1/2 mill and other stuff

[Lamar_Huff]

I tell you one thing, if I'm ever at a race that tries to run that 30 second deal I'll say no every time I'm running when they ask.

Im with ya on that one Don.

Double ditto on that one...

Learning to hit the clock is 1/2 the ballgame!!!

Lamar

 

[Andy Greene]

I tell you one thing, if I'm ever at a race that tries to run that 30 second deal I'll say no every time I'm running when they ask.

Im with ya on that one Don.

Double ditto on that one...

Learning to hit the clock is 1/2 the ballgame!!!

Lamar

It's not all about that-

I work the clock as hard as the next guy-

evens on the front /odd's on the back 45/30/15 ect.

Don't hate it till you try it

It can hurt ya, it can help ya- but it sure is heck is fun....

Thats where a properly run race with the 1/2 mill comes in. It for sure stacks the start better...

Plus a little extra fuel left in the boat never hurts either-LOL....

Andy

 

[Lamar_Huff]

Don't hate it till you try it

It might be fun to try it once just to see how it shakes down...

I just don't like the idea of being in the right place at the right time and the clock going to 30... Now I am in the wrong place @ the wrong time...

Like someone said earlier... I am sure those that "get it" still hit the clock regardless of the start method.

Lamar

 

[Norm Doerr]

At first I thought the 30 second clock was NUTS, but if my mixture is set and I get in early I will take it, (sometimes). If I am not ready then I will object to it. All part of the strategic game. As for that half mill, I thought that was crazy too. However that can be fun I RARELY do it BUT I have and probobly will in the future.

 

[Andy Greene]

All part of the strategic game. As for that half mill, I thought that was crazy too. However that can be fun I RARELY do it BUT I have and probobly will in the future.

Heck Norm, you remember watching Rod and Wayne go at it last year in the final race at Brandon- the runoff for open cat I think?

The milling techniques and using the half mill or not was darn near as exciting as the 10 LAPS they ran :blink:

It was SO good, they did it twice, at the request of a very large crowd-LOL :blink:

Just an example of how guys that are VERY capable of running a full mill, can utilize the 1/2 mill to jockey and make it VERY exciting. B)

Andy

 

[John Knight]

[quote name='Rig

 

[darby96]

Hey Don

That's why we live in America you have that choice and the right to use it. We have alot that also use the right to hold.

No problem I'll still race in the same heat.

Dave B

 

[John Knight]

I tell you one thing, if I'm ever at a race that tries to run that 30 second deal I'll say no every time I'm running when they ask.

Im with ya on that one Don.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Hey Don
That's why we live in America you have that choice and the right to use it. We have alot that also use the right to hold.

No problem I'll still race in the same heat.

Dave B

It's all good Dave.

 

[Piston1]

By using the half mill & being able to advance the clock to 30 sec; you can save up to an hour or more a day. Thus more heats per day!
Don

I only have limited experience with half mill but i like it. In the end we are 2 orgs. doings a few things different. Wanting the same result. I SAY CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG.......

Half mill is a good way to get all boats on the clock and it helps racers that can not manage the clock. Generally it works very well with slow mill boats. Half mill is a recipe for disaster for fast mill boats. Picture this, two riggers milling at say mid 70s mph. Outside boat ahead of inside boat. All the sudden outside decides to half mill and force the inside boat into an even tigther turn. Not good at all. Mikey, you either turn or stay straight and eat the hole I left you in the water with my Twin. B)

5 pin turns is a good thing. Entrance buoy is a good thing but it should be placed closer to buoy 1 and 6. B)

 

[Andy Greene]

By using the half mill & being able to advance the clock to 30 sec; you can save up to an hour or more a day. Thus more heats per day!
Don

I only have limited experience with half mill but i like it. In the end we are 2 orgs. doings a few things different. Wanting the same result. I SAY CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG.......

Half mill is a good way to get all boats on the clock and it helps racers that can not manage the clock. Generally it works very well with slow mill boats. Half mill is a recipe for disaster for fast mill boats. Picture this, two riggers milling at say mid 70s mph. Outside boat ahead of inside boat. All the sudden outside decides to half mill and force the inside boat into an even tigther turn. Not good at all. Mikey, you either turn or stay straight and eat the hole I left you in the water with my Twin. B)

5 pin turns is a good thing. Entrance buoy is a good thing but it should be placed closer to buoy 1 and 6. B)

There is a time and place for everything-

But I'm pretty sure I don't want too see twin riggers on the 1/2 mill or 30 sec clock-

I enjoy every second of those bad boys on the water and want ALL the mill and race time I can watch

Andy

 

[HTV Boats]

30 second drop down not my favorite.

1/2 course mill has plus and minus.

No one has addressed one major difference Namba/Impba. One lap penalty for a bouy cut vs 50 point deduct?

I preffer the points off as a lap down means heat over for the violation.

Mic

 

[Speed Jr.]

I am very against the 30 second mill and cutting 1/2 course to line up. If you cant get it lined up doing full laps, you dont deserve to get a good lane and a good start. Im all for people getting better without shortcuts. Im glad we dont do it here in Dist 4.

Thats all Im going to say about that.

Larry Jr.

 

[Mark Bullard]

I agree with Don, Lamar, and anyone else, the 1/2 mill is bad. I do understand what you mean about the clock. But understand this we already run a 30 second clock. Our clocks are started at 2:30 minutes. The first 2 minutes is to get your boat cranked and in the water. The last 30 seconds is the mill time. At some races I can get a twin cranked and in the water in the first 30 seconds of the clock starting and at some other races we are throwing the boat in at 15 seconds. The Charleston race is a good example. We were getting the boat started in about 30 seconds of the clock starting but it was taking the rest of the time to get off the dock. Nothing wrong with that, it was just the way it was. I have no problem getting a boat on the clock with 15 seconds left on the clock crossing the line. Sometimes if we push it to hard Doc and myself have jump the clock this way too many times. And lets face it most racer know when they jump the clock. I do!

 

[Michael Costanzo]

Don,
I've seen tunnels make three distinct turns around the tree bouys at either end of the course and I've seen riggers make one big sweeping turn around all three of them. Putting two extra bouys between them isn't going to solve anything. The guys who go wide off turn one and then hairpin it toward turn three are still going to do so, they'll just aim for the bouy between two and three and then round three going into the back stretch. Unless we start placeing bouys on the course to designate lanes, this is never going to change, and if that happens, I'm going back to my guitars......

Drew,

When I here "Dead boat, wide off turn two", I know exactly where to be: Tight off turn two. The only time I here drivers asking where is when somebody yells "Dead boat!" without any details as to where it is.

Michael,

First off, there are no infractions for driving inside the course, unless you cut a bouy, so I'm not sure where that came from. I don't really care if someone gets DQ'd for washing me out or causing my boat to blow over, I still get a DNF for someone elses mistake. It doesn't matter what you call it, you still have to tell the driver AND HIS PIMAN where the dead boats are and they still have to locate it from the details given. The driver should never have to look for it, that's what the pitman is for. Mine has never driven me into a dead boat that was clearly called out.

I was not at the Atlanta race, but it really sounds to me like there were alot of crybabies whose weekend didn't go the way they thought it would. The pitboss can't see everything, and I'd hope he/she wouldn't make a judgement based something they didn't see. As for calling the start, the PITBOSS has the final say. PERIOD. I've seen guys who were 20' off to the side of the start/finish line challange the pitboss on the call of the start. How in the world can someone who wasn't standing directly on the line decide who was over and who wasn't? Drivers/pitmen can't even get a good look at it well enough to call it if it's close.

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

hi brad, 1st off i said that you will recive a CUT for being inside the course,2nd, this is racing on the water and if a guy gets loose stuff will happen.as far as the cry babies i seen with my own 20/20 vision that there were many heats i was standing DEAD EVEN with the starting line and ray charle could have called a better race!!, and you bet your ass if a win was on the line a formal protest would have been filed! i have been on both sides of the boat hitting. i hit a black boat that was just bearling floating, and had one of my best friends hit my brand new 1/8 scale before a natinal event and we went to that race and took 3rd place. unfortunatly it is part of racing. it really does not matter how many bouys are out there, it is a problem that the point bouy is too far "OUT OF ROUND" ! if you are tight in lane 1 and keep it really tight you are going to slam into that MIDDLE BOUY, do not care how good of a driver you are.

 

[Michael Costanzo]

I've seen guys who were 20' off to the side of the start/finish line challange the pitboss on the call of the start. How in the world can someone who wasn't standing directly on the line decide who was over and who wasn't? Drivers/pitmen can't even get a good look at it well enough to call it if it's close.

I am not going to get into the particulars of the Atlanta race since I am obviously biased. Like I said before... If you had a good time we are glad you did and hope you come back next year... If you didn't... I am sorry you feel that way, maybe the Spring Nats are not the race for you. We appreciate your support in the past and wish you all the best in your future racing endeavors.

Brad's comments above apply to ANY race and are 100% true. Unless you are standing ON THE LINE there is no way you can accurately judge the start. The farther away from the line you move the more skewed your perspective will be due to the angle you are stading from the start/finish line. That's why I ALWAYS make it a point to get to the driver's stand early and get a prime spot right on the line. If you intend to hit the clock without being called over standing way down on either end is not the place to be as your point of view in reference to the line makes it IMPOSSIBLE to know exactly where your boat is in relation to the line at Zero... Some clubs operate w/o an actual start finish line. This makes it even tougher as the "imaginary" line can move from heat to heat and it makes hitting the clock a crap shoot. See my cartoon attached below.

Lamar

hi lamar, your job as c/d is to be dead on that line. not talking to someone.granted no one is perfect. what about a possible 2nd person to be a co-cd to helout the c/d.

 

[Michael Costanzo]

By using the half mill & being able to advance the clock to 30 sec; you can save up to an hour or more a day. Thus more heats per day!
Don

hi don, i do not understand advancing the clock. in namba we use a tape recordind and when launching time was over and the 30 sec clock started and then the horn went off.

 

[Michael Costanzo]

By using the half mill & being able to advance the clock to 30 sec; you can save up to an hour or more a day. Thus more heats per day!
Don

Maybe.... In clock time (up to 30 seconds, no more launch) once the last boat has launched for the heat it should be a courtesy to allow that last boat one full lap to get up on plane and settle in with the rhythm of the other boats. Most of the time you are down inside the one minute to start window, and everybody is already in rhythm. Let the clock cycle. The second you throw the 30 clock at them, it's like watching sprayed roaches. You make up more time with efficient retrieval of boats (out fast, in slow)

2:30 clock time

2:30 or less race time

5 minutes to retrieve

Use this 10 minute per heat average to calculate heats per hour and use your watch to write at the top of each heat on your heat sheet time they were put on the clock, then see your averages.

This is how Brandon club manages time, WTC used it and we calculated 2 1/2 days to within 20 minutes.

RP

hi, sorry i just replied to a smimmilar post. namba tape recording says "NO MORE BOATS" 29,28,27 and so on. the nice thing with half mill is when the last boat gets in the water he does a full lap and goes right on the start with the rest of the boats.

 

[Michael Costanzo]

Having been in rc boating for over 40 years and having raced namba impa & apba have these comments.
The contest director and judge duties are usually volunteer positions that one should respect, it is a thankless job.

I myself stay to the right side of the start line and use myself as the start line.

5 buoys turns are better, it eliminates the football turn & makes you sweep the turn.

1/2 mill vs full mill I can take it or leave it is what you are use to, both have their advantages

Stop watches are good for 1st place times (causing no run offs) and if on a measured course times can used for 1 mile heat racing records.

everyone knows I am not the greatest driver, I do have my moments where I say "I did that?"

we all must be reminded this is a hobby to have fun on the weekends to give us relaxation to go back to work grind on Mondays

I know this is a competitive sport but we should reminded this is for trophies and bragging rights not the 50K others make.

Remember when you leave the race thank the race directors and your fellow racers.

Have a good time and fun with your friends and fellow racers.

As one of my fellow boaters say "I love this sport and the people in it."

I'm smelling soap so I will get off of my box.

Dave Bespitch, HOF Member

NAMBA Dist 9 Director

I ask why am I a beginner boater?

Hello SIR, as 1 man put it before AMEN !!! i guess there is someone really out there that is really lisnting !!

 

[Michael Costanzo]

i know how to drive a stright line(i drive a pro race car that does 180 mph in the 1/4 mile.

thats like comparing apples to oranges. In a car you are inside, looking straight ahead.. and just trying to keep the car in the groove (i ran 155 through the traps on the first shakedown pass with my street car, and i could take my hand off the wheel in that car if i wanted to and it would drive straight stuck in the groove). RC Boats you are LOOKING at them, going sideways dealing with different types of variables keeping the boat traveling perfectly straight. And then its even worse if the course is slightly offset, and you have no time on the course before your first heat and are not use to the layout.

So just because one can drive a car straight, does not mean one can drive a rc boat straight. Ive seen many who can run a good line by themself, but get 5+ more boats on the water with them and they get nervous and get the shakes its a whole different story.

hi will, yes it is defferent being in a car and different lake have different depth perseption. but if the course is set up the same len/with, lane 1 is still lane 1 and lane 5 is

still lane 5.and yes when my car goes straight i can do the same but when it gets loose?? ps i go 155 in the 1/8 not the 1/4 BIG DIFFERENCE!!