Yukon 800 is this Friday and Sat.

[Arcticracer]

Thought I would let everyone know that the 2006 Yukon 800 is set for this weekend. It is the toughest, longest race you will find. We hope you will visit the Fairbanks Outboard Association website to check the progress of the race and see what Alaskan racing is all about!

www.yukon800.com
http://community.webshots.com/user/arcticracer

[14-H]

Tough Race

Did you guys notice that the rules for this race require that one shotgun with a minimum of ten rounds of ammunition is MANDATORY to be carried on the boat? And you thought the first turn in a closed course race is tough!

[Andrew 4CE]

This kind of thing should be on ESPN 800 miles in under 12 hours!? Thats a 66mph average.

I find it amazing you can go 800 miles through the wilderness down a river and not eventually hit something and destroy everything leaving you standed. Says they are made of wood... I'd think skining the bottom with kevlar or aluminum sheet would be good?

Why the 24' min length? Does that help getting through rapids or something?

Is there any portaging? 400 miles of river with no obstruction sound unlikely.

Good luck to all!

[14-H]

How many classes are run? How many entries are there typically? Do you have a course map for this race? Thanks. Ed.

[14-H]

Other Race Equipment

Also an axe or hatchet is mandatory and you are allowed to carry a spare powerhead and lowerunit. Girly-men need not register. Ed.

[Arcticracer]

More info and date wrong Sat & Sun 6/24-25

Yes Alaska is known for extreme sports I guess. There are 3 rivers in the race, the Chena is only about 5 miles through Fairbanks, then you hit the Tanana (Ta-nuh-knaw) which is a glacial river, full of silt so thick you can't see 2 inches through the water. Run the Tanana for 210 miles and then meet the mighty Yukon for another 185 miles or so. The Tanana especially is full of sloughs, silt bars, debris, etc. but a good clean run could mean that you make NO STOPS, it has been done. Afternoon winds on the Yukon usually guarantee really rough water. Roughly 45 gallons of gas is onboard, and speeds of up to 78 mph have been reached. Usually though there are damaged props, debris jammed in water pickups, trashed lower units, engine failure, flips, etc.

There is only one class. Years ago the event was really large and there were several classes. The boats are 24 feet I think because the original rules required a 24' boat and in 1964 they used regular "Tin boats". The craft gradually morphed over the years to what they are now a most unusual rig for sure.

By the way I gave the wrong dates it is Sat. and Sun. June 24/25.

[Arcticracer]

I can mail race video on DVD

Andrew-they put Formica on the bottom of the boats, only the last several feet though. They have found it helps with strength. The boats are made of fir marine ply, and sitka spruce.

Ed-There is a race map at http://www.yukon800.com/Y8_current_race.htm

It does not show the course in relation to the entire state it is basically in the middle of Alaska. NO roads after the first 60 miles when you pass through the town of Nenana. From there you go by 3 native villages before finishing in the town of Galena. Spend the night, make repairs and restart at 6AM when the water is usually glass smooth on the Yukon.

The race used to be covered on TV, and I have some events on video if some racers would like I would be glad to put them on a DVD and send out in the mail. A few years back I traded Yukon 800 VHS tapes with one of the Paramore brothers and their E-boat videos.

[David_L6]

Alright!!!

Did you guys notice that the rules for this race require that one shotgun with a minimum of ten rounds of ammunition is MANDATORY to be carried on the boat?

Can we get that rule into mod too?

[Dave M]

I want One

I would love to see a DVD of this race. The Yukon river is a hunters dream paridise... Combine two passions into one....... boat race with a shotgun.......... has to be good.

David L6, I think perhaps we would actually use the shotguns if they allowed me to carry one on the boat....... Although it might give a whole new respect for the overlap rule.

[Arcticracer]

Dvd

Gentleman I will get out my VHS tapes and create a DVD from them, and get them ready to mail out. No cost. There is aerial footage chasing the boats on the Yukon, interviews, etc. I will get some addresses.......

[14-H]

***
David L6, I think perhaps we would actually use the shotguns if they allowed me to carry one on the boat....... ***

Dave: If that were required in APBA Mod, we might have settled a few disputes a little more expeditiously instead of allowing the lawyers to become involved, huh???? LOL. Ed.

[14-H]

Yukon 800

I think that we should grant a 5 point bonus for the Hall of Champions in Mod and Stock if you simply finish this race. What do you think? Ed.

[Ron Hill]

Make It Automatic...

The Yukon 800 Winner should go right to the Hall of Champions...

I mean, "There are stange things done in the land of the midnight sun, but the stangest they'd ever did see was that night on the marge of Lake LaBarge, that I creamated Sam McGee..." Robert W. Service....

Now Sam was from Tenneesee where th cotton bloomed and blowed....

Do they have an over all weight???

24 feet??? That's how long telephone poles are...and they make great keels.

[Arcticracer]

Weight

Ron-

The overall weight is not restricted, the only weight restriction is crew. A fully fueled rig ready to go with crew is about 1500 pounds. The performance of the boat is quite different at the end of the course than the beginning, after burning 43 gallons of gas. They usually run a Mercury Racing 12 X 22 cleaver, or a 20.


Some years ago when Yamaha USA heard word of the racing here they simply did not believe what they were told, that a 1500 pound 24 foot boat will run well over 70. They came here to see in person.

[Dave M]

Got That Right !

Dave: If that were required in APBA Mod, we might have settled a few disputes a little more expeditiously instead of allowing the lawyers to become involved, huh???? LOL. Ed.

Then the unemplopyment line would be a lot longer these days........ we would not need lawyers.... )

Thanks for the laugh Ed.