OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[Xerophobic]

Just got a call from Franks Photography about the worlds race article and apparently there was some confusion and mixup in the production phase due to a change of magazine ownership. In any case there are some mistakes and incorrect names used in some places etc I have yet to see the article but in the meantime I felt I could post how the article should have appeared. I wrote this for Frank who supplied the photo's(they apparently also forgot to give him credit, again!)
I think they said Whitey wrote the article and also was the one who experienced impeller failure on the last day, busy guy doing all that while winning the race too LOL

Anyway here is how it should have read:

Words alone cannot describe the effort involved in merely completing a World Jet Boat Marathon. The race itself is as much a battle against one self and the river(s) as it is against fellow competitors. As the saying in marathon circles goes, to finish first, first you have to finish. This year’s race, taking place in rugged and beautiful Northern Alberta Canada, certainly lived up to that moniker. Some fifty three teams from five countries made the trek to test their minds and machines in the Great Canadian Jet Boat Marathon by Outlaw Eagle. Over 580 miles testing months and months of team’s preparations; the rivers would not give up the World title so easily.

Day 0 would see competitors in six classes gathered in Whitecourt for the show and shine and tech in/registration. This years event, the most attended race in Canadian history, saw ten boats from New Zealand, four from Mexico, two from the United States and one from Australia with Canadians rounding out the field. An excellent spectacle for onlookers, the opening leg on the Athabasca River would involve 8 mile laps of a “circuit” which had upstream and downstream “loops” formed by small island channels, the same course run by the local Whitecourt Riverboat Association in their annual race. Mass starts within classes gave fans a quick shot of adrenaline seeing up to seven boats at a time drag race upstream all jockeying for the all important first corner position. This first right-hander would prove pivotal in many races as it lead into the narrow man made race channel so famous on this circuit. Dealing with a jet boats rooster tail and wake when attempting to navigate this channel, often less than thirty feet wide, is truly something one has to experience to appreciate, never mind doing so at over 90 mph. Racing would begin with the SP2500 class, based on the Mercury Sport jet and progress through FX, C, B, and A classes before the crowd favorite unlimited boats took the course. While most classes are based solely on engine size its not unusual for world champions to be A(<470ci) or B(<366ci) boats. By UIM rules a boat must start and complete ALL of the fifteen legs to qualify for the world title and unlimited boats, often sporting huge HP, large cubic inch motors, forced induction and other exotic features straining jet pumps to the limit, often succumb to the rigors of long distance racing. Boats assessed even a single DNS (did not start) or DNF (did not finish) would be out of contention for the overall world title. FX class, regretfully not yet recognized by the UIM, would prove an interesting class to watch as the Race Committee had adopted a strict unmodified 355 hp ZZ4 crate engine only policy. FX also had the most entries at fourteen. C class boats must be under 360ci and are not allowed dry sumps.

Day 1 racing would showcase the impressive speed of local Patty Stratton’s A boat and the technical masterpiece of Mark Cromie’s Unlimited twin turbo EFI monster. Cromie, all the way from New Zealand, brought a full force effort which included a massive and very professional crew, not to mention years of marathon experience and a few world titles. Dale Whiteside, defending 2006 champion, was also on the grid with a few tricks up his sleeve. Always fast, six time world champion, Spencer King from the Northwest Territories had made the trip and Kiwi’s Robert Thompson and Rob Pooley, both running black Kwik Kraft hulls, were eager to compete. FX class would see the most boats in a single heat and it would prove very exciting indeed. In the first of two FX heats Doug Rewega would succumb to the jet wash from hometown Richard Grant’s 19’ tunnel in the race channel and end up well onto the bank. Richard himself later admitted he drove the channel mostly from memory while being washed down by leader Tim Wilmot. Also ending up on the bank in heat one was Alex Figel who luckily got himself going again before the course closed. The day would end with the butterflies gone and teams settling in for the long haul. No one wins the race on the first day but it did not stop Spencer King and Patty Stratton from putting on an impressive speed display closely followed by Cromie and Pooley. Also quite impressively not far off the overall pace was local B class favorite, Karey Crawford. Not so impressive was Robert Thompson running out of fuel on day one and being assessed a dreaded DNF, taking him out of the overall hunt in short order. Gord Humphrey of Fort St John BC would also be forced out early with a rod exiting the side of his A boat’s block.

Day 2 saw racers travel 190 miles to Peace River. Well into the depths of “Oil Country” the Peace River legs would consist of more circuit racing right in town. This day “should” have been one of the easier legs for the racers however at the drivers meeting it was obvious Mother Nature had other ideas. SP2500 class started mid morning in driving rain which proved uncomfortable for the racers who couldn’t have been wetter swimming the course themselves. While these circuits are a comparatively tame portion of the race it did not stop them from taking a terrible toll on engines. Spencer King’s 600ci SVO motor let go on the last lap of their Unlimited heat forcing them out of the race after posting some impressive speeds. Team Aquaholic blew an engine and father-son team of Chad and Willie Burns dropped a valve ending their hopes for a world class victory repeat. Bob Guldbrandsen would suffer the worst luck of the day when his A boat got very loose directly in front of the beer gardens going airborne, partially spinning and flipping in the process. The boat landed upright and no serious injuries were reported but the race had claimed yet another. By days end Patty Stratton was still leading followed by Cromie, Pooley and Whiteside.


Day 3 was the dreaded Smokey River legs. A 55 mile leg to the Watino bridge and back, racers would see 15 miles of rough rapid sections, submerged rocks and big rollers to keep things that much more interesting. Often a misunderstood participant in racing the navigator plays an essential role. Mapping tracks on GPS, monitoring gauges and noting obstacles are critical to success when the driver often has his hands more than full just handling the boat. Hitting a rock or gravel bar at over 100 MPH can end your world’s quest in a big hurry and avoiding such fates are often half the battle of any given leg. Courses are not laid out for the racers and the paths they chose up/down river are dictated by what individual teams feel are the fastest and least risky paths. Making a wrong turn is always a fear and naturally what’s considered ‘risky’ often changes by your position in the field how much time you need to make up.
This most damaging leg of the race would waste no time in taking its toll. Rob Pooley of New Zealand, running strong in U-class, was seen paddling their boat early in the leg, another engine failure. Gil Garcia of Mexico suffered by far the worst wreck of the race when he entered the first set of rapids, Crazy Rays Point, at well over 90 mph. The 21 foot Eagle “Philia” went airborne, landed awkwardly and rapidly sunk. Fellow U-class racers Neville Kelly and Brent Ward of New Zealand did not hesitate in bringing their race boat to the rescue plucking the two otherwise unhurt Mexicans from the swiftly flowing waters in a phenomenal display of sportsmanship. That same rapid would cause further spectacular spinouts, hull damage on numerous boats and generally test each and every driver’s skill and nerves. It was clear at the end of the leg how drivers had faired this technical section based solely on facial expressions and condition of their boats. Jesse Foster suffered not only a blown engine but also split open his B boat, limping over the finish line. Kevin Lyons brand new, beautifully camouflaged, 19 foot tunnel suffered a caved in bow, bad enough to also distort the top deck of the boat. Kevin was luckier than Jesse however and was able to make the return leg back to Peace River. More racers than ever were sporting bow canards at the start of the marathon and at the end of this leg many were bent or otherwise missing altogether. Mike Rowe of Hay River blew the pump cap off of their B boat and being at the upstream end had no access to a replacement. Racer ingenuity (and desperation) would see them make the downstream leg using a rock, a ball cap and a wrench in place of a Berkeley pump cap! Jose Barquin of Mexico ended up on the bank, also out of the race. Kiwi James Murdoch suffered from a broken connecting rod bolt, and the usual destruction that it creates. Incredibly Mark Cromie’e crew reported a downstream leg speed of nearly 132 mph, but at the same time, not surprisingly, also were experiencing a variety of jet pump issues.


Day 4 and it was Monday which meant racers woke up in Grande Prairie, a larger town of sixty thousand with a fiercely strong jet boating club; The River Rats. This clubs long history of jet boating and racing made for great facilities and lots of local boat support. The 60 mile legs to Canfor Bridge and back would be challenging from both a navigational standpoint and sheer distance. Lots of backchannels and turns meant more places to make bad choices and as such the leg also claimed its time on the clock for many. Richard Grant, leading FX class by some 8 minutes, hit some rollers incorrectly and ended up a good ways up the bank, luckily not damaging the boat in the process. Dave “doc” Anderson, dominating C class, was not so lucky. Doc lost an engine on the downstream leg and regretfully news soon spread that the rope had broken while his boat was being towed to the launch ramp and the boat had hung up on some logs in flowing water and sunk. “Halcon”, a Mexican entry, had thrust bearing issues in their pump and limped in after the leg had closed, their day ending looking for replacement pump housing. That housing was donated to the cause by Ryan Ringer of the US, whose flywheel disintegrated on the same leg. It’s worthy to note this was not a spare part Ryan had in the parts bin, this was the billet pump directly from his own, out of the race, boat! This form of support and assistance from fellow racers is common in a sport which is done largely for the thrill and love of whitewater boating. It’s indicative of the people involved and the reason for racing far and above any amount of prize money. SP2500 class would see the 3rd place Gary Weaver from Albany Oregon overtake the 2rd place Aussie boat, “Dingo”, now having electrical issues in their 2 stroke Mercury. Bob Hug, of Sylvan Lake Alberta, continued to lead the class in “Hugster”.

Tuesday gave racers a much needed day off. Those not plagued with a day of repairs and tuning tried to catch up on some much needed sleep while others pre-ran the next days legs. Dave “Doc” Anderson was convinced by fellow racers it was not his time to throw in the towel and got serious help getting his boat pumped out and ready to run again after the unfortunate sinking accident the day before, a decision he clearly would not regret.


Day 5 and a group of refreshed racers met for the run up the Wapiti River to The Gardens, some 40 miles. The upstream leg would see one minute interval starts in a more traditional Marathon format pitting boats against only the clock and the river. Patty Stratton would blow an upper end early in the leg and limp across the finish line ending a phenomenal run where he kept his A boat well in the hunt with the bigger U Class boats. His crew, with the help of anyone available, swapped his engine in record time to ensure he made the downstream leg. However this years 15 minute penalty for doing so would surely hurt his position overall. Jesse Foster would blow his 2nd engine and end up on the bank, ending his race for good. After sorting out electrical issues on the lay day, the Aussie entrant in SP2500 class would suffer engine to pump bolt failures and spend the entire leg slowly filling with water. Cool heads, and a bailing navigator, would see the boat successfully cross the finish and quickly beach on the rocks to avoid sinking. Regrettably the team did not feel the risk was worth attempting to finish the downstream leg and the boat pulled off after the required start distance, opting for a DNF instead of a DNS. The downstream leg to Bezansen Bridge was unique in that racers would finish at an entirely different place than they started the day. Comparatively easy waters and the fact that racers had already run half the leg on a previous day helped reduce the carnage, although certainly not eliminating it. Richard Grant, still leading FX class by a good margin, went left when he should have went right and was forced to run over 75 feet of gravel to get back to where he needed to be. Unfortunately along the way he also found more than a few sharp rocks and ripped several holes in his boat. While he didn’t sink, and finished the leg, the otherwise brand new boat did require some overnight repairs to make the next legs. Patty Stratton would be equally as disappointed as valve train failure on his backup engine would see him also receive the DNF he had tried so hard to avoid.

Day 6 and we’re back in Whitecourt for the remainder of the race and more circuits and river legs. Karey Crawford’s good fortune finally ended, along with his 21 min lead, with a rod through the side of his B engine. Backup engine installed he continued to drive at a furious pace attempting to overcome the 15 min engine change penalty. Estuardo Beltrane and Andres Wilson suffered an ill timed engine failure within a mile of the finish of the upstream leg. Luckily for them what seemed like garbage floating past their broken down boat proved to be 2/3 of a six pack of cold beer. The Canadian river gods had finally smiled on them, even if briefly. Rumors by this time had fully circulated of Mark Cromie’s persistent impeller issues. While posting fast times and staying in the hunt the team was consuming impellers at a furious pace. Repeatedly seeing stress cracks requiring immediate blade replacement, it would be an untold omen of things to come for Team Cromie. On the downstream leg Tim Wilmot, running a rare River Wild winged hull, lost control momentarily and ran over the back of a support/safety boat parked too close to the race action. No injuries were reported and damage to both boats was minimal. In the afternoon circuits ongoing carburetor issues finally proved disastrous for Dale Whiteside when the boat lost power in the race channel driving him up the bank. A TV helicopter hovering above let the fans know something was awry in the backchannel. Dale and navigator Dana Hartley finally got the boat going again, altho losing 2nd place to Neville Kelly in the process.

Day 7 and the first engine failure of the race for FX class would prove to be a bad head/gasket in Felix Bergeron’s “Dark Angel”. Quick replacement in the pits would see not only Felix finish the race under his own power but also every single FX boat entered (save one which was disqualified for an unrelated issue). Certainly this level of endurance is strong justification for consideration of this new crate engine only class. With new engine installed Karey Crawford suddenly pulled away from the start line before his B boat heat, only minutes remaining, with a small oil fire caused by a valve cover leak. After a quick fix Karey burst back into the staging area just as the other boats left the start line. Calmly falling off plane, as the rules require, he then launched into the back of the pack to the cheers of the hometown crowd. The end of the heat would see Karey catch two of the three boats ahead of him. Baby Bud, attempting to make time on the 1st place boat in SP2500, would suffer a similar fate the Aussies had days earlier. Filling with water due to broken pump bolts, the team also fell from the overall leader board while retained 2nd place in the class. The day would end with a mere seven boats left in the overall hunt, evidence of how harsh this form of racing can be on equipment and testament to the difficulty of winning a world marathon title.

Day 8, the end in sight. The final day of circuits would determine if any changes would be made to the overall standings and class leaders. They say it’s never over till its over and no one could ever have predicted how the race would conclude.
SP2500 ended much as it had run through the week with Bob Hug taking the title, followed by Baby Bud and Dingo
FX class would see Richard Grant retain his first place in an uneventful last 2 heats followed by the 2nd place Kiwi hull of Paul Morrison and a 20 year old race boat driven by Michael McGregor in 3rd. Without a doubt the most successful class of the race, it was also telling to know Grant’s time would have taken 3rd place in C class.
C Class would see Dave Anderson’s hard work getting back in the race pay off with a strong finish despite his sunken boat, blown engine and penalty minutes. Noel Hawkey would still be more than 6 minutes behind with Mike Manegre in 3rd.
Daniel Anderson’s consistency would pay off winning B class some 1 minute ahead of Karey Crawford. The 2nd place honors, well deserved as Karey had made up for an incredible 28 minutes in penalties. Third place went to “The Rowe Boat” from Hay River and just goes to show what a little ingenuity and desperation can get you. Daniels win certainly capped off an eventful trip which saw the boat sink during testing in BC a week before the race.
A class saw Alex Robinson end as strong as he started in his Impact boat finishing first and 3rd overall. The Freeland brothers and Neil Ross also finishing behind one another both in A class and the overall standings.
Unlimited would prove to be the deciding heat and was likely one of the most exciting motor sport finishes I have personally ever witnessed. Mark Cromie seemed to have the title in the bag with a staggering twelve minute lead over 2nd place Neville Kelly, himself more than two minutes ahead of defending champion Dale Whiteside. Dale had proven his 250HP nitrous shot very effective the day before and was surely going to take full advantage of the instant acceleration it provided trying to lead into the first corner. The heat was doomed to be a snooze fest. Cromie was not expected to push particularly hard due to his massive lead but had a good start and lead the field into the race channel on the first of six laps. Neville Kelly had a particularly bad start which would later prove disastrous. Dale managed to pass Cromie on the 2nd lap and continued to use the NO2 on the straight portions of river. On lap two with a sizable gap forming between Whiteside to Kelly the unthinkable happened. The crowd gasped as the boats emerged from the upstream channel in the same order they had disappeared in, minus one boat! Disbelief swept through the stands as Cromie floated downstream, off plane, past the grandstand and off the course. The crowd quickly recovered from the shock and started tracking Whiteside’s laps to see if there was any hope he could catch the seemingly slower Kelly, it was a new race! By lap four it was apparent Dale was definitely making time on Kelly but no one knew if it would be enough. To further complicate matters on lap five Mark reappeared on the course and quickly got up on plane after his crew successfully changed his impeller in less than five minutes. With Dale’s lap times indicating he may be very close to making the required time on Kelly focus again shifted to how much time Cromie had to complete his laps.(UIM rules state the leg closes after the fastest boats time plus 40 percent) Regretfully with no official live timing information available the race ended in a high energy spectacle in which no one knew exactly who had won. After what seemed like forever race officials approached the racers and privately informed them of the results. Mark Cromie’s entire team, after running so strong and consistent all week, looked simply devastated after learning they had not completed the leg in the time allowed and were assigned a DNF. Dale Whiteside, grinning ear to ear after driving his boat like a man possessed, learned his efforts had paid off in spades with the narrowest of margins beating Kelly a mere five seconds!

A fitting end for a phenomenal event staged by 3 hard working and dedicated jet boating clubs. At the awards banquet racers repeatedly commented on the comradery and hospitality shown to them and reiterated this form of racing is largely about the people and friendships formed. It’s not surprising so many had traveled so far, often not for the first time, to take part. It will be a long four years awaiting the next Canadian Worlds Marathon.

For more information on World Jet Boat Marathon racing and local series racing please visit: www.outlaweagle.com www.jetboatracing.com www.nzjetboating.com

[Hines]

Hey james cool pic in hotboat , fooooked info do youthink the doc looked happy; also dale & dann / neet pics of gils boat.later

[Bald Man]

Where do you get a copy of Hotboat around town? I don't see it at Chapter's or London Drugs any more.

[Pepe]

Hey Bald man I went to Chapters last week and I saw Hot Boat magazine, the new one, so we can buy it there.
have a good one

[Xerophobic]

Finally saw this article (note don't bother going to Chapters Red Deer I bought them out lol - Dave grabbed you a copy)

They really hacked this article to death and I'm a little disappointed. I feel bad for Frank who got no credit for the photo's and I definitely apologize to anyone and everyone who's name was quoted with incorrect facts etc. I tried very hard when writing this to mention as much detail and action as i could and get facts right. The edit the article went through before publishing shot most of that work to hell tho

Ah well, awesome photography for sure

Cheers

[5H Outlaw]

Read the mag today. At least it got the sport a little exposure. Was a good read for people that don't know everybody in the sport.
(Fricken media could screw up the Lords prayer)