So maybe we should handicap the riggers somehow? Extra lap for them perhaps?
Bob Bonahoom [TCMBC} and Mike Z. are in the process of breathing life back into the small pond in Eau Claire ,Wi.At one time there were several K&B based ready to run boats in this area that are sitting in basements and or on Ebay gathering dust....For dam sure there are about a zillion K&B .21 outboards laying in junk drawers all over North America....
This K&B .21 only suggestion was for a couple of small local clubs to enjoy RC Boat racing and not for the promotion of some 300 boat national marquee event on a small pond....
I fully expected that there would be some resistance to this idea of a K&B 21 only class..... What precipitated this suggestion was the current price for a new 3.5 O.S. outboard is $550.00.....$550.00 motors do not encourage new people to enjoy our sport....
Anybody wanting to enter our sport and be so called "competitive" will need at least around $1000.00+ of extra income to do so....
Unless you are living under a rock....All "existing classes" are expensive as hell to be "competitive"....
A new boater could build a JAE .21 outboard rigger with a K&B 21 outboard and be on the water ,radio and all for less money that a new 3.5 O.S. outboard.
There are several things that could be done to level the playing field.... I.E. Seven laps for 3.5 hydros or all riggers have to run a X437 prop or 10% fuel or who knows whatever would encourage parity in the racing....A little experimenting at the pond would encourage rules that level the playing field very quickly....
A reason to not try this because there are to many classes already doesn't hold water in my opinion....That is just legislating people right out of the sport of RC Boat racing.....If you don't think this will work , don't build one....
Another consideration was Mike Z. belongs to a local organization that is primarily aircraft oriented and it was my hope that if there was a reasonably priced RC boat class that the plane/helicopter flyers would be tempted to join us....
Speed doesn't guarantee success in RC boat racing....In order to finish first , first you must finish....IT is a lot easier to accomplish that at 45 MPH than it is at 70+ on a small pond...
Rod Geraghty