Davis
I'm having fun and you ask intelligent questions

Errr, you do realise I'm a girl, do you?

[Adam]

Wow - this thread has got going - or I've been away longer than I thought!

Quite open to criticism at a committee member at ORDA - but also sometimes hopefully get thanked for some things as well.

Loads needs to be done tothe sport and realistically it's not going to change over night. I think the sport really needs some very strong and impartial leadership at the moment, from wherever.

Same time it would be great to get some more positive attitude and actions from people (especially competitors) and a bit less of the moaning / negative talk that we can all get dragged into.

Totally agree that basic racing should be just that and easily affordable. Also National racing should be cheaper - and having sat on the ORC I have been surprised (and very disappointed) at some members opinion on how to make the drivers pay for the sport. (If they have a boat then they can afford this or whatever rise)

As a racer in 3C - would say two litre, but it is not now with the new eng. regs - we have become very fed up with being pushed around and being used. Had a very positive drivers meeting at Cowes and will hopefully lead to some positive action to help the class and lead to better racing. I will start a new thread with more details.

Adam

[Jon Fuller]

Cool!

This thread is exactly what Boatmad is for.

My personal view is, racing at club level, as mentioned earlier in this thread, is the way forward. this could be a great encouragement to any potential newcomers, as it could, and should be far more easy, and cheap, to 'have a go', something that's currently difficult for someone looking in from outside!


JF

[mattyboy]

hi guys i met a lot of you at the weekend,i'm carly baby's navigator,thank to alot of you for being so friendly load shout out to cookie for offering his help at the cowes weekend and i tell ya this whole issue of things could be better has been running through my mind all week,there are so many things we could do to make not just cowes but the whole sport so much better,i've only been in it for three races but already i feel that people who don't have millions of pounds don't count in the racing world,which is a shame coz these's are the people who make the sport,after all everyone has to start somewhere(and i don't know alot of people who have 50k to start racing v24),everyone makes the racing not just the harmsworth boys with there super duper boats,i think the sport need to get away form this elitest attitude and get down to the people who love racing and the whole thing needs to be made more public so everyone can see what is going on in this sport,more sponsors need to sponsor this event the've done it before and i'm so sure that it can be like it was.
adams idea with making the two litre class more know like he said in the race breifing was a really good idea the v24's have it so why shouldn't others follow,we need to put this sport back out there and not keep it locked like the people who have been doing it for so long that they can remember the harmsworth being made,it's not there sport it's for everybody and it's about time we made it great again.

[Captain Chaos]

After my first "proper" time at a race event, these where my observations and thouights:

(1) considerably less boats than i imagined
(2) Lots of seemingly similar classes (i.e why do ribs not race V's hardboats)....surely the rubber-ring mob wouldnt argue considering the obvious advantage they'd all have in ruff seas
(3) if there were less classes, obviousely the wealthier teams with better newer equipent will have an advantage, but if (for eg) i was the one doing the chasing in a lesser craft....I'd think "cool gotta a top 5 today" in a fleet of 20 boats....as apposed to "cool gotta 3rd today" in a fleet of 5!
(4) It seems the real racers are the person that bowled up with a backdraft + 80/90 yam and gave it large.....didnt he/ she do well???

BUT, my big question!!!

Assuming that the main way of attracting people into the sport is via the basic class..............how much to race???? for say (a) just the cowes event OR (b) a season???

coz it always comes down to 2 things

money?
ease of access?

[Captain Chaos]

Oh yeh......& if i ever get the bottle, I might have a go!

[Cookee]

Originally posted by Ned
The main clubs/associations that organise racing in Britain are Allhallows, BIBOA, BPRC, F4SA/UKOBA, ORDA, The Royal Motor and V24 (please forgive me if anyone has been left out).

Ned - The only club I can think of is OCRDA which is quite a large club in its own right.

I think the deterrant that the RYA has is insurance - The RYA has a large membership thanks to the Yachtie part and as such can get the necessary insurances spread out over a larger number of members.

I actually wonder wether Poker Runs are the future of the sport? It will encourage people with fast boats to meet each other and racers, and the bigger they get the more people they will attract, hopefully then 1 or 2 will filter on through to the racing side?

I know I keep repeating myself (must be old age creaping in!), but 1 organising body for the sport is the only way to go forward in my opinion!

[Tony Davis]

It seems that some of the boating press didn't think much of the event either!

This is a report taken from the "World of Powerboats" website.

FARCICAL HARMSWORTH AWARD

Strong winds and rough seas reduced the three race 2004 Harmsworth Trophy event, part of the Cowes Classic to a short dash from Cowes to Portland Bill and back. That first heat was won by Fabio Buzzi in the 52 foot monohull 'La Gran Argentina' that Buzzi and Argentina's Vice President Danial Sciolli enjoyed much success on the Endurance circuit back in the late 1990's. In those days, the big finned monohull was powered by multiple Seatek diesels but at Cowes the craft arrived with two huge Isotta Francini engines which were said to produce 1300hp each. Obviously with such power at his disposal, Buzzi easily
beat his nearest rival, Austria's Hannes Bohinc into 2nd place with a Buzzi RIB in 3rd place ahead of Harmsworth trustee Lord Normanton in 4th spot aboard his Cigarette 'Premier Crew' powered by twin bi block Chevvy's. Boninc won the 2003 Harmsworth Trophy fair and square in his Nicolini designed 'Wettpunk.com' after three gruelling races in which 'Wettpunk.com' sustained serious damage in the first heat.

However after just one race, Buzzi was awarded the 2004 Harmsworth as races 2 and 3 were cancelled because of the weather. The decision to present the award to Italy after only 30% of the programme had been completed makes a mockery of the Harmsworthy and it's prestigious credability has taken a severe blow.

Bad weather played a large part in making Cowes 2004 a 'damp squib' as only the Round The Island race for Class 3 and V24's was completed.

Hannes Bohinc's Nicolini designed Wettpunk.com won the 2003 Harmsworth Trophy after three gruelling races. The 2004 award was presented to Fabio Buzzi after one short race from Cowes to Portland and back.

[Tony Davis]

Anyone know if Buzzi's boat really is 52' long, coz if it is it's a metre too long to be eligible!!!

Taken from the Cowes 2004 website!

07. TECHNICAL ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility of competing craft shall be as defined in 04.01 above including
the following:

07.01 Hull configuration Monohull

07.02 Length
Minimum 8.5 metres
Maximum 15 metres overall

07.03 Engine Type/s
Inboard petrol, inboard diesel, or outboard engines which are commercially
available for leisure use.

07.04 Maximum Number of Engines for 2004 3-race Championship
Inboard Petrol - 2 plus 1 spare engine or part thereof
Inboard Diesel - 2 plus 1 spare engine or part thereof
Outboard - 4 plus 2 spare engines or parts thereof