25ssh Taunton, MA race posted on youtube

[bobvan55]

Just posted a video of the 25ssh race at Taunton, MA Sept. 13th on youtube. Footage includes David Young Jr.'s flip in turn one. URL is as follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDpahpB0TE8


Bob Van
99D

[blueskyracer]

My eyes must be playing tricks on me or maybe I need a drink. Were those guys racing with a boat upside down and a patrol boat in the middle of the course?????

[Affholter66]

ummmmm don'y think eyes playing tricks on ya...at least we know driver was OK or he wouldn't have been STANDING on his boat...wow

[Moon child]

Nice video Bob! Again Thank you to those who were able to avoid me in the water and to the to patrol boat drivers who did a great job. Gotta Love SSOA.

[Dave M]

Acceptable

If the driver signals he is okay, and is not in a position to cause a hazzard to others, It is perfectly acceptable to NOT black flag a race. All that does is eat up time in the day.

I flipped in 850CCH in Hillsdale, was the leader, and all boats were around me fine, I signaled okay, and the race continued. No big deal. I would rather it be that way. This is one of those things that will cause you to not finish your Saturday schedule if you stopped the race for every little stalled boat or fliped boat that was not in harms way. If everyone is past them after the flip, and the driver is okay, why stop it ? Seems silly to me. I applaud the club for allowing racing to continue.

[blueskyracer]

Everyone is entitled to there opinion but motoring a chase boat in front of racing boats onto the coarse is not safe in my mind. If the chase boat had not got in the way and it was just the hydro and the signal had been given then totally different situation.

[HRTV]

If the driver signals he is okay, and is not in a position to cause a hazzard to others, It is perfectly acceptable to NOT black flag a race. All that does is eat up time in the day.

I flipped in 850CCH in Hillsdale, was the leader, and all boats were around me fine, I signaled okay, and the race continued. No big deal. I would rather it be that way. This is one of those things that will cause you to not finish your Saturday schedule if you stopped the race for every little stalled boat or fliped boat that was not in harms way. If everyone is past them after the flip, and the driver is okay, why stop it ? Seems silly to me. I applaud the club for allowing racing to continue.

John Doe vs. APBA (local club name here)

"Your honor, my son would still be alive today if only they had stopped the race"

Pick your poison, loose a few hours off the schedule or........ whats more important? a human life or the schedule?

[HRTV]

Follow up

Of course we all know this is done at boat racing venues all over the globe but it still does not mean the organizing club is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette when making the call to continue the race or not.

Down off the soap box walking away from the mic :-)

[thepiranhabros]

Should have been black flagged

John Doe vs. APBA (local club name here)

"Your honor, my son would still be alive today if only they had stopped the race"

Pick your poison, loose a few hours off the schedule or........ whats more important? a human life or the schedule?

I have to side with Dan here.

Last season at Pleasant Prairie, WI, I was in the unenviable position of upside-down and out of the boat in the middle of turn one at the start of the race with boats from behind coming into the turn. It was bad enough being shaken up and disoriented after crashing only then to the see boats coming down the straight and into the turn hoping they would see me! (I wear a yellow helmet and all orange cut gear, by the way.) I gave the OK, ducked behind my boat, and the safety boat got there right away to further shield me.

The heat was black flagged, I was grateful to no longer be a sitting duck, and with the help of many on the beach, was able to get back out for the second heat.

Just my 2-cents...
Michael Mackey
21-V

[Mrs blueskyracer]

Have to say I agree with Dan! (Nice to see or should I say hear from you Dan). No one wants to see this at a race -

[B1PRORACER]

Turn boats

I have been in outboard racing for several decades and I have seen alot happen. It is absolutely true that you can't restart each heat for every single boat that flips or stops on the course.
The most dangerous time for a flipped boat is during the crash! The driver could get hurt in the crash or by someone who is coming in right behind the flipped boat! Nothing can be done until all the boats clear the corner. After all the boats get by- on the next lap around most of the racers are in a single file that is common in most races. The patrol boat gives MUCH better protection to the flipped driver than his over turned boat does! With the blue & white flags waving in all the patrol boats (and the judges stand), a patrol boat in the turn is hard to miss! It is something visible and solid that the competing drivers don't want to come close to....
Do you have a better idea?

[blueskyracer]

If the patrol boat must provide cover by going infront of racing boats then the heat should be stopped!!! Schedule driven is not an excuse for dropping safety.

Time to ride off into the sunset

[B1PRORACER]

The patrol boat doesn't HAVE TO provide cover. It does explain why the patrol boat is in the turn during the race. That is why I responded to this thread. It is just a little added insurance if the patrol boat can get over there quickly without making any wake.
Boat racing wouldn't last if you stopped for every boat that stopped on the race course. I say this because you would have to cut the number of classes in order to get the program done. Financially, you would have to make up the difference by raising the entry fees.... and it would all collapse!

[ricochet112]

Just don't signal OK!

[B Walker]

It is common for the race director and/or referee to advise the patrolboat to get between a group of oncoming boats and a boat in the water, but not required in every instance. It is usually on a case by case basis, at the direction of the referee.

Alot of other factors are taken into consideration before a referee directs a turn boat to execute this maneuver:

1)Is it a short course
2)Total number of boats on the water at the time
3)Was the judges stand and/or patrol boat slow in getting the blue/white flag up
4)Is it an upside down Hydro (hard to see) or a Runabout
5)Is the driver in the water far or near his boat

Then of course, sometimes the turn boat operator just makes a judgement call.

I have seen turn judges overreact and put up huge wakes that were much more of an endangerment to the other 11 boats than the one that was dead in the water. These heats were black/red flagged and re-run.

I have only ever seen the turn judge blocking maneuver performed for reasons of safety, not for expediting a race day. The fact it may prevent a heat from being re-run is simply a bonus.

BW