New years resolution

[T.S.Davis]

Be mindful of this rule :

" Lanes for the start are set at the turn-two exit buoy. Any movement other than a straight line to the start line,
the offending boat shall be assessed a one lap penalty. Any boat that interferes with another boat (i.e.:
causing it to slow down or change direction) between the start line and the entrance of turn one shall be
assessed a one (1) lap penalty "

So how do I get to the start line if I don't turn at turn 3 and 4?

[Quietlee]

No launching from the dock? Easy at Doug's home pond, but impossible from mine. Doug's home pond has a nicely sloped launch area that makes it easy to walk into the water a bit and launch anything. My home pond has a fairly steep slope and drops off pretty quick from shore. We've got a dock that runs parallel to shore with an "in" and "out" ramp at either end. At 16 feet it's pretty easy to get a bunch of FE's lined up for the drop in at 30 seconds. Doug's pond is a little different when trying to get a bunch of FE's launched at the same time. For safety and regulation reasons, there's an orange plastic fence in the water just off the shore. There's two openings that are about 4 feet wide. If your pit guy isn't first in line to those spots, you're not getting in the water at 30 seconds. And Doby - since it is WI, most of them were out in the pasture.
I can understand what Doug is trying to get at with the increased mill time, but I can still imagine 5 boats heading for turn one when the horn sounds.

[Doby]

Yeah but that was in MI and therefore doesn't count as a real world event. Only mixed events where there are no FE clubs that stand on their own represent what's happening in FE John. Haven't you been paying attention? Sheesh. Something must be getting lost in translation to Canadian.

Sorry..my bad....I have to go and bang my head against a block of ice....what was I thinking.

As for your attempt at a "hot pit" at the Nats....great idea but my T Cat almost died of loneliness when I used it those few times..You and I used it once though, ripping off your tape at the start of the T Offshore when I threw your TFL mono in the water, you hit the throttle and it went backwards You and I had that thing back in the water in about 45 seconds...not bad, but slow by NASCAR standards.

To bad the Hot Pits weren't used more...maybe some shade would have made them more popular and less "hot".

[T.S.Davis]

No launching from the dock?

That was at a mixed event. Apparently it's much safer to be in the water with 10,000rpm of spinning ginsu than it is to gently place our boats into the water. Sounds like that isn't done everywhere.

Hey................. since we're talking about adopting extra mill time for the very oneness of it all......let's also require boats to be thrown onto plane at say 50% throttle. It's perfectly safe and those guys look like they are having so much fun doing it. In the water in April and late October in MI. Cant wait.

Is there anything else we can do to fit in? How about about pumping a recording of angry bees through the PA system? We should make them carry at least one baked speed controller home in their car too. I can almost taste it just typing that.

[properchopper]

So how do I get to the start line if I don't turn at turn 3 and 4?

SoCal racers are numerically challenged ; we only call the turns "1" and "2". With five buoys in each turn we would get too confused using "3" and "4"

Plus some of us oldsters with ADD can get distr ...Hey Look a squirrel

[RandyatBBY]

Most of the gas/nitro guys in D9 are cool with the running of our own classes. There was a vote in our district for running four classes we had 54 for and 2 against. There is 40% gas 40% nitro and 20%FE running in our district races. Most of the guys that gave me a hard time in the beginning have left. I had to run my own races for many years because there was no extra time at the gas/nitro races venue. I have tried to run a mill laps just to see if more than one mill lap could be done but the extra heat of the system is not worth it in my opinion for most of the smaller hot motors.

[DPeterson]

LOL. I know you been around Terry. Just yanking your chain. However I wouldn't discount the history or knowledge that nitro and gas racers can offer. I think I got my mill thing figured out. IMPBA has it in the rule book. We were doing it wrong. Start ;clock at 60 and no launch after
30. Gives us an option to run the extra lap. Fellow club member tells me have a visual on water start clock coming for the course. We'll start at 60 like we did at London. Hang in there Doby.

[Flying Scotsman]

Holy crap!!! this is the most civil discussion I have ever seen on changing rules....what happened to the "Good Old Days" at RRR... are there some new drugs on the market in the Excited States? I do not want any by the way, you can keep them and hand them out for free to some of your enlightened citizens...you know who I am talking about.
I am off to find a rock to hide under.

Douggie

[T.S.Davis]

. Start ;clock at 60 and no launch after 30.

Do they define "launch"? Not what they "think" it means. Actual text. I didn't find it in the NAMBA book. Couldn't find a no launch point either.

Because launching my boat is as simple as dropping it in the water. Our clock for club races is 5 minute. Our 10 second "no launch" announcement means don't put it in the water. Once you're on plane you have to remain on plane. After the exit of turn 4 (right hand end) your supposed to go straight. If you're leaving turn 4 at speed with much more than 2 seconds left you're probably going to be over.

We didn't use our 5 minute clock at the nats because there was no hope of getting done in a day if we did so. We basically had Al hit the 1 minute recording once everyone was on the stand. I think most were going in then. Maybe someone else remembers better. So they were "launched" at a minute and could have done probably 3 laps before the buzzer. Didn't see much of that.

[Darin Jordan]

Fellow club member tells me have a visual on water start clock coming for the course.

I've always thought something like that would be helpful and pretty cool.

I like the ones that are dials and have the "disappearing" orange wedge section... :)

[Doug Smock]

"Again my main goal is to get the boats spread out."

Whether there is one mill lap or 10, racers, Gas Nitro or FE, are going to try to be in lane one at the line when the clock goes to zero. If you're not in the mix at buoy one, you're not racing.

Although I will say depending on who is racing (we all know who those guys are) you may find me out in lane 15 at the start. When the parts settle, I should be in lane one. LOL

[DPeterson]

Terry - Launch means putting the boat in the water I would assume. Darin - Sounds like our clock will be LED and be programmable from the shore. Doug - I am with you on the start thing. I have seen though that "getting on the clock" and then nailing the start full throttle weeds out a lot un-practiced racers. While milling you also have to keep upright, stay in contention, look out for spray and keep the motor running. For electric I guess not burn down. A whole set of challenges currently not being utilized in electric.

[H&YRACING]

Hello, I’m Mike from Indy.
I’ve been organizing and running a FE series here for the last two summers. We use a 30 second countdown, which works out good. It seems to be just the right amount of time to allow some jockeying around for position and not burn things up. The experienced guys can hit the start and the others soon learn. The clump effect in the first turn is a natural phenomenon. It happens in all forms of racing. I preach at the drivers meeting and throughout the heats that the race is not won in the first turn (especially in a offshore marathon event) also to hold your lane down the entire front straight at the start. If you go deep and start wide, you should stay wide through the start.

I think the mill is important and adds calculation and skill to the race.

I’ve also been interested in the discussion on finishing a heat race.

Mike Yount

[Doby]

http://www.rcboatmag.com/racing-rules-and-etiquette/

[DPeterson]

Doby - nice find. Do us a favor and read it a couple times. Just kidding.

Terry - Most all the races I travel to now consider the course to have two turns. Turn one will have 3 or 5 bouy's. Turn two is the other end. Turn two will have 3 or 5 bouy's. The CD will call out for example a dead boat at turn 1 bouy 2. Took me awhile to catch on. I think it is a CD preference to do it this way. Now that I have experience with it I like it. And again I believe it developed and evolved over time from the fossel fuel guy's.

Darin - I think I would have liked the disappearing orange wedge thing too. Oh well - not going to complain about the LED right now.

I think I got a direction figured out for the start time mill lap thing for upcoming year. I guess when in doubt read the rule book. The start clock kind of sealed it.

I was kind of curious though - all you guy's that will burn up if you run one more lap - what happens when you jump the start? Oh and then there is that stupid bouy cut rule in NAMBA. You got to run laps. What happens when you cut a bouy or two. Automatic burn down? Now that I think of it - you fellas should really discuss this. I can't count how many times I witnessed confusion and arguments on the driver stand right after a heat. Nobody can keep track of what lap they were on and now add penalty laps on top of it. Boats running all over the place after the lead boat is already in. Really - do yourselves a favor and revisit this.