Hydro classes, where to start..

[Daveracer]

Welcome to racing sir. Listen to Mr Pavlick.....the 300 ssh class is the way to go for a new racer. I like the 125, but I would want to be able to run something turn key to get started.....just my 2 cents worth

[M Miner]

They go airborne,spinout, get the rear tiers lifted off the ground . Just saying.

[Timothy Mattson]

Hey Dave,
Our region 10 local Jim Tryon has been running his 300ss motor in other classes .
Realize in c stock they use a “shaped foot” as you can’t use a stock lower unit at the higher speed.
He has been running multiple classes in same day but swaps lower units in between heats.
Props are different so $.......
But I Watched a fellow older newbie rub decks with JMichaelKelly and made him earn a win .
You’ll enjoy the ride more in the Yamato class .
Also on the go kart motor, karts don’t go airborne and break free from surface .
Just seeing how hard to plane and get going well has been painful to watch , only thing worse was when Bob Smiley paid and registered for Sat ,tested all Friday at Lake Lawrence , then at sat Driver meeting was told not able to run because of a “record race” and he was only boat.Sorry Bob....
Tim M
43-R

[j hydro racer]

I wish DSH was still a class on the east coast. It was awesome to see the class alive at Moses Lake.

[mercguy]

if you want the best ride in stock outboard, get a DSH!! The Tohatsu motor is readily available and lots of boat builders out there to build you a boat. The motor is just as reliable, if not more reliable than a Yamato ………..Weight is not an issue in this class (hell, I am over 75lbs overweight in the class)………...the upfront cost is more than most classes, but after that, your upkeep costs are very minimal...……….

[ajennings4p]

Dave, Glad to see your still here. I am trying to get a source on some 321. Yes thats a topic of another day. 300ssh is a nice class to join into as the engine is available right now. same goes for the fireball.. however finding a unsealed engine is going to be much harder.. I would check with david b on the boat and engine I know he was working on getting that package together.. If your needing a trailer let me know. We have a trailer in the back of my parents yard that we can get to you. It does need some work however we would be glad to help out. Give me a call anytime. 215-776-6701 or email alex.teamjracing@gmail.com

also for anyone check our site, more products are coming daily. teamjracing.com

[Smiley]

The prd on an omc tower and clamps battery etc weighs 77lbs. Other towers may be lighter.
My discussion with Doug Huggler re wear etc. revealed that we are running our motors at full speed all the time around 12,000 while go carts vary around the course with top rpm a small percentage of the race time. In our early learning curve the motor was hot several times thus increased wear on the engine. Later, we improved our procedure and the motor had less abuse. This would be consistent with Bmitch and Kyle's comments. Hopefully time will tell about how the motors wear over a full racing season. A 100lb boat, 77lb motor, 170lb driver with protection is 347lb add 3 lbs for 350. Thus the driver must be less than helmet, jacket, suit, and shoes. So about 155ish for the driver is max. 165ish for a 90lb boat.

Bob Smiley

[Dave Cofone]

I have to admit, I didn't expect it to be this difficult to get my hands on equipment. Unless I go for all brand new, I am up against an uncertain ability to actually put a rig together. I am also not loving the fact that I am almost stuck with Yamato engines unless I go modified or into a class well below my ability to make weight......It's good to have this forum to go to. So much information has been exchanged and I am grateful to all who have helped me.....

[DeanFHobart]

Hello Dave Cofone,

This is about weight... With the 125 Mod Hydro weight being 350 lbs, at 170 that is half the weight. With a 100 lb boat and the motor being 50 lbs ? or so doing the math that adds up to 320 lbs.... so this would be doable. However, this is a class that you would not want to be more than 5 lbs over at the scales.

So with the 300SSH at 420 lbs... So this gives you more room on weight even though the Yamato motor weighs about 90 lbs.

Welcome to the Boat Racing family.

[stockc]

My recommendation is to go with the Yamato. It should provide the best bang for the buck and opportunity to gain seat time in many classes. Don't fret over your age, I started out just shy of 49 and did Ok.

If you get serious about building a boat, I have a pre-fabbed CSH kit built by Shannon Bowman that I would sell. It comes nearly complete with the exception of decking, windshield and hardware as well as comprehensive instructions.

Good luck,

Ken

[bmitch1]

I'm gonna agree with Kyle on all his points. After thoughtful consideration about where to mount the 12v battery in the boat and using Loctite in key locations, we haven't had any issues with our 125 PRD Fireball motor.. the electric start is a gratifying experience.

Our first run of the year occurred on Friday at Franklin ahead of the TRORA race because the local waters had been flooded early spring and prevented us from testing elsewhere. We loaded the motor on an AXR, set the height at 7/8 deep, propped with a 2-blade KG wheel, and it planed off in about 80'. Performance has continued to improve as we found time to play with props and height.

We tried our 125MH the following week at Huntington for the first time, same KG wheel...set at 3/4. My 125MH driver is about 160lbs and we added 10lbs to the boat all year to make legal weight.

I think it's safe to say we have as much 125 time on the water as anyone this year and we have not experienced any maintenance issues with our setup - OMC tower, BTM mounting plate, VRP gearfoot. It's a water-cooled powerhead and, no surprise, you have about 12-14 seconds running it bone-dry at full-throttle before you risk smearing a piston. This is completely avoidable if you use a 'cool-tool' or similar water pickup right behind the prop thrust to pump early, pump-often.

Complete powerhead and engine parts available on-the-shelf from US-based suppliers. With speeds now approaching 60mph in hydro, and 56 in runabout... the newly established 125 records aren't going to stand very long...

[GrandpaRacer]

What is your email? I will send some info. Or contact me, johnrv7@gmail.com

John Adams

[modhydro]

I have asked Bob to send me any notes he is willing to share for the 125 learning curve, but haven't heard anything back yet. I am compiling a "notebook" based on anything that people will be sharing. I am talking with Jerry Davids this weekend to get even more for it. Unless we help each other in all classes, not just 125, nobody's boat counts will be going up.

We need to all work towards any positive motion, get together with ideas and do what we can to help new people understand why we are so passionate about what we do. I see both of them as positive directions for the sport.

Steve

[Roskowski30h]

At the risk of this thread getting political, I am a huge advocate of the 125mod class. It is a class designed to be an entry level class.

• Total cost of a complete engine, factory new, sits right around $3300 with easily replaceable parts if things break (I had 2 rigs run all season with no issues other than nuts vibrating off).
• The only thing people NEED to be aware of is that the break in process is everything if you don't want to break the engine. Follow the manual and you'll be fine. It is a longer process than normal engines, but if you just do what the manufacturer recommends there will very likely not be issues.
• Currently there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 engines across the country that I'm aware of, just people testing and figuring out the set-up/prop for this class. This season was slow, but so was 300ssh when it started in 2013 with 18 boats with only 3 with more than 3 races (earliest data I found on APBA website). Any new class will take more than a season to find a formula that works and I am sure the boat count will be higher in 2019.
• As far as weight, I weighed 177lbs this past race season with a 120(ish)lb boat and was 5-10lbs over consistently. I will admit I am probably large for the class, but as we learn more about the engine and props it will be less important.
• Planing comes down to prop and carb settings. I have not heard of too many planing issues once the carb has been adjusted. For prop, we ran 6"-(8.5" to 9.5") 3 blade props between 1/2" below the bottom to level with a little kick out
• The dealer I had been given information from said that we will have LESS maintenance/wear than karts because we have will not reach the RPMs the karts turn (15.5k vs 11k or 12k from what we saw all season)

Not trying to talk you out of the 300ssh class, but if nobody gives 125mh a chance it won't grow. Ultimately the best choice will be the class where you can get cheap(ish) reliable equipment to get boat time and a class where you can run as much as you are willing to travel. Both classes are good options.

On that note if anyone is interested in what I learned from running 125mh this past season, feel free to PM for details. When I have some free time I will compile my notes from the season and share tip/tricks/mistakes that we found to help anyone else get started.

Kyle

[Dave Cofone]

I think I know the boat. I was supposed to take driving school in it at the last Millville race in Oct. but a mechanical issue kept me on dry land. I am supposed to try again in April in that same boat. It would very simple to just throw down some cash and make it mine but then what happens to the school boat to bring other drivers into the sport..? I do want to buy a used boat and have thought about collecting some parts and pieces over the winter that I am going to need. Keep me in the loop as far as used equipment is concerned.