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Inboarders shoot red flares across the water in conjunction with a black flag or red flag when the situation becomes imperative to do so.
This subject was touched on previously in a hydroracer.net thread, perhaps in discussing Dennis Burke’s idea for a centrally controlled light warning system to improve safety.
I think outboarders should consider using red flares in a similar manner. I think the flares and flare gun are the same a recreational boater can buy in a marine store. They are relatively inexpensive and safe (as long as they are kept away from certain persons during the non-race hours, especially the wee hours of the morning).
Here are two specific examples of how the red flares were used at Cambridge, MD last weekend.
1) At the very start of the 1.5 Liter race on Sunday 9 or 10 boats were lined up side-by-side approaching the starting line and the clock is ticking down. I hear my wife say “black flag” but all I hear are engines revving up and all I see through the camera lens are boats heading towards the starting line.
From the judges stand (and of course where the clock is located) a red flare is shot that arcs up and over the starting line in front of, and higher than, all the boats. And then the engines started to wind down.
Just to be clear, the flare was shot way in front of, and way over the tops of the boats as they approached the starting line. But it was in their line of sight. It was shot horizontally, not straight up in the air as a recreational boater might do as a distress signal.
Somewhere on the course a race boat had stopped during milling and officials determined it was in a dangerous location and they decided to stop the race. Some might argue that flares are unnecessary if drivers pay attention to the flags. But the reality is that a black flag is rare on a final approach to the starting line and in this instance drivers seemed to have their eyes on the clock, not the flags.
2) After a lap had passed in the 2.5 Liter race on Sunday one of the boats in the back of the pack blew over on its approach to turn one. The front runners had no idea this happened and were proceeding wide open to turn two. The red flag went up and from the officials boat in turn two a red flare was shot. Just as before the flare went horizontally in front of, and overhead of, the oncoming race boats. And all boats stopped.
Inboarders treat the red flag differently than outboarders. To inboarders the red flag means the race is stopped AND YOU MUST STOP. The theory is that the rescue boat is needed and is in motion. Dodging race boats becomes perilous to the rescue boat and the wake of the speeding rescue boat becomes perilous to the race boats, even if the race boats are running at reduced speeds.
Two side notes. The driver of the flipped 2.5 Liter boat was taken to the hospital as a precaution but he was ok. Secondly, inboard blowovers are rare, I think, and I missed the shot because I was at the opposite end of the race course. But this happened in front of the main spectator area so if you’re curious, start searching the inboard web sites for pics.
This subject was touched on previously in a hydroracer.net thread, perhaps in discussing Dennis Burke’s idea for a centrally controlled light warning system to improve safety.
I think outboarders should consider using red flares in a similar manner. I think the flares and flare gun are the same a recreational boater can buy in a marine store. They are relatively inexpensive and safe (as long as they are kept away from certain persons during the non-race hours, especially the wee hours of the morning).
Here are two specific examples of how the red flares were used at Cambridge, MD last weekend.
1) At the very start of the 1.5 Liter race on Sunday 9 or 10 boats were lined up side-by-side approaching the starting line and the clock is ticking down. I hear my wife say “black flag” but all I hear are engines revving up and all I see through the camera lens are boats heading towards the starting line.
From the judges stand (and of course where the clock is located) a red flare is shot that arcs up and over the starting line in front of, and higher than, all the boats. And then the engines started to wind down.
Just to be clear, the flare was shot way in front of, and way over the tops of the boats as they approached the starting line. But it was in their line of sight. It was shot horizontally, not straight up in the air as a recreational boater might do as a distress signal.
Somewhere on the course a race boat had stopped during milling and officials determined it was in a dangerous location and they decided to stop the race. Some might argue that flares are unnecessary if drivers pay attention to the flags. But the reality is that a black flag is rare on a final approach to the starting line and in this instance drivers seemed to have their eyes on the clock, not the flags.
2) After a lap had passed in the 2.5 Liter race on Sunday one of the boats in the back of the pack blew over on its approach to turn one. The front runners had no idea this happened and were proceeding wide open to turn two. The red flag went up and from the officials boat in turn two a red flare was shot. Just as before the flare went horizontally in front of, and overhead of, the oncoming race boats. And all boats stopped.
Inboarders treat the red flag differently than outboarders. To inboarders the red flag means the race is stopped AND YOU MUST STOP. The theory is that the rescue boat is needed and is in motion. Dodging race boats becomes perilous to the rescue boat and the wake of the speeding rescue boat becomes perilous to the race boats, even if the race boats are running at reduced speeds.
Two side notes. The driver of the flipped 2.5 Liter boat was taken to the hospital as a precaution but he was ok. Secondly, inboard blowovers are rare, I think, and I missed the shot because I was at the opposite end of the race course. But this happened in front of the main spectator area so if you’re curious, start searching the inboard web sites for pics.
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