driver etiquette

[john v]

kind of a touchy subject but a good one, what do you do when you accidentlally hit a dead boat during a race?
first year newbe or a seasoned veteran we have all done it at least once
the walk of shame from your pits to the guy you just hit is a long one but needs to be done.
how you handle it makes all the difference
i am lucky in the fact that i usually get hit more than me hitting another boat.
i know the first thing someone says is where is your pitman? but even the best pitguy cant steer the boat for you.
so i hope everyone will chime in and give some good advise

 

[Walt Barney]

If I hit another boat I say a nasty word or two , then the person I hit tell them I'm sorry and try to help them fix there boat if I can.
Walt Barney

 

[john v]

i got hit with my t44 at the nationals in virgina a few years back, i never even saw it. the guy who hit me came to me and told me he hit me before anyone else. dont remember his name but he handled it very well and little damage to my boat

 

[bzubee]

I heard a well know model boater at the 1993 internats tell a person he just hit " If you don't want your boat hit don't park it out there." Good example of what not to say.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I think it depends on the situation more than anything. If someone crashes right in front of you, there's not much that you can do.
IF it's a called dead boat, it's your pitman/spotter's job to let you know where it is before it's too late. I know, some boats are hard to see, that's just the way things go.
IF you are deck to deck and have no place to go or can't see the dead boat due to a rooster tail, take the most cautious route, cut to the inside and take the penalty or go wide and try to make up the distance later
You're situation says none of the above happened. Your best option would be to admit to it and offer to help fix or help pay for the repairs, WITHIN REASON. Obviously, getting hit is part of racing and it does happen. To try and hide the fact that you hit someone's boat will only give you a bad rep with the other racers as someone probably saw the hit and would tell the owner anyway

 

[Geraghty]

I have been doing this for dam near 50 years.....I can't remember once of somebody deliberately trying to hit a dead boat....
If you don't expect to get hit or hit somebody someday , don't take the boat out of the trailer......
In the event of an accident , The hittor should just say I am really sorry.... and ....the hittee shouldn't have left it on the course to be hit......
The hit boat responsibility bites both ways.....Even when the dead boat alert is called and with boats traveling 60+.... they reach the scene of the accident very quickly..... Throw in rooster tails and sun on the water , your line of sight compromised it just makes the problem worse......
The result......If you are going to race it is going to happen...."It's just called RACING".....

 

[Ray Sametz]

I have hit people and apologizes afterwards, right thing too do. I have also parked my boat inside the course when me and my pitman could not see dead boats due to the glare of the sun. For me it's not worth taking the chance.

 

[Mike Hughes]

I have been doing this for dam near 50 years.....I can't remember once of somebody deliberately trying to hit a dead boat....
If you don't expect to get hit or hit somebody someday , don't take the boat out of the trailer......
In the event of an accident , The hittor should just say I am really sorry.... and ....the hittee shouldn't have left it on the course to be hit......
The hit boat responsibility bites both ways.....Even when the dead boat alert is called and with boats traveling 60+.... they reach the scene of the accident very quickly..... Throw in rooster tails and sun on the water , your line of sight compromised it just makes the problem worse......
The result......If you are going to race it is going to happen...."It's just called RACING".....

AMEN BROTHER

Also never tell Eirc Bourlet where the dead boat is. He will hit it. Tell him were to drive and hes good....

 

[Danny King]

I have been doing this for dam near 50 years.....I can't remember once of somebody deliberately trying to hit a dead boat....
If you don't expect to get hit or hit somebody someday , don't take the boat out of the trailer......
In the event of an accident , The hittor should just say I am really sorry.... and ....the hittee shouldn't have left it on the course to be hit......
The hit boat responsibility bites both ways.....Even when the dead boat alert is called and with boats traveling 60+.... they reach the scene of the accident very quickly..... Throw in rooster tails and sun on the water , your line of sight compromised it just makes the problem worse......
The result......If you are going to race it is going to happen...."It's just called RACING".....

EXACTLY!!
It is a risk everyone takes by putting their boat in the water.
Each situation is different. There is always time to say sorry later. Most times people are not over the top. But there are times guys over react. That’s why it’s best to judge each situation separately.
This is why Cd’s need to make calls
And it sure doesn’t help when they keep calling the same dead boat.

 

[john v]

really great replys, good thing about this site is a huge amount of experence the members have, thanks for all the good feedback, keep it coming!

 

[RaceMechaniX]

It's going to happen so apologize to the guy you hit after tempers have settled, but don't wait till the end of the day. Offer to help fix/repair his boat. Chances are the guy you hit is not going to ask for the moon in repair costs. There is a good chance he will not ask for anything other than the apology. Sucking up your pride and speaking to them is the hardest part.

I learned that lesson at a NAMBA nationals in Washington when I ran over Jim Wilson's X mono during the mill. He was putting in lane 1 and I was hauling ass to make another lap before the start and I did not see his slow boat. I took out all his hardware on the rear of the boat and needless to say I was embarrassed. I went up to him after the heat to apologize expecting a top to bottom fleecing and to my surprise he was all smiles and happy that I apologized. That was a Jim Wilson quirk if you know him.

-Tyler

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

I met a really good friend and racer after I hit his boat by accident. Before I hit his boat I had no clue who he was. I apologized and found out we race in the same area and been racing together ever since. We pit next to each all the time. You met great people with wired circumstances. Most people understand that accidents happens. But usually when it’s the same person that’s constantly hitting boats. Then it becomes a little frustrating.

 

[Don Ferrette]

It's going to happen so apologize to the guy you hit after tempers have settled, but don't wait till the end of the day. Offer to help fix/repair his boat. Chances are the guy you hit is not going to ask for the moon in repair costs. There is a good chance he will not ask for anything other than the apology. Sucking up your pride and speaking to them is the hardest part.

I learned that lesson at a NAMBA nationals in Washington when I ran over Jim Wilson's X mono during the mill. He was putting in lane 1 and I was hauling ass to make another lap before the start and I did not see his slow boat. I took out all his hardware on the rear of the boat and needless to say I was embarrassed. I went up to him after the heat to apologize expecting a top to bottom fleecing and to my surprise he was all smiles and happy that I apologized. That was a Jim Wilson quirk if you know him.

-Tyler

That was Jim all the way, one of the best I've ever met in model boating. RIP Jim, we miss you.

 

[john v]

i raced with a guy years ago that used to say if you really love your boat dont put it into the water.

 

[dr gary turner]

Back in the good ole days, I went to my first race in Atlanta running a mono. I was told that if you weren’t rubbing paint you weren’t racing. I learned quickly

I have been hit and and have hit some boats, most of the time it is just racing

But having one of my twins hit and destroyed, which has happened will make you cry.

 

[Mark Anderson]

I would have to agree with Rod. I always apologize for hitting a boat, but I also apologize for leaving my junk in the way when it gets hit. At the internats last year I blew off in front of Brian Shimick. He had no chance, and hit my boat. I went on a search to make sure he had the parts that he needed to get put back together.

 

[john v]

while reading these posts i realized there are still some gentlemen racers out there, hopefully these posts will rub off on others , being prepared for these problems may help us deal with it better

 

[Mike Cathey]

The one thing I haven't heard in this thread is the importance of a competent coach/co-driver and race announcer. Over the years I have had new people come up on the drivers stand with me when I was a turn judge in order that they can learn how to be a turn judge. Mostly, keep your eye on your turn no matter what and forget about watching the race. If you know you saw a foul-call it. If you think you might have maybe, possibly, could have been-don't call it. You have to know for sure.

I have also had new people come up when I or another experienced driver is coaching so they to get an idea of the info a driver needs. Different drivers want specific info so it's good to ask before the race what they want for info. I always tell novice co-drivers to visually stay a section of the race course ahead of the driver so the driver has a better chance of avoiding an accident by telling them immediately of the lane and location of the dead boat/cowling/wings whatever. If I am driving I want them to remind me of the dead boats and adrift buoys or boat part location and if they have moved EVERY single lap. From an experienced coach I want to know if there's room inside or how far outside I need to be to clear the debris or just flat slow down so I can eyeball it for myself. . Sometimes drivers think they have been fouled (and sometimes they are absolutely right or were called for a foul they don't agree with) and get their focus broken because they are angry. A coach needs to tell them to forget all that and get their head back in the race. A good coach will also try to keep rookies out of trouble by keeping them from putting themselves into bad situations. Rookies don't need to be in Lane 1 on a start that puts them into a position to start a chain reaction crash that can take out the field. If a new driver isn't experienced enough to consistently hold their lane they probably shouldn't be racing with anybody until they can. I encourage rookies to just finish every heat, practice the mill and starts, hold their lane, log laps and gain experience. No one gets much race experience if they are conked out or wrecked on the course.

A good announcer will also be on the PA and keep reminding drivers of dead boat locations and if the boats have drifted into a new position on the racecourse.

Like most of us I have been on both ends of this. I've hit a couple of boats and been hit a couple of times. It sucks no matter what end of it you are on. Apologies go a long ways in these situations. In RCU if you hit a declared dead boat you are DQ'd for the day. The racing commission will decide if there's financial restitution (up to $100) to be paid. The money goes from the DQ'd driver to the commission who reimburses the owner of the hit boat. Sometimes it's best to keep the two parties apart and have a cool down period if needed. The DQ'd driver is not eligible to race again until the fine is paid. Most guys are pretty understanding about it unless it's been the result of reckless driving, but that's a whole another can of worms.

 

[Mark Anderson]

I always thought the fine that RCU charges was the stupidest thing that I had heard of. If you are that wound up about it, put it on the shelf and look at it. In racing stuff happens.

 

[Bill Gibson]

I have to agree with Mark.....this is a hobby, ive had a scale boat get torn up quite nicely by another driver that didn't see it, and yes it was a bummer, but to DQ the guy for the rest of the day and fine him 100 bucks??? c'mon man, we don't make a living at this deal........that's ridiculous.