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BOAT RACE TALK....WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE....AT OUR LEVEL

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 PostPosted: November 28th, 2017, 2:07 pm   
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dandrews wrote:
Just out of curiosity where are these tunnel boats coming from? You going to use a 45 or 60 hull, Mod VP style hull? The 45SST runs low to mid 80's (Kilo record 89+mph). By the way there's a lot more to driving a tunnel than you think. Also is air going to be mandatory? Safety cell? Capsule training? These are all current APBA standards. Tunnel racing is way down the radar screen these days, I don't hear much about it, especially the smaller classes. I vaguely remember the boats of old but can't remember the smaller classes, there was a 50hp class though. The question I have at this point is why the loss of interest in T boat racing? 3 or 4 boats does not make a race. These things seem to go in 5 year cycles.


You need to look outside the states and see what has happened over seas. They have gone away from the larger classes at their grass roots level. Its smaller motors. GT30 is popular and small tunnels mostly 15 hp to 30 hp. These tunnels are open style similar to stock hydros. You are not looking at 80 mph boats. They're mostly 40 to 55 mph boats. When I said they are easy to drive I was referring to a SPORT C type tunnel at 55 mph. UP here there currently is no cell rule in SO, Sport C or T. I don't think any of the current tunnels over here would work as a SO tunnel. We would need to get plans from over seas. Racers could build wood boats and we could make a mold off a wood boat to produce a composite boat.
What has happen to T Class?
T750 is growing slowing, the race members in the class want to keep the class STOCK. So far that has worked very well and the
performance improvements have come from better set ups, props, shared knowledge and better driving.
T850 class had grown with 41 T boats in the area. We were the largest class and we had 10 plus boats at most races. The T850 racers voted to allow racers to alter one motor, the 56 cubic fishing motor. That has hurt the class. The 49 OMC, the 60 hp [59] Mercury and the 70CES Yamaha all became non competitive. The increase in speed over the last 2 years has been a worry to many in the class.
The GOOD NEWS is we saw more T850 boats at our Peterborough race and by the competition results there were not any of the highly altered 56 motors. I tried last year to get some of the past T850 guys back but had no success. T class is always going to be a class where racers leave and then return in later years. We are in a down cycle now, but with an adjustment or two in the spec rules it should grow again.
THANKS FOR ASKING
Don

PS did add pictures to an early post

- I would have a 50 hp Tohatsu 4 stroke running on a tunnel running in T750.
https://boats-from-usa.com/sites/defaul ... -89864.jpg

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A STOCK 50 MERCURY/TOHATSU 2 stroke on a similar tunnel...4 stroke should be about the same as this boat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnJ6RX6bSA

NOW THAT YOU WATCHED THE VIDEO....
That stock motor would be a D motor in stock outboard. Modify the top deck like a D hydro, make it a kneeler boat. How would it run against a current D stock Hydro? Likely not well, However,we have 2 to 3 D stocks at our races now. Do you think we can get some additional interest if we allowed the D tunnel?

- I would have a 10 to 12 foot tunnel running 20 hp 4 strokes in Stock Outboard.
https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjAwWDgwMA== ... L/$_59.JPG


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 PostPosted: November 28th, 2017, 10:04 pm   
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I got an e-mail from a fellow and he said I could not have a tunnel boat bottom with a stock outboard deck and no seat.
STOCK OUTBOARD is not OPC and you do not require a seat. A boat like my suggestion would be far less costly to build, much more fun to race and faster than you think.
I picture the D stock tunnel looking like this...only with a tunnel bottom..... picture is bottom right
http://www.nwyachting.com/2014/08/hydro ... tric-type/

And also notice...the boat in the picture has an electric motor.


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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 1:44 am   
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I forgot about those European tunnels, I saw them before. They would make a good platform, not complicated at all. I could see some growth happening with those boats. It's a good idea.


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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 9:10 am   
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dandrews wrote:
I forgot about those European tunnels, I saw them before. They would make a good platform, not complicated at all. I could see some growth happening with those boats. It's a good idea.

I also thought about reworking some of the old OPC tunnels into SO tunnels. The 50 hp class you were thinking of was called Formula 50.
They raced 50 hp Yamaha and Tohatsu motors. They ran low 70's on the oval. There are lots of old SST45 tunnels in the states. You can buy them cheap. Cut the cell and strong box down into the shape of a NEW stock outboard tunnel. You now have a stock outboard with a safety cell to protect the driver!! If a Formula 50 ran 70's at their OPC weight. This lighter low profile SO tunnel will run over 75 mph on the oval. Its safer and maybe quicker on the oval than a current D hydro. Add a right hand turn to the course and its over.
Great additional feature using 15 inch stock motors is the ability to have them noisy or quiet by plugging the holes in the mid.
THAT feature will help get new race sites!
From this
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/199 ... MDQ1/?ref=

You can make this
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qQP67BzPD6s/maxresdefault.jpg

or this
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uRd8Xe2PBho/hqdefault.jpg


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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 10:00 am   
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I think the idea of a tunnel boat like this is pretty cool. They have different dynamics compared to a hydro or t boat. Running with hydros may be an issue because if tye larger wake these boats would make. I think somebody needs to set one up. I'm not sure about a kneel down setup. A seat and power trim would be more true to traditional tunnel boat setup. Basically an sst 45 boat, no capsule, running a toaster or similar 40-50hp motor with a stock gear case? I'm tempted to try it because I've tried everything else! Lol.

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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 12:43 pm   
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Here is an example of an 18 hp tunnel race.
Not a lot of wake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQP67BzPD6s

Here is 40 hp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYOo8cqPEOc

Here is a group class 60 hp and under.
You could cut down an old SST60 for the 60 hp class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BWElDr9xIE


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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 1:38 pm   
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this video here has a interesting style of lemans start??!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew7xQjBnBGY

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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 3:48 pm   
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There are lots of videos showing these boats. When you consider their economy and their access to equipment and parts its amazing how well these tunnels perform. They make new model hulls all the time. Their boats appear to be scaled down versions of the lastest UIM F1 boats.
I got a call from a 6 mile fellow looking for an old fiberglass 12 to 13 foot tunnel that he could cut down and make a 20-30 hp SO tunnel. I hope he finds one. For a dual purpose boat the fiberglass models would be best and they would used the same as a T boat. I would not cut down a Speed cat. The tunnel on the Speed Cat is too deep.
I like the design of this small tunnel. This one has a 15 hp...you could go to 30 hp and move closer to the bow....and just like many other SO classes you can use the same boat....
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qQP67BzPD6s/maxresdefault.jpg


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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 8:45 pm   
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[ Basically an sst 45 boat, no capsule, running a toaster or similar 40-50hp motor with a stock gear case? I'm tempted to try it because I've tried everything else! Lol.[/quote]
I bought a sst45 boat from Gordie Miller back in 96'...built up transom and put a stinger on it....handled very well! I raced it in the sst60 class as a SE boat. Not compatible with sst60s but stayed with the pack and a lot of fun!

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 PostPosted: November 29th, 2017, 8:46 pm   
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Sorry quote was from WALKWITHMAX

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