OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[TOP DAWG]

Again, how is running a 4" GPS less DANGEROUS then Running a larger one ? thats what I want to know

[BOHHICA]

I have been watching this conversation and would like to chime in a little bit as I have participated in the last 4 years of UIM World meetings as a USA rep with Leo Wright. I was in New Zealand when the GPS conversation started and Mexico when the UIM reps voted on 2010 rule changes. I have also attended all 5 of the last World events and been a part of how technology is changing our sport. I am not trying to qualify my opinion, but just give some background on where I am coming from.

I am a younger generation racer and began using a handheld GPS in 2002 as a navigator. I used the instrament to mark course routes and safety hazards on a 3" diagonal screen (The new UIM ruling is for a 4" diagonal measurement). I have benefited from the pro's and been victim of the con's.

This device personally worked very well for many races, but I learned an expensive lesson in Mexico 2005 from a GPS. I was navigating for one of my Best friends, Gil Garcia, and we were flogging it down river on the Balsas catching Leo Wright and Tim Harding. Through pre-running the day before, I had marked the North channel of three to choose as by-far the fastest route. It was the classic inside island corner, 50' wide and 2-3' deep across. Racing upriver to the dam that morning everything was great, but coming down in the afternoon we were not aware that the Mexico water commision had closed the dam and the river had dropped 3+ feet during our 3 hour intermission.

As we approached our marked area/channel I was watching the GPS saying "North channel" and Gil was yelling "Are you Sure?" Needless to say Gil did not slow down from over 100mph and I led him into a BOULDER PATCH! I was not navigating to the conditions/river, I was leading him based on 24 hour old info. I had just destroyed Gil's brand new boat because I was not boating, I was GPS navigating. This is an extreme case scenerio, but it happened.

I made a personal desicion then and my useage of GPS since that day has been limited to primarily speed information and occasional hazard marking. In 2009, for New Zealand, I installed a digital GPS speedo and have not raced with a handheld since. I have made a personal choice to race the river and other competitors with my eyes and foot, not technology. As far as I know Spencer does not use a GPS of any kind during races and I admire his accomplishments even more for it. I believe that Chad Burns also does not run any GPS's. Two pretty fast Canadian boats racing for the purity of the sport!

Back to rules, based on the 2009 New Zealand and 2010 Mexico UIM meetings and through email corespondence, this rule was enacted to meet two functions, saftey and sport. The 4" diagonal screen size was choosen because a racer could purchase an adequate hand held were safety hazards could still be marked and legible, but yet naviagtional charting/plotting could be minimized. If someone wants to race based off of following a predetermined/charted course, I have heard the Baja 1000 and it's hookers are phenominal? (Bald Man, I fly-you buy???)

The UIM committee wants their winners to win based off of the purity of the sport, driving! The overall UIM committee agrees that with the speeds of the racers today, a 4" screen is adequate for personal safety reasons but helps maintains the sport's integrity. If you can not physically read the river at whatever speed your race boat goes, use that thing between your ears and "SLOWDOWN" or maybe this isn't a sport for you and that is OK!

As Brian M. said in a earlier post, it is very important to participate in your country's committe meetings. This is where all of these opinions can be voiced and heard.

Just an FYI for those of you who do not know who the UIM working group committee members are, I have listed the most recent members that have participated;

Canada
Brian McGregor
Dale Whitesiade
Rob Chrunyk

Mexico
Andres Wilson
Estuardo Beltran
Jose Barquin

New Zealand
Daniel Anderson
James Murdoch
Rob Pooley

USA
Leo Wright
Ryan Ringer
Tim Harding

Ryan

[Will R]

Very well put Ryan!glad you and gil were alright after that wreck. by the looks of the boat it was a bad one

[TOP DAWG]

the end !

[Coyotitto]

I second the motion very well said Ryan.

[Curtis Tulloch]

The only thing we use our GPS for is to watch our speed, i am very experienced with using a Gps and plotting things but have never done it on our rivers!! Looking at how much some of those channels split into a maze in New Zealand i could see plotting usefull! As a navigator i have seen channels run almost dry overnight, water levels change and that little unit wont tell you that!! Im all for pre-running and 9 times outta 10 haven't even had the time to pre-run!! This sport from my eyes is all about reading the river! I watched Richard and Elaine hit those rocks, it was in the middle of a huge rock garden, i dont think that plotting a line threw there would have made thing easier for anyone!!

[Itsworthit]

[ntjetboater]

That is an extreme case scenario and Glad no one got hurt that must have been a wild ride.

[Itsworthit]

Hello Brian



Regarding your question, I would like to point out that on past UIM General Assembly the Rule Proposals and Modifications were approved as they were sent, there were no changes made to them:



- The use of Hand Held GPS’s is allowed Rule 900.5.0, the maximum screen size is 4” (diagonally). The main reason why the restriction was implemented was due to the fact that with bigger screens the Pilot of the boat has a tendency to look at the screen causing this an unnecessary risk. It has not been considered a Rule to changed or modified within the Advanced Program.





Best regards Javier Amtmann

-This is a copy of an E-mail I recieved this morning,
-As I am not a fan of this rule, I am wondering if there is enough support from the racers to see if this ruling can be overturned, I'm not sure how this can be approached, but if there is enough support maybe something can be done
Karey

[BOHHICA]

Each country's racing members (CBA members in Karey's case) can contact their UIM working group reps and inform them of their personal opinions on any UIM racing rule. I listed in the post previously who your country's most recent working group reps are.

At that point, if the UIM rep feels that there is an opinion/concern that is valid, not unjustified complaining, they will present the topic to the other members of the UIM working group. The next meeting will be held around the 2011 Worlds in Canada.

The four country represented group will discuss the current topics at hand and decide to adopt rule changes/alterations or continue the conversation at a later date due to lack of support. If a rule change is in order, the River Racing Chair person, Javier Amtmann, will draft a proposal and submit it to the UIM General Assembly to be voted on in Oct 2011. This is where the UIM rules are actually changed and will be inacted the following year.

I can promise that the GPS rule will be reviewed with all of the conversation from Canada. But nothing will change for the 2011 Worlds as the rule has been passed and the next chance for change/alteration is Oct 2011.

In my opinion, I suspect that the NZ and USA working group members will not be in favor of any further GPS rule adjustments. My personal opinion/vote is not based on driver's safety/concentration, but based off of competitiveness of the sport.

Ryan

[boosted]

Well it is what it is for now and I guess us Canadian racers that would like the GPS's allowed missed the boat so to speek. We did try and contact Javier Amtmann before the worlds meeting but we were unable to get him the information reagarding our views in time. It would be our fault for not making sure that we got this information to him through the proper channels. I did attend the last worlds meeting in Valleyview just to see if the GPS ruling would be discussed at all and it was not. I think the feeling on this from the powers that be is that we had our chance and it has been decided, so on with other issues. I lay zero blame on anyone but myself for not making it a priority to be heard so like I said it is what it is.

My opinion on the ruling is that jet boat racing just took a big step backwards in the safety department and I hope to God that some one does not pay for it with there life because of it.

Sorry just couldn't leave it alone.