Round Britain 2008

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by TimB-C

VT the run up to Bangor is near as damn it 230 nm!!!
Staright run in calm seas tough but if it is bad you have 2 options, depending where the wind is coming from.
SW 6/7 once round the headland you run along the coast till you get to Liverpool Bay then hop behind the Isle of Mann and across or Nwester hed due east to the irish coast un hug it all the way up, if your brave and it is a SWester do the same but you are going to burn double fuel on the way over and still have nearly 200 to go!!!!!!!!! You could be out there 9 hours.................. .......
Also on the way around lands end if it brews up in the bristol Channel you will have to run along north Cornish Coast before heading NW to M H..
I have been that way many times and let me tell you sw 4/5 roung Lizard and L E you will be lucky to do 25/30 unless you are in a big 40+'........

TimB-C you are a very naughty man, you are frightening my fleet and you should be leaving those tips for the navigators and crews to find out because that's what makes this race such a challenge and legendary.
I have been waiting for someone to twig the answer to all this "fuel range hysteria" and no one seems to have yet seen the light. If they have they are keeping the answer to themselves. Every team has the right to "splash and dash". It seems no one has read Paul Rutherfords diary (Navigator of Jeff Hunton's 28' Hunton Gazelle) in the 1984 race on the RB08 forum under
"1984". If you haven't got the fuel range go find more fuel somewhere, simple. You have to stop thinking like a "round the bay" racer in this race and start using lateral thinking I'm afraid.

Damn it, I have just broken my rule.

[Matt]

Just a quick question. On the longer legs, are there safe havens that boats could retire to if they decide they are unwilling or unable to complete the leg?
Is there any rule to stop a boat refuelling from whatever means they choose to organise part way through a leg?

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by Matt

Just a quick question. On the longer legs, are there safe havens that boats could retire to if they decide they are unwilling or unable to complete the leg?
Is there any rule to stop a boat refuelling from whatever means they choose to organise part way through a leg?

Thanks for two intelligent questions Matt. Every boat and crew have the option to do whatever they think necessary during a leg to survive and to be safe so, if the crew make the decision that they have had enough then it's up to the navigator to have a ready answer as to where they can retire to or at least a pre-arranged plan. If we take the 1984 race, the lands end leg to Fishguard was so bad that many boats either turned back to Falmouth or headed for St Ives where they were recovered by their support crews. It's no different to RB Sailing races in that respect.
With regard to your second question, there is no rule to stop you "refuelling from whatever means you choose to organise part way through a leg".
ML.

I beginning to think that I am going to have to hold a Drivers/Crew meeting in mid September to answer the many questions that are coming out and also to help us solve a couple of problems that we have! This is a race for you guys and no one else and I think that is the way to go.
ML.

[Cookee]

In addition to help VT out - if you're going at displacement speeds - it might be helpful to head somewhere closer than the final destination!

[verytricky]

Originally Posted by Cookee

In addition to help VT out - if you're going at displacement speeds - it might be helpful to head somewhere closer than the final destination!

Yip!

But I looked at the map. If you get about 1/3 in everywhere is far away!

[stevewilson]

after looking at the round britain entry list , does anyone have any ideas how mr buzzi has managed to fit 4 seateks into the 23 000 cc engine limit
(will be great to see that wonderfull boat racing again)

[tecno_40]

I couldnt see any particular boat listed for Fabio, but I would guess he would be using Isotta's to fit into the engine requirements. Probably in a boat similar to the Stab boat which used to be the P1 Sony boat which now looks to be used by Bohinc, who I havent seen on the entry list yet, but will probably appear at the last minute!

[tecno_40]

Well now when I view it I can see Buzzi's boat listed and the 4 Seateks! However I still reckon he will re-engine it with 2 Isotta's as they are the best option given the rules and he seems to be using them in most of his boats lately.

[Mike Lloyd]

Fabio alledgelly used four 400hp standard Iveco Diesels in the 1984 race. He appears to work to the principle that if one engine goes down he still has three and if another goes down he still has two and he will probably be doing the same again. Four engines give him greater odds of finishing every leg than two engines do and if you want to win then you have to finish every leg. Three engines work much the same way as can be seen from the winner of the 1969 RB race and the 28ft Phantom "Brut" who came 3rd in the 1984 race.
After checking his entry something is very wrong there. he is way over HP and I know he isn't running seateks. I'll look into it.

[tecno_40]

Totally understand the 3 or 4 engine principles etc. But if the cc limit is 23,000 then what engine is going to be small enough to use 4 of and still be within the rules? Seateks are 10.3, not sure on Yanmars and I think the Isottas are around the 11 litre mark......so even 3 seateks would be over the limit.

[Hazardous]

The Buzzi design is over 20 years old so he's probably racing as a classic. No limit on engine size that way!

[cfun]

If I recall a seatek engine did battle in a 6ltr class with the I think the Norwegian shipping tycoon at the helm, I would not count Buzzi out of doing anything with a seatek, perhaps he might squeeze the yanmar 5.9 in it...spoke to a guy some years ago that raced, who said the 40ft Buzzi rib had some bad luck with Seatek letting go costing a fortune, unfortunately most other diesel engines could not fit into the engine bay , leaving the problem that only Seatek were possible for that boat...I guess Tecno would know all the ins and outs of this

PS did watch the boat race at Bournemouth some years back against Wettpunkt the race finished with only seconds between them...great race

[Carl]

Originally Posted by Hazardous

The Buzzi design is over 20 years old so he's probably racing as a classic. No limit on engine size that way!

now thats cleaver

[Tony Davis]

Originally Posted by OldMan

Fabio alledgelly used four 400hp standard Iveco Diesels in the 1984 race.

I seem to remmember that he also used a slightly larger than legal length boat in a Cowes race once, with one too many motors, but being the great "fabio", it was overlooked!

[Hasbeen]

Originally Posted by Hazardous

Well here's the question then.........

What can we do to make this happen?

With only 9 months to go before the start, and no assurance that it's actually going to happen, then I would suggest that you should pray for a miracle.

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by Hasbeen

With only 9 months to go before the start, and no assurance that it's actually going to happen, then I would suggest that you should pray for a miracle.

Making a statement like that is just what we don't need at this point in time. Prayers are no good, some help would be more useful!! It has been an interesting 10 months, mostly on our own, putting this race together, all for no reward I might add, and it has been hugely stressful but of course human nature being what it is no one, and I repeat no one, has offered to role up their sleeves and give a hand to put on what is one of the greatest races in the powerboat sporting calender. Plenty of criticism but no help.

Not until Peter Penn, Alan Goodwin, Rob and Annie Beakhust and of course Jon Fuller came along recently and thank heaven they did frankly as we have been overwhelmed with the work load at times. At the start we asked every powerboat club for help and either we were ignored or told no help would be forthcoming (UKOBA). Make of that what you may. If it wasn't for the huge enthusiasm of the 70 race teams wanting to take part and their utmost belief in us making this race happen we would have walked away from this six months ago. It's a huge responsibility and too late to jump ship now even if we wanted to.

Now I have got that off my chest I'm feeling better!! ML.

[Apalacia]

Peter Penn - Now thats someone I remember ! I only remember the name, from one of the UKOBA balls....when I was about 6. He used to race right? Sorry to deviate from the conversation, just trying to figure out.... DGS and him? (Ben Mazur's daughter)

[stevewilson]

so it would be within the rules to run a over 20 year old class 1 boat with more than 23000 cc

[Mike Lloyd]

This is a notice to all registered competitors in the Round Britain race 2008.

There is to be a drivers briefing at John Caulcuts house Belmore Park in Hampshire on Saturday 15th September at 12 noon. Only Drivers and their crews will be allowed into the meeting as we don't want to be distracted by so called "interested parties". A full briefing on progress to date and an open discussion on the next ten months will be held.

An email has been sent to every entrant but this is an announcement for those who have possibly not received this notice.
ML.

[HIM]

Originally Posted by OldMan

This is a notice to all registered competitors in the Round Britain race 2008.

There is to be a drivers briefing at John Caulcuts house Belmore Park in Hampshire on Saturday 15th September at 12 noon. Only Drivers and their crews will be allowed into the meeting as we don't want to be distracted by so called "interested parties". A full briefing on progress to date and an open discussion on the next ten months will be held.

An email has been sent to every entrant but this is an announcement for those who have possibly not received this notice.
ML.

Hopefully Mike anyone intending to be present will let you know...I shall be there!!