State of Affairs for RC Boat Racing

[Mike Luszcz]

I think that some are missing the point. We had 4 to 5 Gas classes to. Had more listed but they did not make along with some of the nitro classes. There is nothing wrong with Gas Scale but how many boats are out there now. This class was created because some in the board thought it would be cool. There were no boats at that time. All I am saying that is not a way to create a class. When we have so many classes in all the types of boats why create a class when there are no boats. You create the boats first and then build the class.

There is one thing that I have always said. "There is not such thing as a Nitro boater, Gas Boater or a Electric Boater" "We are all Model Boaters" and until the board understands this they will never get it.

And yes Brad we were happy that you all came and had a good time. Doc and I don't spend a lot of money either. Some of the Hotels we stay you wonder what's crawling around in the middle of the night. Doc and I both have stayed in some of the best Hotels in the country or the world. But that $250 per night room sleeps no different that the $60 per night when you close you eyes.

I was around during all of the Gas Scale discussions, and it was not anyone on the board, it was a slew of boaters across the country that wanted to build one, but wanted to see if this was going to be a class. There were MANY boaters running them in the PNW and the Michigan/Illinois/ Indiana area LONG before it was ever a class. I know first hand...they all bought my kits, and I know when it was finally made a class in NAMBA and IMPBA, which was at least 2 years after the initial burst...clubs were running them every weekend.

The class that has died off the most are the large tunnels (anything over .21 engines or P-Limited), especially nitro and gas classes, and the sport 20 hydro nitro class..all seem to be almost at their ends and I question them being even in the class list anymore. FE 20 sport hydro has been strong, but I suspect mainly for sport boaters and club racers.

 

[Joe Wiebelhaus]

Maybe this:

When i got into model boating, Sport 40 and Scale were my passion, It took me YEARS to become consistent with my equipment, but the passion drove me.............

Today, with the attention span of a nat, you get young bored, I didnt win right out of the box thinking, sell my stuff and move on, I have seen some new younger people, but they quit to fast, poor bastards.

Maybe if we all get a trophy, like say to 10th place, we can entice !!!! NOT

 

[Mark Bullard]

Mike I agree with what you say. And you look like you offer some nice kits. And If I remember it all started out in the Seattle area. Which is huge with scale boats. I like scale and I have two hulls. Not been started on but maybe one day. I like sport 40 and have built a few scratch built boats. Got one about 60% finished. Built a few sport 20 but your right there. I have two hulls ready to be finished. May convert them to FE. We offered Sport 20 at our race but only got two entries.

 

[bzubee]

Maybe this:

When i got into model boating, Sport 40 and Scale were my passion, It took me YEARS to become consistent with my equipment, but the passion drove me.............

Today, with the attention span of a nat, you get young bored, I didnt win right out of the box thinking, sell my stuff and move on, I have seen some new younger people, but they quit to fast, poor bastards.

Maybe if we all get a trophy, like say to 10th place, we can entice !!!! NOT

You said it Joe and rightly so! If it's not on a computer many young people just are not interested.

 

[Mark Bullard]

Lot of true to that too. If it's not on the smart phone it's not happening.

 

[Mark Poole ModVP]

The only way to have an enjoyable weekend of racing is to do the same thing that life size boat racing does. Racing DIVISIONS. Instead of clubs trying to run all classes at a race, you set up a race with a limited number of divisions.

For instance....B tunnel, Open tunnel, Open mono, 60 scale, Sport 40, Offshore, Open hydro. Seven classes and that is your race weekend. This could be a Nitro race or allow all in the Open classes. Good mix of boats from B tunnel to king of the lake Open hydro.

In an area where there are a lot of gassers, then have a mostly gas race, again with the same limited division format.

I know some people that live in the Villages in central Fl, they have there own club, FE only because they run on one of the lakes INSIDE the subdivision. They have their own regular races and points series.

I think divisional racing would result in the formation of more clubs. That would be a good thing. What you have now is too few clubs putting on way too big races. There are a lot of clubs that put on a "nats". There are too many of these races.

It all starts at the local level. Run what the interest is in your area. It grows from there.

But, when a small club starts up they make the mistake of inviting anyone from anywhere to come and play. Now you have everyone else trying to run your club. You have not given the local interest a chance.

I remember the Savannah Prop Twisters. Best time I had running boats. No BS. First Sunday of every month we all ran boats on Lake Mayer. No club heat racing, no politics, no arguments. Hosted one sanctioned race a year and it was always a great weekend. Miss those days.

So you might ask, where are all those people today? Most of them are still around. They have no interest in the politics and the crap that goes on at the races today.

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

The whole topic of blaming young kids with more interested in there smart phones and video games is absolutely stupid. It's has nothing to do with that. It's getting there parents, uncle, aunt, whoever to get out to the lake and interested. You can't make someone like a hobby. Then there's the cost. All I see here mostly is a bunch of old timers complaining about sitting for a hour inbetween heats. Because there's too many classes. Then don't offer that many classes at your race. Easy fix. If your bored, get off your but and help the club. I'm sure they would be great full for that. Every year someone grips and cries, too many classes, too many classes but none of you do anything.

 

[mercguy]

The whole topic of blaming young kids with more interested in there smart phones and video games is absolutely stupid. It's has nothing to do with that. It's getting there parents, uncle, aunt, whoever to get out to the lake and interested. You can't make someone like a hobby. Then there's the cost. All I see here mostly is a bunch of old timers complaining about sitting for a hour inbetween heats. Because there's too many classes. Then don't offer that many classes at your race. Easy fix. If your bored, get off your but and help the club. I'm sure they would be great full for that. Every year someone grips and cries, too many classes, too many classes but none of you do anything.

I just enjoy going to the races not only to race but helping pit for others and generally BS'n with friends and meeting new folks. I enjoy all the classes and don't mind the time between my heats. Maybe I am being too nieve but I just enjoy the atmosphere. Oh yes, I enjoy lunch with friends too. LOL

Bill Hoch

 

[Ain'tSkered racing]

I don't like just cutting to reduce classes it takes a variety of choices of people to choose from to which class to run instead there should be more Focus on if you don't have X amount of boats the class will not make this way your race always stays open for everybody to join but if you don't have minimum 5 or 6 boat the class will not race this way everyone has a fair chance to enter the race I myself have over 10 different race boats ready to go I choose which ones I want to race at which race and which one is the hot class for that race shutting the door to options of different classes for people to join is a bad option of my opinion as former District 3 offshore director I was the first one to introduce the Superboat class which has been a great success and even all the people from different states that come down to Florida always ask what class is that in a really interested in seeing the big boats run the course also the class also build for beginners because the bigger boats are easy to drive and see then a small little 20 mono 20 tunnel etcetera just my opinion we should always leave the door open to let people in and not just hacking away at the classes set of minimum account and go from

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

At all Evansville races I have a 3 hour wait inbetween classes. During that time, I help as much as I can in the tower. walk through the area and talk it up with everyone.

The whole video game stereo type is a ignorant excuse for a lack of interest in a expensive hobby. And it is a expensive hobby. Some guys have money to throw away, some people have a limited income and just want to race boats.

 

[Doug Smock]

Every year someone grips and cries, too many classes, too many classes but none of you do anything.

It's the BODs fault because they don't understand "There is not such thing as a Nitro boater, Gas Boater or a Electric Boater" "We are all Model Boaters" and until the board understands this they will never get it".

What?

Like Mike mentioned above. He sells more boats to sport boaters than he does racers.

Sport boaters are our best source of new racers. They already have boats!

Sport boaters look at all the BS from racers on these forums and run the other direction. At times I wish I had taken the advice I was given in 06 by a well known racer when I was a sport boater. He was right. If I wasn't a Mod on one forum and a IMPBA BOD member I wouldn't be on the forums at all.

I can tell you with all certainty that I have more organized model boating in my past than I do in my future. Of course that's easy for me, I don't judge my self worth on my model boating accomplishments. Some folks need to keep this real. We are grown men racing TOY FRIGGIN BOATS for bowling trophies! Enough is enough!

"So you might ask, where are all those people today? Most of them are still around. They have no interest in the politics and the crap that goes on at the races today".

Could it be that racers are their own worst enemy when it comes to growing the hobby?

Don't hold your breath waiting for someone to propose a "fix" for anything. Some that profess to have all the experience and answers will just piss & moan and point the finger. Others have already gone to work for the membership and are promptly punished for doing so. I guess it is what it is. Perhaps it will work itself out. If not you'll have an opportunity to hash it out on next years thread.

See ya at the pond!

 

[John Finch]

My best memories of model boating go back to the 1970s when we had the ODMBA club in Chesapeake, Va. We ran boats every Saturday just for fun. We heat raced on Sunday. You could do either or both. Back when we did the Saturday play time we had a lot of sport boaters. Some would become racers and some would not. That worked! We can't expect all boaters to be racers. I was told by Dumas owner 30 years ago that only 10 percent of boaters are racers. That has not changed. We racers are a small minority of a small hobby. Personaly, I like going to our local private pond with a few good friends and playing toy boats. Fully enjoy going to PA. saw trials where the pace is slow and we just take our time and see how fast we can make the boats go without a whole lot of politics and waiting in long lines to get a 5 minute go at the time clock. After 49 years of model boating I can say that enjoying boats with good friends is far more rewarding than winning races for the sake of winning races. We have to bring back the play days.

 

[julianconde]

My best memories of model boating go back to the 1970s when we had the ODMBA club in Chesapeake, Va. We ran boats every Saturday just for fun. We heat raced on Sunday. You could do either or both. Back when we did the Saturday play time we had a lot of sport boaters. Some would become racers and some would not. That worked! We can't expect all boaters to be racers. I was told by Dumas owner 30 years ago that only 10 percent of boaters are racers. That has not changed. We racers are a small minority of a small hobby. Personaly, I like going to our local private pond with a few good friends and playing toy boats. Fully enjoy going to PA. saw trials where the pace is slow and we just take our time and see how fast we can make the boats go without a whole lot of politics and waiting in long lines to get a 5 minute go at the time clock. After 49 years of model boating I can say that enjoying boats with good friends is far more rewarding than winning races for the sake of winning races. We have to bring back the play days.

I have to agree I had some fun times at the Chesapeake club in Virginia in 2008 when I started with boats. we used to go there every weekend just to play and have fun and even had some friendly competition while testing . Man I miss that place and those times.

 

[Grimracer]

The past is great to reflect on.. I have some good memories too.. BUT.. I feel the state of the hobby has changed and we as an organization maybe has not kept up as well as we could have..

Adding classes at the club level does not need we need to add them at a national level. We know that.. but some get very passionate about a class and want others to join in. Making it a IMPBA class really does not help all that much.. Those fun classes need to be championed by a club and after its proven it goes up for a vote.

I feel we have to do what works AT the club level AND build that.. the racers will come out of that activity.

Local clubs are the key to building the hobby.

Grim

 

[j whiddon]

Marty from what I understand several of us were suspended from the club because we didn't attend the clean up day before the race. When there isn't any communication between the club members it makes it harder on everyone. So with that being said we are going to shelve the molds, lock the shop door and take some time away from boats. I will not be a NAMBA member next year as I will be running mostly IMPBA races. Take care my friend.

 

[Joe Warren]

The past is great to reflect on.. I have some good memories too.. BUT.. I feel the state of the hobby has changed and we as an origination maybe has not kept up as well as we could have..

Adding classes at the club level does not need we need to add them at a national level. We know that.. but some get very passionate about a class and want others to join in. Making it a IMPBA class really does not help all that much.. Those fun classes need to be championed by a club and after its proven it goes up for a vote.

I feel we have to do what works AT the club level AND build that.. the racers will come out of that activity.

Local clubs are the key to building the hobby.

Grim

Great Point MIke.....

 

[Joe Warren]

Every year someone grips and cries, too many classes, too many classes but none of you do anything.

It's the BODs fault because they don't understand "There is not such thing as a Nitro boater, Gas Boater or a Electric Boater" "We are all Model Boaters" and until the board understands this they will never get it".

What?

Like Mike mentioned above. He sells more boats to sport boaters than he does racers.

Sport boaters are our best source of new racers. They already have boats!

Sport boaters look at all the BS from racers on these forums and run the other direction. At times I wish I had taken the advice I was given in 06 by a well known racer when I was a sport boater. He was right. If I wasn't a Mod on one forum and a IMPBA BOD member I wouldn't be on the forums at all.

I can tell you with all certainty that I have more organized model boating in my past than I do in my future. Of course that's easy for me, I don't judge my self worth on my model boating accomplishments. Some folks need to keep this real. We are grown men racing TOY FRIGGIN BOATS for bowling trophies! Enough is enough!

"So you might ask, where are all those people today? Most of them are still around. They have no interest in the politics and the crap that goes on at the races today".

Could it be that racers are their own worst enemy when it comes to growing the hobby?

Don't hold your breath waiting for someone to propose a "fix" for anything. Some that profess to have all the experience and answers will just piss & moan and point the finger. Others have already gone to work for the membership and are promptly punished for doing so. I guess it is what it is. Perhaps it will work itself out. If not you'll have an opportunity to hash it out on next years thread.

See ya at the pond!

Doug you should Open Up & Listen. Your races are Not that well attended...& iam not the Only One that Dont attend. FYI. No One is Pointing Blame on any One Person. But Things Do Change & you must change with them...... It could be as easy as asking your current Club members what they want & Make changes accordingly.

 

[julianconde]

So we are talking about too many classes on impba or Namba.

Then why are we were running all these other specialty classes example X Hydro single or F Hydro single when there's already a class for those boats ???

the only reason they came up with those classes is so the singles don't have to run with the twins. That's what I was told when I asked a few contest directors that was there response it's not fair that singles have to run with twins.

I think personally the boats should race in their classes and not have the specialty classes that separate both what's the point of having an F Hydro or X Hydro class if the boats that are in that class are going to run in a single class ???

That right there will save a couple heats during the day

Julian

 

[Hydro Junkie]

So we are talking about too many classes on impba or Namba.

Then why are we were running all these other specialty classes example X Hydro single or F Hydro single when there's already a class for those boats ???

the only reason they came up with those classes is so the singles don't have to run with the twins. That's what I was told when I asked a few contest directors that was there response it's not fair that singles have to run with twins.

I think personally the boats should race in their classes and not have the specialty classes that separate both what's the point of having an F Hydro or X Hydro class if the boats that are in that class are going to run in a single class ???

That right there will save a couple heats during the day

Julian

So, that has me asking "Are twins really that much faster than singles?" Why not just put anything over a specific CID in X and call it good? I know, the guys that run twin 40s don't want to run against a single 80 or twin 60 but, if it speeds things up, put twins in the class that their CID matches closest, say twin 21's go into 40 hydro, for example. Okay I'm hunkered down in my foxhole so fire away

 

[Doug Smock]

We're paying attention (listening) Joe.

It will all work out.