IYO best for offshore

[Johnc]

This spring I plan on starting to join local club and start racing (not any fun by myself anymore) Have 2 available boats that would be eligible 1: Motley Crew 2: Blackjack 34" v3. MC has a 180a ecs with a sss 2075kv motor, BJ is stock.

So in your guys opinion witch one is the better of the 2? minus the motor situation going on right now (understand that motor thing most likely will need to be changed)

If you think MC, why? and what would be a good set up for a newbie? Same if you think that the BJ would be a better bet.

John


PS: local club is 4s max

[Speed3]

Blackjack 29 v3 would be the better boat. The blackjack is a better handling boat.

[properchopper]

Most people I've raced with (including my own experience) judge the MC to clearly handle better than the Blackjack. In a straight line they're both fairly equal, 'tho if the BJ could eliminate the built-in bouncing it probably could edge out the MC - My MC is set up for oval and can ride the rear sponson & rip. The BJ has straight sponson bottoms with cuts to simulate steps but runs wetter. The MC corners better - all the BJ's I've seen (including the 2 I've set up to test [and reject] for oval) corner like a dirt-track car - sliding around the 75 foot radius oval turns. Looks cool but scrubs speed. The MC corners on rails by comparison.

If you're setting up a NAMBA style offshore course there's some really tight turns around the offshore course pins that are better handled by a mono hull (unless your last name is Presnell, Newland or Jordan).

I've set up several hulls for offshore including a dual rudder Mean Machine (too much drag) but my MC is a proven race winner for the last 7 years + a NAMBA P-Ltd. Cat 2-Lap record holder . Either boat will get you in the water so go for whatever you like

[Speed3]

I have seen a video of a blackjack 29 v3 doing 93mph, I have seen another 78mph, I have seen a video of the miss GEICO v3 doing 85mph. (Same hull as the blackjack)

I have seen them run first hand and in my observation the blackjack 29 seem to be able to run through rougher water at a higher speed than the motley crew.

I cannot comment on which corners faster but I know the blackjack 29 seem to be able to run stable with more power.

I think on 4s and say a 4074 the motley is slightly faster. So maybe in that regard being slightly faster on the 4s power plant, and like you said it corners better it may win a 4s class race.

But I suggested the blackjack initially because of what I have seen it do in ruffer conditions and the higher top speed limit that it seem to have over the motley.

[Fluid]

Since the OP has more power in the MC it will be faster than the BJ. I’ve race my MC (PB 1500 Kv motor) against numerous stock BJs and even in rough Texas water I had the edge. You have to be able to corner a Limited boat well to win an oval race - regardless of straightline speed. That said, driver skill is the most important factor with any Limited boat.


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[Johnc]

Thanks to y'all,
Think I will set up both this winter for offshore (and decide on motors, per up coming motor spec's), my opinion offshore makes a better navigator and better driver.
And depending on weather and the amount of boats running in the heat make my decision at that time (but leaning towards the MC at this time)

[Doby]

Properly set up, the MC on 4S with the original AQ 1800 kv motor is more than adequate for racing.

No-one cares about 70-90 mph speeds and how they handle them..its not relevant to 4S oval racing.

[properchopper]

2012 NAMBA Nationals P-Ltd Cat Final :

First Place : Motley Crew (Brian Buaas)
Second Place : Motley Crew (Properchopper Tony)
Third Place : Geico (Ted McKay)

Doesn't really prove much but was a great race series/fond memories

MC Nats.jpg

[T.S.Davis]

He did say "offshore". Offshore has lots of turning. Straight line speed doesn't matter. Those races are won in the turns.

They both have quirks in traffic. Comes down to recognizing the water as you're racing. Lateral waves and dirty water in the turns. This is true of every type of boat though. Running them in crappy water teaches you to do that. Getting out and racing them or even just practicing with other fools on the water.

The MC works pretty well but the center of gravity wants to be much further forward than you would think. I hogged out to openings to extend the cells forward of the tub in our Lucas. That ran pretty well. Maybe I'll race that in cat next year. It's still a fun boat to drive.

On the Blackjack we used a skegged strut that we cut short so that only about a 1/4" of skeg was left. Gets rid of the tendency to hook in the turns that plagues the Blackjack.

I ran a good ole' Pursuit all season. Finished way ahead in the points. So you don't need some state of the art latest greatest bestest boat to win. Turn laps. Stay upright. Finish heats.

[Johnc]

Hello Terry,
Talked to you at the pond a few times, also at the national's that you held, and pm's on these forums.

Just wondering if and when you have some sort of meetings? It's an hour drive from where I'm at so would need to schedule it (would like to attend)

So any word on what motors are legal? Just would like to learn to race and have fun with fellow boaters. Do like the offshore though (seams to make the better driver win overall) don't get me wrong about oval though.


John

[T.S.Davis]

We'll have something in February.

Looking like we'll be running 37mm x 60mm unless a trial set comes along from IMPBA. 99% of our guys are running 1 of 3 different motors anyway. The Proboat, the Promarine, or the Aquacraft. We've tried a ton of stuff in that range. Most work but none were some magic bullet that made for easy wins. Some of the aftermarket motors are more forgiving when you screw something up. Plugged water line or maybe grabbed the wrong prop. Motor comes in 250 degrees. Oh crap! A TP might/would be injured at 240 but a Proboat at 240 burns to a crisp.

Still comes down to knowing how yer boat handles this/that/the other kind of water. When to start a turn and when to come out of it. Sounds simple but exiting turn two is a problem for many. Turning laps does more for my racing than anything I can dream up on the bench. Don't get me wrong, the engineering is part of the fun but it doesn't guarantee wins. All that design, thinking outside the box, and sharing the ideas is part of the camaraderie that makes up model boat racing. For me at least. It's kept me around for years.

Winning occasionally is great but........I don't know.......it's like frosting on a really tasty cake. I'm eat'n that whole danged piece cake.

[larryrose11]

IT would appear that the Motley Crew sponsors have a dihedral design and the Black Jack looks like it has flat ride pads. Could this explain the handling differences?

[properchopper]

........................Winning occasionally is great but........I don't know.......it's like frosting on a really tasty cake. I'm eat'n that whole danged piece cake.

Yup

winning shirt.jpg



But personally, I like them Circular Nutrition Modules

donut hunter.JPG

[properchopper]

IT would appear that the Motley Crew sponsors have a dihedral design and the Black Jack looks like it has flat ride pads. Could this explain the handling differences?

My take is that it may very well be that the MC has more width relative to the wetted sponson length ; the Geico & it's derivatives seem longer relative to their width

[Speed3]

Has to be.