Cowes Classic 04

[Ben]

The 'Mr. Noisy' team received a great deal of assistance from a number of people at Cowes but I would like to especially express my appreciation to Johnson and Matt who diagnosed and fixed our engine problems before the race which allowed us to be ultra competitive in our class and post race which allowed us to get back to the Hamble on two engines.

It's doubtful in other sports that you would find people who end up upside down in engine compartments with legs up in the air or straddling engines to check firing order just to help a fellow powerboater.

Johnson and Matt, my hat is off to you and I can't thank you enough.

 

[Jono]

who end up upside down in engine compartments with legs up in the air or straddling engines to check firing order just to help a fellow powerboater.

...just 'cause they're a pair of nosey fecka's really! Can't keep their beaks out.....try locking your engine lid.. that oughta stop the nobbas...

 

[Slacko]

I visited Cowes yesterday hoping to see raceboats and competitors, I can't believe how dire the sport has become.

What has happened to make the sport so poor, both in attendance and accessibility. It was only a year or so ago that you could walk round the pits to look at 70+ boats of various shapes and sizes. I would have to say that it's no longer as interesting as walking round Baiter slip on a Sunday afternoon.

Surely it's time for heads to roll at the RYA, UKOBA, ORDA etc.

 

[bert]

i have to agree i used to go as a kid with my dad and also most prevous years this year went on sat afternoon as boat is in pieces and could not believe what a small event it has now become i know they didn`t have a sponsor this year but was still a little dissapointed

 

[nobwaver]

I agree with you it was a very sad sight at the weekend.

They had a very good sponsor last year but blew all chance of having them again by the way they were treated.

Having talked to various people there it would appear that the Cowes organising comittee dont want small boats there.

Large noisey ones with grey haired old men in are fine. Not.:*******:

 

[Ben]

Large noisey ones with grey haired old men in are fine. Not.:*******:

Sounds like us as we could be considered largeish and certainly not quiet. Sorry if we caused any offence.

 

[Ben]

As well as old and grey haired.

 

[Jon Fuller]

Does this mean Fabio isn't welcome either?

All classes, ages, hair colours and persuasions should be welcomed.

 

[bert]

everyone of course should be welcome but my fondest memerories were when the place was heaving almost as busy as fireworks night even the podium was held somewhere else and public were not allowed in but do agree to sum extent that the majority of people were older not many young people seemed to be involded in it which can only be bad for the sport

 

[Ben]

I visited Cowes yesterday hoping to see raceboats and competitors, I can't believe how dire the sport has become.

What has happened to make the sport so poor, both in attendance and accessibility. It was only a year or so ago that you could walk round the pits to look at 70+ boats of various shapes and sizes. I would have to say that it's no longer as interesting as walking round Baiter slip on a Sunday afternoon.

Surely it's time for heads to roll at the RYA, UKOBA, ORDA etc.

I'm afraid that the only solution is to demand your money back for your admission ticket.

 

[Adam]

.

Surely it's time for heads to roll at the RYA, UKOBA, ORDA etc.

Don't quite know how ORDA gets the blame for Cowes?

True things could be a lot better - and we do need more racers. Also could do with more people helping out on committees as we all give up our time for 'the love of it' as it is.

Seriously - anyone who thinks they could do better and is willing to put the time and effort in - let me know! We could have space for you at ORDA!

Adam

 

[bert]

why has it happened ,why is it going down hill, cowes used be such a big event and if you do it for love why is there no money in the sport anymore

 

[Ben]

Don't quite know how ORDA gets the blame for Cowes?

True things could be a lot better - and we do need more racers. Also could do with more people helping out on committees as we all give up our time for 'the love of it' as it is.

Seriously - anyone who thinks they could do better and is willing to put the time and effort in - let me know! We could have space for you at ORDA!

Adam

On behalf of UKOBA, I heartily second Adam's comments and also extend the invitation for unpaid volunteers (which is what we all are).

 

[phantomc92]

why has it happened ,why is it going down hill, cowes used be such a big event and if you do it for love why is there no money in the sport anymore

i dont think there was ever any money in it,i guess in the early days people raced to sell there product

 

[infoasitappens]

There was money for Cowes last year, it had a very large and reputable sponsor. They dont sponsor it any more.

They have got the message that smaller boats are not welcome at the event.

If so there would have been some representation in the programme for the class 3 boats entered, which apart from V24 was the largest class there.

There are alot of people having ago at the sport at the moment saying how poor the entries are etc, most of these people are not active racers, so why not do something about it youselves, get a boat and race it.

Well done to those people who did turn up and race.

 

[Slacko]

Don't quite know how ORDA gets the blame for Cowes?

True things could be a lot better - and we do need more racers. Also could do with more people helping out on committees as we all give up our time for 'the love of it' as it is.

Seriously - anyone who thinks they could do better and is willing to put the time and effort in - let me know! We could have space for you at ORDA!

Adam

Oh dear,sorry to tread on your toes Adam. But your reply is to be expected, why is it when criticised the natural response is "if you think you could do any better" . Is this an admission of one inability to do their job.

I wasn't actually holding ORDA (which I imagine you are involved in) directly responsible for Cowes, but as the "official" club for drivers it would be nice if they had managed to drum up a bit more support for the event.

My main criticism for Cowes would be aimed at the old fossils of the British whatever they call themselves powerboat club or something, Lord (one race a year) Normanton and the like, who incidentally never ever gets seen at any other event in the year, other than Plymouth coz the boats are big and noisy and some old duffer might recognise him. Many competitors commented to me at the event as to how unwelcome they had been made to feel. The organizers seem to make it quite clear thattheir not interested in "silly little boats" whilst bleeding the "silly little boat owners" dry.I would also hold the RYA part to blame, why do they need a Race Manager and assistant and assistants gopher etc for a handful of licence holders. Isn't it time they stepped down from the job and handed it over to an association that could actually offer something for the money.

I did hear that a few people at the RYA aren't happy with the manager's performance, seems he spends a lot of time out of the office on "secret" business. Apparently the previous guy wasn't much cop either, but at least they knew where he was.

And to answer "neds" point about refunding my admission, I get your point but to be quite honest, if you charged admission for what was put on, you'd have had a very empty auditorium.

I may not have paid to get in, but I along with many others gave up a day or more of our time, together with transport costs, ferry crossings etc to come to what had been described as a "5 day powerboat event", now I realise that they can't arrange the weather, but it wouild have been nice to walk round the pits and look at more than a handful of boats.

No doubt you'll have loads to say in your reply, but probably very little in suggestions.

 

[Tony Davis]

Lets all take a couple of calm, deep breaths and not get personal or I'll have to start chopping posts,.......

It seems everyone is in agreement that some organisational changes wouldn't go amiss, but getting personal against Ned and Adam is uncalled for.

It's easy to stand at the sidelines and criticise......

Has anyone actually asked Honda what it would take to get their sponsorship back? Someone give me the boss man's no. and I'll ask him myself....

I didn't read the "slacko's" post that way, and I'd have to agree with some of the points made. I don't think any of the criticsm's were directly aimed at Adam or Ned.

The sideline is only available to the majority, but having been at many meetings of the ORC in years gone by, you get just as much response, ie, none.

As for calling the bossman at Honda, not really your job, but he's Martin Sanders 01753 590259, mention my name, he really like me!!!!!!

 

[Tony Davis]

A little story.

A few years ago, when both JF and I were involved in "the sport" as competitors, I had a stint of "Touring Class Representative" on the ORC. I can honestly say that it was the final nail in the coffin for me as both a competitor and rep.

I went to several meeting where I honestly believe that all the decisions that were supposedly going to be made at the meeting had already been discussed and decided upon by the select few!!

To give an example of how infuriating the whole committee meeting would be, I use this little tale.

We sat for an hour and a half, possibly 2 hours discussing item 1 of the agenda, the fact that the RYA's racing coffers were very depleted, and were asked for suggestions on how to raise a couple of extra thousand over the next 2 seasons. After lots of head scratching, going round in circles and general waffling, it was decided that licences fees would be increased by a couple of quid, together with measurement certificates and a few other items. This would over the next couple of seasons raise an extra few thousand for the RYA.

Item 2, bearing in mind we'd spent ages looking for 2K.

TV coverage for a race, some halfwit who shall remain nameless, (I'll gladly PM it) gave a lovely speech about all the hard work he had put in to secure a slot on possibly Meridian tv. He told us how he'd worked on this for weeks, might even have been months, but he hadn't wasted his time coz they had agreed to show the sport in all it's glory on prime time tv, and all we as competitors, organisers etc had to do was to pay them something like £125k, thats "one hundred and twenty five thousand pounds"

After this I started to realise that something was lacking in some of the committee.

 

[Jono]

Lets all take a couple of calm, deep breaths or I'll have to start chopping posts, which I don't want to have to do.

Nah... feck off! Let 'em slug it out! I could do with the entertainment..

 

[nobwaver]

I didn't read the "slacko's" post that way, and I'd have to agree with some of the points made. I don't think any of the criticsm's were directly aimed at Adam or Ned.

The sideline is only available to the majority, but having been at many meetings of the ORC in years gone by, you get just as much response, ie, none.

As for calling the bossman at Honda, not really your job, but he's Martin Sanders 01753 590259, mention my name, he really like me!!!!!!

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.