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unsafe is in the eye of the beholder (driver)
Sam:
As I have said before on other subjects, I have no "dog in this hunt" so I think I can be objective about your questions.
It simply comes down to the diametrically opposed way the two types of boats handle and turn. As Dean Wilson described, the tunnel hooks and turns on the inside sponson, allowing a far faster and more violent change of direction than an conventional three point hydro with a sponson fin. The three point hydro does not have that capability, and therefore is at a disadvantage when on the race course with a tunnel boat type of the same class engine. End of story. This difference of course, is compounded if the tunnel is on the outside going into a corner. Either he gives way, or if he exploits the superior quick change of direction capability of his type boat, he ends up possibly colliding with the other boat. This has already been tried, as Dean pointed out in the early 90's, and the problems the 60% rule was passed for were found to be valid problems. That was the reason the rule was passed, to try to solve an obvious problem that existed before it got worse. The difference in design and way of driving/performance of the boats AROUND THE COURSE is entirely different, notwithstanding the tunnel boats ability to change trim and height if rules allow while underway. If the tunnel boat were denied the movable trim capability, this discussion would probably not even be taking place, as I don't believe anyway, that without trim there is any way the tunnel would be competitve against a three point, especially on the type courses run here in the US at present.
Regards your comments about enforcing the overlap rule:
Overlap rules are open to many versions of interpetation, both from a judges standpoint, and also two or more drivers perspective when fighting for the same space on the race course. You can discuss the letter of the rule all you want, but all you have to do is read all the discussion every winter about "changing" or "clarifing" the overlap rule for various categories, and it is plain that a large majority of drivers simply either don't understand it or won't obey it. Add to that the possibility of some tunnel boat drives now in other categories coming into an "open" class in PRO, with the different overlap rules from category to category, and you can very easily have a recipe for disaster. That does not mean I don't want to see the large Hydro classes grow, but it(different category rules) is a serious consideration, in my opinion. It is very easy to "be on the right side of the rule" so to speak and also be in a hospital bed. The plain fact is that if one boat has an advantage over another type, in any area, turning or straight-a-way speed, or whatever criteria you wish to use, IT WILL BE EXPLOITED BY THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHEEL. That is just human nature, and in the process someone can be hurt badly. In my humble opinion, we would be making a serious mistake to put these two types of boats together on the race course at the speeds they run, and take a chance on hurting someone badly or worse. Some experiments for the sake of experimentation are better left untried.
I would agree that something needs to be done to try to expand the entry list to more boats/drivers in the larger capsuled classes as Mark Johnson has suggested, but I also think there are better ways and ideas to try. You can't remove the driver from the equation, and as said before, human nature being what it is, a driver WILL exploit whatever advantage they have, real or imagined.
Just my opinion from watching since the big hydro's have gone to capsules.
Sam:
As I have said before on other subjects, I have no "dog in this hunt" so I think I can be objective about your questions.
It simply comes down to the diametrically opposed way the two types of boats handle and turn. As Dean Wilson described, the tunnel hooks and turns on the inside sponson, allowing a far faster and more violent change of direction than an conventional three point hydro with a sponson fin. The three point hydro does not have that capability, and therefore is at a disadvantage when on the race course with a tunnel boat type of the same class engine. End of story. This difference of course, is compounded if the tunnel is on the outside going into a corner. Either he gives way, or if he exploits the superior quick change of direction capability of his type boat, he ends up possibly colliding with the other boat. This has already been tried, as Dean pointed out in the early 90's, and the problems the 60% rule was passed for were found to be valid problems. That was the reason the rule was passed, to try to solve an obvious problem that existed before it got worse. The difference in design and way of driving/performance of the boats AROUND THE COURSE is entirely different, notwithstanding the tunnel boats ability to change trim and height if rules allow while underway. If the tunnel boat were denied the movable trim capability, this discussion would probably not even be taking place, as I don't believe anyway, that without trim there is any way the tunnel would be competitve against a three point, especially on the type courses run here in the US at present.
Regards your comments about enforcing the overlap rule:
Overlap rules are open to many versions of interpetation, both from a judges standpoint, and also two or more drivers perspective when fighting for the same space on the race course. You can discuss the letter of the rule all you want, but all you have to do is read all the discussion every winter about "changing" or "clarifing" the overlap rule for various categories, and it is plain that a large majority of drivers simply either don't understand it or won't obey it. Add to that the possibility of some tunnel boat drives now in other categories coming into an "open" class in PRO, with the different overlap rules from category to category, and you can very easily have a recipe for disaster. That does not mean I don't want to see the large Hydro classes grow, but it(different category rules) is a serious consideration, in my opinion. It is very easy to "be on the right side of the rule" so to speak and also be in a hospital bed. The plain fact is that if one boat has an advantage over another type, in any area, turning or straight-a-way speed, or whatever criteria you wish to use, IT WILL BE EXPLOITED BY THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHEEL. That is just human nature, and in the process someone can be hurt badly. In my humble opinion, we would be making a serious mistake to put these two types of boats together on the race course at the speeds they run, and take a chance on hurting someone badly or worse. Some experiments for the sake of experimentation are better left untried.
I would agree that something needs to be done to try to expand the entry list to more boats/drivers in the larger capsuled classes as Mark Johnson has suggested, but I also think there are better ways and ideas to try. You can't remove the driver from the equation, and as said before, human nature being what it is, a driver WILL exploit whatever advantage they have, real or imagined.
Just my opinion from watching since the big hydro's have gone to capsules.
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