BRF, Parker Enduro and More 2014 Newsletter
BRF, PARKER ENDURO & MORE
The Boat Racing Facts site is 12 years old, going on 13. In many ways I feel BRF has been a success, but in some ways it has failed. Ted March and I had a goal of creating an online boat racing encyclopedia. I think we have met that goal. BRF seems to be growing; we have many loyal posters. While Facebook is easier to post on, it is harder to find posts later. On BRF it is easy to trace and continue a thread. We have a living history of the sport, thanks to all of you.
The RACE DATE of the PARKER ENDURO 336 is October 24 & 25, 2014 (Weather make-up date is Sunday October 26, 2015). We will be back on the 12-miles course from Bluewater to La Paz. We will again have 7 divisions of boat racing. Almost all outboards and inboards are welcomed, come out and race with us! Rules will be posted shortly.
STATE OF THE SPORT: We also wanted to “GROW” Boat Racing. However, except for the NBRA, 660 Drags, T-750, T-850, Australians, Europeans and a few other hot spots, boat racing seems to continue to circle the drain. American racing has few bright spots except for NBRA and 660 Drags. There are probably more three-cylinder Yamahas racing around the world than all the outboard racers in the USA. American boat racing needs to take a lesson from the rest of the world.
I do see signs of progress. APBA Inboard has a new class called Sportsman E, a small block class. In support, last year I donated six propellers for the class ($650 each $4,500 worth of prizes). This year I donated three props. The Eastern Divisional, Western Divisional and National Champion will each receive a Signature V-Drive propeller.
I had a “Free Prop” contest on BRF, but only gave away one prop. I plan to give away a few more when the season slows. Last year Hill Marine made 7,000 Signature propellers. This year we are up 12.4% AHEAD OF LAST YEAR. Sometimes I just have to work at Hill Marine for MONEY, rather than work for BRF for free.
REMEMBERING RUSS: My brother, Russ Hill, Jr., was a “futurist.” He passed away on December 9, 2013 at 80 with prostate cancer. Russ was the USC Norris Cancer Center’s longest survivor of prostate cancer (25 years). I will be posting Russ’s Epitaph on Boat Racing Facts. Russ only allowed Hills to read this while he was alive. I feel every boat racer should read this Epiphany and ask himself, “Am I the problem or the cure?”
ELECTRIC BOATS: I helped Long Beach Poly’s winning the 24-volt division of the California Solar Boat Championships. There were 72 high school teams racing. Stony Brook, New York won the College World Series for 36 volt boats, with Signature Propellers. Cal Poly Pomona failed to get their boat ready. I had been working with them until their advisor told me THEY were to built the boat...
For the record, I don't think electric powered boats, cars or motorcycles will ever make it in this world. Having said that, I have a new 19 HP, 7,200 RPM 48 volt electric motor. Since Bill Curtis’s health has improved, he is building the electric outboard for me.
Bill also ran our OMC 15 with a bottom water pickup on an A Hydro and it planed 250 John Lane and went about 30 MPH. Dave Bryant and I shortened two OMC midsections so a fishing motor would fit on an A Stock Hydro...with bottom water pickup, it hauled ***. I have made 12 new nosecones for small motors and will have them on eBay soon.
DIALING IT IN: I emailed Earl Bentz about making a copy of his book, “The Performance Boat Bible.” Earl's book tells you everything you need to know about outboard setup. Earl said he was going to reprint it. As of 8/2/2014 I have seen no progress. I may write my on book on small boat setup. Some people make boats go from 40 MPH to 75 MPH and it isn't THAT hard. I just repeat myself on the phone 50 times a week and don't want to do it anymore.
WHEELING AND DEALING: Hill Marine Products LLC, bought out another business. As a result, I've sold almost all of our boats except our Hallett Vector. My daughter and her husband have owned a house in Needles for 10 years. In February, Laurie, Chad, Corey and I bought a house five doors from Jessica's house. We were happy as hell with the house until the guy next door put his house up for sale and we found out he had a 57-foot garage, six feet wider than ours and four feet taller. So, we bought it. Last week we sold the first house. We now have a great garage on the golf course.
CAPSULES SAVE LIVES: Since the death of Greg Belda at Puddingstone last March, I have stopped supporting the COR class. Capsules save lives and I will not support this class unless it has a full capsule. Marlee Hill spent eight weeks in Australia working with capsule V-drives. Capsules work. Yes, they are expensive, but what is a life worth?
THANK YOU: I wish to emphasize, Boat Racing Facts is not Ron Hill's site—it is your site. Many thanks to everyone who posts on BRF—please don't stop.
Comments About the Newsletter
Names are left off to protect the guilty!
Re: BRF, PARKER ENDURO & MORE
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Mr. Hill,
With all due respect, I don't think you should take the downwardly spiraling sport of boat racing as a personal event. I personally think your efforts have helped to slow the demise of the sport.
As an East Coast former OPC racer and current fan, I can only express how disappointed I am to see the sport continue to decline.
I think several factors have contributed to this trend over the last 30 years. In my humble opinion they include:
- The lack of interest to bring new talent into the sport:
The historic owners/drivers have not spent any effort in bringing new talent into the sport. Having grown up with the Daily family in Miami, there was never an effort by anyone to bring "professional" racers into the sport.
- The withdrawal of factory sponsored "drivers" to participate in the sport.
- The environmental impacts of the sport:
The impact on Manatees and other aquatic life in the southeast.
- The lack of "shop" type courses in the education facilities of the US:
When I was growing up students were able to participate in technical training like aviation mechanics, which led some students to a racing focus.
In Summary:
With all the effort you have spent over the last 40 years, it is not your fault that the sport has declined. I thank you for all the effort you have invested. I personally think that the people who have ruined the sport are the rich people who were racing for their own reasons and had no interest in grooming anyone who could compete with them. Look at INDY and NASCAR where families have gone generations building racing organizations to support up and coming drivers. The issue seems to be economics. These teams have created "value" in their sport.
I think boat racing was ruined by greed, and you had nothing to do with that.
I would have loved to retire in 2000 and rejoined the sport, but, by that time the sport was starting to implode on the East Coast.
I hope the sport on the west coast has a chance for a future.
Thanks for all your efforts,
Nice email....thanks, Ron Hill
