Maybe if that guy in the 45 did not have a capsule, he would drive better and not have flipped 10 times!! There are no reprucutions of a bad decision, so he will continue making them.

I have only seen one driver killed at boat race in my life. It was in a slow OPC class with large boats. I remember the drivers joking about running and bumping. I was on a turn boat and warned them after the first heat about the danger of their driving. They basically told me that was part of it and they were safe in their capsules. And the setting was set for a tragic loss of life in a 65mph class with 600 - 800 pound boats. Capsules cannot overcome shear stupidity everytime it is displayed.

I know a number of people who have raced cars and said that took more chances because they felt "secure". Do not under estimate the danger of a false sense of security in a racing vehicle. It is not full proof.

Ron you speak often of your son playing water polo. A fine sport that I played in college. It is also a violent sport and people get hurt playing it (worse I am aware of is a ruptured spleen). I got hurt more times in water polo and more seriously than in 30 years of boat racing. But I loved the sport and continued playing it until my grades suffered. I am sure that you and your son are aware of the risks of being struck in the head by a hard ball travelling at a 60mph or more after being thrown at point-blank by a boy-man that weighs 210 pounds with 1% body fat. The speedo and little cloth cap do not provide much protection. However, it is a great sport and it is your collective decision to take the risks involved with it.

I cannot argue that the capsules have not prevented injuries in PRO racing. But I can argue that capsules have led to a dramatic decrease in the number of entries in the large PRO classes. As I do not run these classes, I will let the participants decide whether it was worth going from 35 or more 500 hydro's at the nationals to 8 -10 today with 4 finishing in the final heat.

I can understand a person making the decision that open cockpit racing is not for them or their children. Just do not feel that you are in a position to make that decision for everyone else in the sport.

Just my opinion and I welcome yours.