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Here's where net blabbing could help those building flats either for competition or recreation. Consensus of opinion is Prop Shaft Releases of any brand add safety to running fast Flats.
The last thing I want to do is publically discuss this once more. And my wife and I swatted folks on the heinie as well as found a good deal for multiple purchases for the last 8 years of Nostalgia. JJ at Beaver Fab will reduce the costs for 3 or more Casale sells the most popular and some old Stellings also work!
Testimonials abound (that means lots) about how this devise actually helped racers become better drivers.? What, how can this be?
For us here at home, each of us experienced the lack of prop rotating torque steering and braking charateristics. In other words instead of wrestling with the wheel and or throttle position while entering the turns at full speed to avoid nasty hull twisting-turning problems, the boat now simply coasted and the only thing noticed is the rudder working much better and the bow angle-attitude was much inproved. Robin stated the boat almost taunted me to get into the gas sooner than without the release!
This is hard to put to words, but drivers became way more proficient and better circle racers. The boat handled better and hense was faster since it cornered better.
One racer finally said, "I have never spent so little on something that made the boat handling improve so much"! Well put and no truer statement has been made in reference to shaft realeases or whirlaways. Both Robin and I experienced this phenomina first hand since we ran 4 years without and 6 years with.
Also, you must kinow, in 1999, we tried to pass tech with APBA in SS and we failed due to the lack of a release. So upon starting Nostalgia it was kinda a real sore subject with me that I needed one to compete anywhere in any flat class!
True story. At that time our Lavey recorded a 80 something speed in the 1/4 mile on acurate clocks owned by Fraser Valley drag boat club. EVEN then Seattle needed circle flats but our 80mph boat was basically sent home. Also The drag race techs required this devise for faster 90-120mph classes.
Since our rules were a combination of IHBA (international Hot Boat Assoc.) and APBA (American Power Boat Assoc.) for flats and then AOF outboard rules were required for other applicable equipment like cut suits, helmets, &etc I believe we had the best set of rules anywhere for our type of classes.
Some of these more strict rules have been adaped in both organizations as more rules were a result of terrible injury causing accidents. Its a sad fact that we learn by someone elses accidents or tradgedys. Case in point is the additional rule for K boats without capsules, drivers are required cut-resistant suit protection just like the outboards were required a decade earlier! It was our goal to be ProActive instead of Retroactive when it came to safety rules.
There, I said it for the 99th time, shaft releases work well and worth the investment. Robin would like to add, no one likes a spanking either from parents or your very own race boat! She was spanked by her Lavey, when she lifted too fast. End of story.
The last thing I want to do is publically discuss this once more. And my wife and I swatted folks on the heinie as well as found a good deal for multiple purchases for the last 8 years of Nostalgia. JJ at Beaver Fab will reduce the costs for 3 or more Casale sells the most popular and some old Stellings also work!
Testimonials abound (that means lots) about how this devise actually helped racers become better drivers.? What, how can this be?
For us here at home, each of us experienced the lack of prop rotating torque steering and braking charateristics. In other words instead of wrestling with the wheel and or throttle position while entering the turns at full speed to avoid nasty hull twisting-turning problems, the boat now simply coasted and the only thing noticed is the rudder working much better and the bow angle-attitude was much inproved. Robin stated the boat almost taunted me to get into the gas sooner than without the release!
This is hard to put to words, but drivers became way more proficient and better circle racers. The boat handled better and hense was faster since it cornered better.
One racer finally said, "I have never spent so little on something that made the boat handling improve so much"! Well put and no truer statement has been made in reference to shaft realeases or whirlaways. Both Robin and I experienced this phenomina first hand since we ran 4 years without and 6 years with.
Also, you must kinow, in 1999, we tried to pass tech with APBA in SS and we failed due to the lack of a release. So upon starting Nostalgia it was kinda a real sore subject with me that I needed one to compete anywhere in any flat class!
True story. At that time our Lavey recorded a 80 something speed in the 1/4 mile on acurate clocks owned by Fraser Valley drag boat club. EVEN then Seattle needed circle flats but our 80mph boat was basically sent home. Also The drag race techs required this devise for faster 90-120mph classes.
Since our rules were a combination of IHBA (international Hot Boat Assoc.) and APBA (American Power Boat Assoc.) for flats and then AOF outboard rules were required for other applicable equipment like cut suits, helmets, &etc I believe we had the best set of rules anywhere for our type of classes.
Some of these more strict rules have been adaped in both organizations as more rules were a result of terrible injury causing accidents. Its a sad fact that we learn by someone elses accidents or tradgedys. Case in point is the additional rule for K boats without capsules, drivers are required cut-resistant suit protection just like the outboards were required a decade earlier! It was our goal to be ProActive instead of Retroactive when it came to safety rules.
There, I said it for the 99th time, shaft releases work well and worth the investment. Robin would like to add, no one likes a spanking either from parents or your very own race boat! She was spanked by her Lavey, when she lifted too fast. End of story.
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