Boat Racing Promo Videos

[jsilvestri]

The most impressive thing to me was that the boats handled really well, cornered extremely well and when they ran into each other, the boats never skipped a beat. Not to mention the race course was not excessively long, which allowed for the spectators to be able to watch no matter where they were seated. Things we could adopt very easily in our racing. Or atleast incorporate a class such as the ones in the videos, with spec boats, that anyone could drive, smaller courses, and standardized props.

Add: even with their boats the way they handled, they still looked like a lot of fun to drive.

[raceboat61-S]

I went to a couple of these races many years ago when I was stationed in Japan. IT AIN'T ABOUT BOAT RACING !! It's all about BETTING. 90% of the spectators couldn't tell you if a Yamato is a boat or a motor! 98% of them wouldn't be there if it wasn't about the betting. Japan does "boat racing" because there isn't enough land for thoroughbred tracks. The big bucks behind this 'sport' is the same kind of money that feeds Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The "house" always wins. It may have changed in recent years but the company that owns all the rigs worked real hard to configure them the same. In fact, years ago the drivers had a lottery just before the race to determine which rig they would drive. It wasn't legal to personalize the rig that a guy gets to drive. No "secret prop box" either.
Joe Silvestri's CSR would blow the doors off these guys by at least 10 MPH. Mike Marshall, Raceboat61-S

[sam]

I went to a couple of these races many years ago when I was stationed in Japan. IT AIN'T ABOUT BOAT RACING !! It's all about BETTING. 90% of the spectators couldn't tell you if a Yamato is a boat or a motor! 98% of them wouldn't be there if it wasn't about the betting. Japan does "boat racing" because there isn't enough land for thoroughbred tracks. The big bucks behind this 'sport' is the same kind of money that feeds Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The "house" always wins. It may have changed in recent years but the company that owns all the rigs worked real hard to configure them the same. In fact, years ago the drivers had a lottery just before the race to determine which rig they would drive. It wasn't legal to personalize the rig that a guy gets to drive. No "secret prop box" either.
Joe Silvestri's CSR would blow the doors off these guys by at least 10 MPH. Mike Marshall, Raceboat61-S

From the translations I have read from the current web sites, the same rules still apply.

The only thing a driver may do is custom bending on the standard issue prop ... but then again, it is one of the things covered in their training.

[PopPop]

Japan Boat Racing

With all that has been said, this is really close racing in front of spectators, giving them a show, betting or not. We can learn from this, but will we ?

[HRTV]

With all that has been said, this is really close racing in front of spectators, giving them a show, betting or not. We can learn from this, but will we ?

I agree with Phil, betting or not I am more impressed with the level of pageantry they display over in Japan, this is something we could defiantly learn from and try to replicate here in the states. I don't speak a word of the language but the announcer in the one clip had me glued the screen with his level of excitement and enthusiasm displayed in his voice while calling the race.

[sponsonhead]

Just Like RLR..............

I don't speak a word of the language but the announcer in the one clip had me glued the screen with his level of excitement and enthusiasm displayed in his voice while calling the race.

So, what do you suppose the Japanese word for "HOLY BUCKETS!!!" is?

R-19

[hydroman6]

[QUOTE=Admin;67373]I agree with Phil, betting or not I am more impressed with the level of pageantry they display over in Japan, this is something we could defiantly learn from and try to replicate here in the states.

Pageantry.

I seem to recall years ago we tried to make a simple uniform pitch, and couldn't even make that stick. Personal opinion......We'll never be taken seriously when the first impression is a bunch of guys in shorts and T-shirts (or no shirts at all).

[stu_racing]

I'm currently attending school in New Hampshire at Franklin Pierce College and today I sat down with one of the students from Japan. I'm not sure if she did not understand me properly or what, but from what I understood, she said that there are very few or maybe even no casinos in Japan. So this leads me to conclude that if there are few horse tracks and little to no casinos then the remander of people that gamble would be forced to go the boat races. Therefore, the number of spectators that they draw are due to the lack of casinos and limited number of horse tracks. So the number of spectators probably has little to do with the sport of boat racing as it does with gambling. So I wouldn't get your hopes up too high.

p.s. I don't mean to be the negative attitude here, but i'm relaying info that I recieved today.

[sam]

They also bet on stadium bicycle racing.

[HRTV]

I'm currently attending school in New Hampshire at Franklin Pierce College and today I sat down with one of the students from Japan. I'm not sure if she did not understand me properly or what, but from what I understood, she said that there are very few or maybe even no casinos in Japan. So this leads me to conclude that if there are few horse tracks and little to no casinos then the remainder of people that gamble would be forced to go the boat races. Therefore, the number of spectators that they draw are due to the lack of casinos and limited number of horse tracks. So the number of spectators probably has little to do with the sport of boat racing as it does with gambling. So I wouldn't get your hopes up too high.

p.s. I don't mean to be the negative attitude here, but I'm relaying info that I received today.

Hey Stu,

I don't see anything negative at all, we were just admiring the way it is done over in Japan. Will this ever happen in the states ? NO like the post above says we cant even get drivers to buy or wear uniforms.