UIM Meeting

[Tom Cronk]

Any news from the UIM meeting yet.

[Tim Small]

Uim meeting

The350 hydro Worlds for next year were officially awarded to the USA. Along with 175 hydro. Also a minimum weight has been added to 175 hydro.

[Composite Specialties]

Weights

The350 hydro Worlds for next year were officially awarded to the USA. Along with 175 hydro. Also a minimum weight has been added to 175 hydro.

If anyone gets the new weights, please post them for us.

[Tim Small]

Weights

The 175 hydro weight will be 180 kilos, which I believe is 397 pounds for boat,motor and driver. This weight will allow a 180-190 pound driver to still be competitive. The BIG NEWS I heard is that 125 hydro weight has been changed. The old weight was 170 kilos for boat motor and driver. The new weight is 100 kilos for boat and motor, and a minimum of 70 kilos for driver. This will hurt the class because the heavier driver will not be able to build a lighter boat to compensate. 70 kilos is 154 pounds with life jacket and helmet. This will allow a 140 pound driver to have a big advantage over a 170 or 180 pound driver. This rule should not have been changed.

[sam]

Aren't there some US 125 drivers that wouldn't meet weight?


(This will only apply to UIM class races and not to regular PRO races, right?)

[Tim Small]

weight

If the driver is under 70 kilos with jacket and helmet, they must add the extra weight to the boat to make weight. This only applies to UIM european and World title racing not USA apba or nationals.

[sam]

Is this correct? ... The new UIM 125 rule is the boat and motor have to weigh a minimum of 100kg (220 pounds) regardless of the driver's weight if the driver weighs 70 or more ... and if the driver weighs less than 70, the boat/motor/driver weight is increased to a minimum total weight of 170kg (375 lb)?

[Rex Hall]

125 weight

If a driver weights less than 70 kilos and his boat weights 100 kilos, he or she will have to add weight to the boat to make a minimum of 170 kilos. I think this is a dumb rule, the boat, motor, and driver weight should have been a minimum of 170 kilos, period. This would let an 80 kilo driver to have a 90 kilo boat and motor and still be legal at 170 kilos. Now a light driver has the advantage over anyone that weights more than 70 kilos with jacket and helmet.

[Fast Freddie]

More

The UIM group decided to apply minimum boat/motor weights to both O-125 and O-175; as well as a maximum ballast rule (10%). So now an O-125 must weigh 100 kg without the driver and 170 kg with the driver. The O-175 must weigh 110 kg without and 180 kg with driver. And, if the boat without driver is under weight, only 10% can be added to bring it up to weight; while additional weight can be added for a driver who weighs less than 70 kg. There is an escape, however, in that the rule says ballast must be suitably clamped for a race but removable; so you can put permanent (non-removable) weight in a boat if you will be a lot underweight. Remember that O-250 and O-350 already have these weights, and the worlds were run in the USA last year; but they allow 80 kg for the driver.

I agree with Rex, this is less than brilliant. However, it is probably better than not having minimum weights at all. The (admirable) goal is to make boats stronger and less expensive, which I believe could be done with the single, all-up weight.

The USA contingent voted against these weights, but we lost (21-6-4).

Oh, and another thing. They approved a rule for O-125 to allow 4-cycle engines up to 250 cc, single cylinder, gasoline only. It appears Rossi is ready to build such an engine.

Bottom line - these rules go into effect for 2010 but only affect UIM classes, not APBA's, which still have no minimum weights.

Fred Hauenstein

[Dave M]

Question

Without having a complete set of UIM rules in front of me, is there a provision that does not allow temporary removable weight to be added to the driver ?

If no such provision is in the rules, I would suspect some could add weight to their body or life jacket in order to meet min. This would seem like a step backwards as well.

[Rex Hall]

250cc 4 Cycle

GRM does not have a motor in the works for a 250cc 4 cylce engine to compete in 125. Mr. Rossi is against running anything but 2 cylcle engines in hydro competition. He also thinks it would be more expensive to build a 4 cylce motor to be competitive and right now we do not need anything that would make racing more expensive.

[T Chance]

My guess is that the Pro Division is going to have minimum weights again within a couple of years.

And, does anybody besides me find those wiggly icons distracting and irritating or am I just turning into an old curmudgeon?

[Guest]

no.....

My guess is that the Pro Division is going to have minimum weights again within a couple of years.

And, does anybody besides me find those wiggly icons distracting and irritating or am I just turning into an old curmudgeon?

no..your an old fart.

[blueskyracer]

My guess is that the Pro Division is going to have minimum weights again within a couple of years.

And, does anybody besides me find those wiggly icons distracting and irritating or am I just turning into an old curmudgeon?

The icons "smilies" have become very popular so I guess you are an old grump. They are here to stay!:leaves:

[sam]

If there was an option to disable them, I would use it