How Many People Race Their Boats??

[detox]

I voted NO, but I plan on racing in the future after I get my two boats ready. I have attended races and once had someone else race my UL-1 and win.

I am not a IMPBA member yet.


...

[Jeff]

I usually build real formula one/indycars and stock cars and 1/4 mile dragsters in my garage. I then run them in the street in front of my house and dodge the nieghborhood children and dogs. Getting them up to 180 miles an hour in the hood is really hard, that's why I crash all ta time. I ten gets un da furums and askky all the help ta go fasstest and nut crash. I typa dis way cause my fingers is so crushed fum ateh hard work........


I have been at this rc boating thing for seven years. I have built 17 boats, some from scratch with my dad. I only have bought 1 rtr, it was a super v. Every boat I have built has been built to race and has competed. Some are retired now. Racing against others that follow the same rules helps improve everything you like about this sport. Whether it is building,painting,driving,tunning, working on props or following technology like lipo batteries and charger, programable esc's. It is all made better by competition. I have made great friends and have spent more time with my father all because I share this sport with them.

Jeff

[properchopper]

I'm liking this thread a lot - possibly, among other things, because it touches on the underlying concept that serious raceboats differ in many ways from sport runners, and setting up a boat for racing demands a different plan. What I'm getting at is that having a boat ready to compete, in most cases, requires building a boat from hull up. Of course there are exceptions - the Production classes and Spec classes as an example. Learning to build from a bare hull for entry-level boaters has become less a requirement now that there are so many "Racy-Looking" RtR's available. As little as five years ago, you either (fun)ran a Villian EX, Twinstorm, or pretty much had to build your own and learn the ropes. This proliferation of RtR's is a double edged sword [climbing up on my soapbox] . It opens the door to entry-level boaters as never before, but may slow down the progression to the hull-up build. I'll say this; modding a weak RtR is a learning experience in itself ( a path I've been on myself ) to the tune of almost two years to get my Twinstorm from 21 mph to 31 mph at about $ 30 / mph in the days of brushed motors and NIMH's. I don't regret that experience, but I sometimes wish someone would have kicked me in the a** and told me to dump the Twinnie & build a hull-up rig. Now the movement seems to be going in the direction of over-modding RtR's well past the point of their design limits. It's all good. ZSP/WTS boats may be fun, fun, but when the green flag drops, ......

[Jeff]

Oh and I forgot to add if my mane don't get caught in the prop.... and something about my rusty 1972 ford pick-up only getting 4 miles to the gallon so I can't go far without more allowance....

[NOZ69R]

We get a bunch of guys usually about 10, going down to the local dam every Saturday at 2pm to "play with ourselves"

There's a mixture of FE and big 26cc bangers and usually take it in turns for time on the water.

Only last week three of us 2 x Apparitions & 1 x Genesis actually had a bit of a race if you could call it that, what a BUZZ and got the heart racing. Until my bout lost its steering and the other Apparition ran over the top doing a 180 turn about 5" off the water..

The only damage was a chunk out of my canopy and a broken sacrificial nylon bolt on the others rudder.

One of the guys is currently talking to the local council about using a sediment pond when I say pond it is about 400 x 200 metres so more of a lake. The only thing is we need to form an official club to cover insurances.

Cheers

[dana]

ive definitely ran with other guys in my area. never actually raced but had up to 4 boats in the water at once, and i can say its crazy!!! speed really means nothing when everyone is just having a blast and trying not to run eachother over. it really makes you rethink how you drive your boat when you got others out there making waves and just trying not to flip over. but i will say, i enjoy the challenge of really using driving "skills" in this context, rather than just going for speed.

[sailr]

Wow! What a ride! Beautiful!

I definately don't mind using my boats... I have 2 that are reserved as "don't bring em out unless everything is just right"... but all my other boats I bought with the intention to use.... if they get hit or broke... then I guess I probably had fun doing it... I got this idea instilled in me from my father... he has 5 antique/hot rods including this all metal 1948 chevy coupe with Lamborghini Orange/Harley Davidson Royal Purple exterior with matching leather interior, engine bay with color matched 383 supercharged stroker motor, and painted undercarriage.... and get this he drives it to and from the car shows and out to eat on Friday night.... people always ask him at the Car Shows what he uses to trailer it... he tells them he drives it.... and my father lives a couple miles out on a DIRT road.... hes always said "whats the sense of owning it if you don't dare to use it?" guess I followed in his footsteps... l've trashed a few RC boats... oh well, life goes on.... and boats can be repaired/replaced but the memories I've made running them can't be..... and just the thought of running side by side with other boats gets my blood boiling....