December 2013 IMPBA Roostertail is online

[Doug Smock]

I can't speak for IMPBA but I do remember the conversation back when we were cooking limits.

Sport is thought of by some as a watery version of scale. Full bodies hydros that look similar in size and shape. Less restrictive than scale but still sorta scale looking. Hence the ratio limitations we have in NAMBA. We were trying to keep the riggers out of sport hydro.

When we chose not to have the lower limit in NAMBA we were thinking that guys could cross over. Maybe run 6s in a P boat so a traveler could run another class. The reality seems to have dictated otherwise. A 33" hull on the power that's available in at 6s simply will not finish. In traffic after maybe 2 laps of chop......not gonna happen. So nobody messes with it.
The only place I think you might be able to exploit the lack of a lower limit is SAW.
Maybe Doug will remember.

I think you're on it Terry.
This came up recently and I couldn't remember. Went hunting and couldn't find anything specific.(never want to go back there BTW) I had a conversation with a senior racer this week that remembers it like you do.

Doug

[don ferrette]

There is one proposal #13-011 up for vote that even though it pertains to sport 40, the nitro version of Q sport hydro, I would like to ask that the IMPBA FE racers vote and vote YES to this and support it. Why? Out of the eight sport hydro classes for FE, nitro and gas in the IMPBA it is the only one that does not allow transom mounted struts. There are many of us that would like to see this brought in line with all the others for the sake of consistency in all our sport hydro classes. I tested it both ways that last time I owned a sport 40 and found no significant advantage either way. Please take a moment and vote in support of this proposal.

[keithbradley]

The only place I think you might be able to exploit the lack of a lower limit is SAW. Once upon a time there was a Q Sport saw record in IMPBA that was set by a little tiny sport shovel. It held for years. I'm guessing they were trying to avoid that.

Nobody could beat him with a bigger boat?
Perhaps this was during a time where it was technologically advantageous to have a smaller hull? I don't know how it would be, but that's the only way it makes sense.
The only situation I can see where having a smaller hull would be advantageous is in T-cat, or perhaps other T classes, and that's really only because of the 25lb. weight limit rule. Even in this case, I don't think you could go faster with the smaller cat, but you would be able to build it strong enough to take a crash, where in the case of a Twin powered T-catamaran, coming in at under 25lbs RTR requires cutting some corners and possibly building a cat that is much weaker than preferred.

I found it interesting too that Q+ Monos, cats, and riggers can all run twins, but sport hydros can't. Apparently the sport hydro class has a coveted history in some respect.

[Chilli]

Like the guys mentioned above. The Sport Hydro class was probably designed to be a semi scale class. That's the reason for the no twins restriction and hull dimension/cockpit rules.

I have no idea about why there are no minimums in the other classes or why all riggers can be up to 60"s, but I have allot of respect for the guys's that go fast in the smaller hulls. I believe Mike Martin's 78 mph run in P-Mono was done in a DF 26 and to me that's one of the more impressive records out there. I do like the no minimum rule for most classes. It allowed me to take a 32 inch $100 hull over 95 mph with a $100 clearance ESC and a $170 clearance motor. The lessons I learned about preparing a hull for SAW's and getting the proper set up to keep her on the water were priceless. I know it's only a matter of time before my record gets trounced by a bigger twin, but I'm proud of what I accomplished. Someone just has to put the $$$ and effort into it. To tell you the truth, I wish twins were a specialty class for the FE boats like they are in all the Gas and Nitro classes.

[T.S.Davis]

I think that old Q sport record was set before Lipo. Dark Horse shovel on 16 sub C cells. My memory may be off on that. I actually hope it is because I can't remember breakfast from today.

Q Sport was barely even an idea before LiPo. Wasn't practical. It was on the books I do believe but nobody had figured out how to go fast on 18 cells without building a custom one off rigger. A sport40 hull like the Thomas would bake a set of 18 sub C 4200mah cells in no time.

It really wasn't until about 2009.....ish that guys started figuring out Q sport setups with Sport40 hulls. Honestly, the best setup for Q sport is still the setups that were cooked up back then. It hasn't gotten better. 1527/1y is still the perfect combo. We just have better batteries.

SAW is a different animal. I actually have a Q saw setup but I'm a'scaird.

[keithbradley]

I know it's only a matter of time before my record gets trounced by a bigger twin.

Why on earth would you think that??? Who would do such a thing?

I disagree with you regarding the specialty class.
I don't like the idea of exiling everyone who excels (especially when it's me).
If we want integrity in our records we need to create an atmosphere where people can reach the highest levels, not one that allows those who can't keep up to continue being competitive be weeding out the competition. It would be different if there were a bunch of people running twins in the IMPBA, creating the need for more classes, but there aren't. I suggest that anyone who believes they can't compete because they don't run twins should build one and give it a shot.

If memory serves me correctly, I recall you saying that twins don't really offer a performance advantage and are really just for bling. Do you still believe that?