OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

No Bad Days · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 73 Location: Whitecourt

I have read a few concerns that were raised in regards to this issue in the race and rally form and have posted the same note there. I would like to submitt the following rules for discussion only and possible adoption at the next rule change meeting.

1)When the 10 second (green) flag goes up, all boats who are scheduled to start and are in the staging area, must, at one point, be off step.

2)If a boat enters the staging area and is on step after the 10 second flag
and does not come off step before the start flag is dropped, a 10 minute penalty will be issued to the boat or boats not comming off step.

3)After the start flag has been dropped a boat may enter and pass through the staging area and cross the start line on step.

These rules will apply to all up stream and down stream starts, mass and single starts.

Again, this is to start discussion only. Please read, add your thoughts, digest it and discuss more at the next meeting.

Thanks, Dave B.

boosted · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 378

There is a little gray area there for after the green flag drops. It could be timed properly to hit the staging area line at full speed just after the green flag is dropped. this would still be a dangerous situation. We should have a period of time lets say 5 seconds before you can cross the staging line and continue past the start line without coming off step. Would this be to hard to monitor and police?

Northgate Honda Racing · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject:

Why not just make sure you are off step at least once while the green flag is up?Easy to police and would solve the speed and danger problem.
My two cents.

Will R · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 677 Location: NWT/Alberta

i think all boats sceduled to start a specific time should all be required to be in the 50m staging area off step one minute prior to start and once the 10second flag goes up then go if you want...also just my 2 cents

Xerophobic · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject:

I remember the excitment in the stands in Whitecourt at the 07 worlds when a cool as a cucumber Mr Crawford entered the staging area way late due to a technical problem yet still fell off plane pretty much just as everyone else was launching for the start, got back up on step and still ended up passing 3-4 boats in the heat(if I recall) It was definitely an exciting moment for sure.

If people are abusing the staging area then perhaps it should be shortened up to eliminate the advantage to a "flying start"?

Dave I think rule 3 is a bit questionable as it would allow someone(albeit would be damn sneaky) to use as much river as they needed to time their start for the rear of the staging area at the exact moment the flag dropped and be in complete and full WOT yet meet the requirment of rule 3. Certainly in upper class boats they could cover the 100' staging area faster than a boat can accelerate to top speed from within it. It would actually give you a clear advantage to start that way(and you probably wont have anyone closely monitoring the line at the rear of the staging area, certainly not as tight as you do at the start line anyway)

e.g. An Unlimited boat in full flight will cover the staging area in less than 1.5 seconds (115mph is about 51m/sec)

Im not sure how you would write the rule but I think even a late starter has to be off plane at some point

Itsworthit · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 432 Location: Whitecourt

If I remember correctly, you had to be in the staging area when the white flag went up, or at the 1 min mark, and off step until the green or 10 sec flag went up, you should have to be off step for a full 10 seconds prior to the start

Family Affair · Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 62

Currently there is only one place in North America that will insure jet boat racing. They are concerned about 3 main things safety, safety & safety. If they can prove we have done anything to create additionl risk and a accident happens there is no insurance and you will want to make sure the host race committee has their directors liabilty insurance. No different if you own a business and have WCB, if you crerate an unsafe work enviroment and an accident happens guess who gets sued. No insurance, no racing you may as well take your rollbar out and put in a back seat.
Race boats cannot get coverage not even for theft so if your in an accident or lose your boat guess who pays. If you think you have insuance read the fine print and if it is still good let me know because we searched across Canada and could not find a policy.
We have only been racing for 3 years but I always understood the rules as explained by " Its Worth It" and that is the way we have always raced.
Rules should be simple to undersatnd and easy to inforce.

boosted · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 378

This would be simple. How about no boat may cross the staging line on step at any time before the green flag drops and up to 5 seconds after. This would eliminate all the issues and if there was a mechanical problem and you could not get to the line until 10 seconds before you would still be good to go. Question

Family Affair · Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 62

One other item worth mentioning as it pertains to insurance/safety; the call by the race committee to not run the Smokey on the second day.
I am sure it was a difficult decision because there were some guys that wanted to run it, it was the right one! Good Job.

Itsworthit · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 432 Location: Whitecourt

A wee bit more clarification, A boat starting a leg, must start that leg in the staging area, and to be in the staging area, one would have to be off step

gatr · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 21 Location: gravel bar

We race by the current 2009 rule book. It makes no mention of the staging area or flying starts.

I don't believe there were any starts this year, flying or otherwise that were unsafe.

Next year, we'll race by the rule book that is produced for us.

The race officials didn't seem to have a problem with the starts, so neither should you:)

Itsworthit · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 432 Location: Whitecourt

Starts, other than all boats sitting off step, in the staging area, for the white flag, have the possibility of being unsafe, as mentioned in this thread previously, insurance is an issue getting, we cannot afford to have another accident, the issue of starts has to be addressed and a rule in place

boosted · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 378

Gatr, were you at the races? There was a ton of staging line running going on. Although it was not in the rule book we had been warned many times about running the staging line and had been told that it would be 10 min penalty. At the final circuit races in PR I was standing at the staging area marker the LS class racers and the one B boat all were on step before they crossed into the staging area. In that case it was not dangerous because they all did the same thing. I watched a boat go by us at 50 + mph when the green flag dropped in one heat. It is a testimate to the drivers to be keeping everything safe. It is up to the race captain and organizers to call the infractions. This year is over, we had some of the best racing ever and great racers won there respective trophies. We now are just discussing on what the " official" rule should be regarding this for the next years.