Live From Seattle - APBA Meeting

[propnuts]

Thanks to Mike Ross

From a guy stuck in Japan I really appreciate the more than timely updates. Also glad that Racing Outboards fared pretty well. Hope everyone enjoyed our fair city, and the real treasure that is the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum. Sayonara, Tony

[PopPop]

Votes ???

Then everyone leaves the meeting to hear the opinions of all the members after the votes and they more often then not develop some memory loss. When challenged by someone about their vote they change their mind or point to someone else. ....

Sounds like most voters

[mike ross]

Here is the final draft. There were just a few things added so take a look. time to get the Party Started!!!! Hall of Championship presentation is some kind of show. See Ya Mikey

[Kev43V]

From a guy stuck in Japan I really appreciate the more than timely updates. Also glad that Racing Outboards fared pretty well. Hope everyone enjoyed our fair city, and the real treasure that is the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum. Sayonara, Tony

I can not describe how great the museum is. I could have just stayed there for the week!

[mike ross]

Hall of Champion banquet was all it is hyped up to be. I think Don Allen III stole the show with is boat racing stories. Steve David ended it with great APBA passion. As far as the Stock meeting went, I think on a great number of the agenda items, most were unamimus desisions. A few of the close ones we logged the ya's and na's so you could get a feel for how close things were. It was funny when we had the vote to lower the 20SS height. We had almost the whole final field from the nationals in the crowd with jaws clinthed. I almost took a picture of it. Scott is right it is wild to see how things come and go. Scott we missed you and the J committee missed you to. Well its back to the shop and fix that cockpit side I took out last year at Hillsdale. See At the races!!!!! Mikeeyy

[Tomtall]

Thank you

Mike,Ed and all the APBA stock commisioners -

I am sure others as well as myself want to say thank you for the job you all did at this years 2010 national meeting. You made history here by giving live reports all week for the members to be able to follow all the action. I know many of your votes were hard ones but were made for the betterment of the sport. Also, thank you for taking time away from your daily jobs, spending your own $ and being away from family to do what you do for this sport. Without you people doing what you do there would be no quility SO racing.

Thanks ! - Tomtall

[5-A]

Sidewinder Stuff

So if I am clear on this

- the 15 sidewinder is legal as of mid August (good compromise in my opinion) with a parity commitee (that can now make more immediate changes in all classes)

- No decision on the BSH(R)/15ssh in terms of sidewinder

- The 20 sidewinder is legal in 25ssr ... imediately? - with parity commitee

- The 20 sidewinder legal in 25ssh imediately

- The 20 sidewinder is legal in 20ssh ... when?

- and as a very general statement ... the old motors are all now back in the classes that they were in prior to last years meeting, indefinatley (102 in 20, Merc in A, etc)

- if I am reading this correctly I like it, just unclear on the legal dates on the SW20 and legality in 25 and 20 - is the idea that it will be restricted in 20

- Thanks to all the members that take the time out of their personal schedules to attend these meetings

[AZ Outlaw]

So if I am clear on this

- the 15 sidewinder is legal as of mid August (good compromise in my opinion) with a parity commitee (that can now make more immediate changes in all classes)

- No decision on the BSH(R)/15ssh in terms of sidewinder

- The 20 sidewinder is legal in 25ssr ... imediately? - with parity commitee

- The 20 sidewinder legal in 25ssh imediately

- The 20 sidewinder is legal in 20ssh ... when?

- and as a very general statement ... the old motors are all now back in the classes that they were in prior to last years meeting, indefinatley (102 in 20, Merc in A, etc)

- if I am reading this correctly I like it, just unclear on the legal dates on the SW20 and legality in 25 and 20 - is the idea that it will be restricted in 20

- Thanks to all the members that take the time out of their personal schedules to attend these meetings

SW 20ci legal in 20SSH Nov.1, 2010

Side note. Ed has yet to choose members of the parity committee's.
We need as much info from current and near future sidewinder owners so the parity committee can make educated decisions. There is a lot of data gathered already by racers and American Outboards LLC, but we need more. Hope I can save enough $$$$ to purchase a SW 15ci so I can aid the process myself. Our region has 3 races left in 2010 season after Aug, 16th, and a SW mounted to my transom would be prefered over my OMC. Great Annual Meeting and HOC in General. Tacoma Inboard Racing Association provided an enjoyable experience for all, from what I gathered. "Barriers to Entry" are reduced by this years SORC...well done!

Jeff Conant

[AZ Outlaw]

a few pics from my cell phone

[AZ Outlaw]

a few more

[HydroKyle93R]

Thank you!

A big thank you to the Tacoma Inboard Racing Association, Sue Troxell, Penny Anderson, Laurie Allen and the committees, commissioners, board members and countless others for putting on an awesome convention at the DoubleTree. I had a great time staying up to the wee hours of the morning visiting all my friends, family and meeting new ones! You ALL did a great job and should be very proud.

Also thanks to Tracy Trolian (just cause you said so lol)

Oh and Mr. Ross, great time in room 1820... lol

[pav225]

[QUOTE=reed28n;150273]The minutes from the meeting can never show all that is said and how an idea takes off in a commission meeting. All the debating, the comments from the gallery.....you cannot understand how an issue gets momentum unless you attend one of these meetings. Things go from a simple yes or no vote to a justification of a compromise which turns out to be a yes with some condition in a hurry...

Then everyone leaves the meeting to hear the opinions of all the members after the votes and they more often then not develop some memory loss. When challenged by someone about their vote they change their mind or point to someone else.
QUOTE]

I couldn't agree more. It was the first National meeting that I attended and it was very eye opening.

I was very impressed at how Ed keeps things moving along in a very neutral manner.

Fred Miller did a great job on the Hall of Champions banquet. Congratulations to all the new inductees!

- Mike

[14-H]

Thank Your Commissioners

Just back from Seattle. I would like to thank all of the SO Commissioners for their time and resources that they put into this meeting.

Here's a little perspective that you cannot possibly fully-understand unless you actually attend one of these meetings:

1) The APBA annual meeting is NOT a vacation! While you do get to go to a far-away place (usually), you likely never or rarely leave the hotel and attend meetings all day long and politic all night. This year, the only time I was in Washington and outside of a building was the ride to and from the airport.

2) The meetings are long and laborious. It is really difficult to listen to people debate whether a certain engine should or should not have a .030 oversized piston in addition to a .020 over piston for hours. This must be worse than water-boarding.

3) It costs a lot of money to come to these meetings. Airplane ticket $350.00; Hotel $550.00 devided by 2 if you can find a roommate; Meeting attendance $50.00. HOC banquet $55.00. Meals, beer, etc. = not included! Commissioners are NOT reimbursed for this. They pay for this themselves. If you want to know how to slow down your competition, elect that person to serve as a SO Commissioner!

4) Nearly every Commissioner is assigned to do work after the meeting is over. The work doesn't stop at the annual meeting. Committees are formed and have to report back after they complete their work.

5) Everyone, regardless of how they vote, has to listen to people complain about the rules, the chairman, the SORC and APBA in general.

6) This Annual Meeting gets counted at home as a "boat racing weekend"!!!

All in all, there is a lot of expense and very little reward for a Commissioner to attend this meeting. You do get to see your boatracing friends and you do get attend the HOC banquet. But it is very expensive and time consuming and not a lot of appreciation for your efforts.

Thank-you again to all SORC members for your attendance and your hard work.

Sincerely,

Your Chairman, Ed Hearn.

[Dave M]

Perfect

Ed,

Perfect description. It is not a vacation. It is pay for your pain.

Perhaps this struggle could be reduced in cost at some point, label it as one of the barriers to enter boat racing. People are always calling for volunteers to help out with racing and what not. There are many calls to simplify the rules. If the clutter was reduced, the meetings would not last so long, and the hotel/food/beer bill would be reduced. Not to mention the antacid bill.

Just a thought.

[blueskyracer]

Gee, is there a reason the rules have to be changed every year! Maybe that is why APBA membership has dropped by half. Why don't you all meet once every two or three years. That would cut down on cost and maybe not catch the new folks with always out dated equipment.

Just my