Fatal Accidents in Motorboat Racing

[Ron Hill]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...torboat_racing

WOW! Reading this list, knowing many names aren't on it, makes me think Boat Racing needs to look at safety.

[seacow]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...torboat_racing

WOW! Reading this list, knowing many names aren't on it, makes me think Boat Racing needs to look at safety.

Remember in the good old days of Boat Sport Hank Bowman used to write that boat racing was the safest motor sport in the US. That is until he perished in a boat race.

[Ron Hill]

After Hank's death, every OPC boat had a kill switch. I drove a Glastron, at Havasu 1966 like Hank was killed in. My boat had kill switches.

[Powerabout]

Yes I think the safety got better only after too many deaths
F1 cars were no better people like Jackie Stewart pushed as hard as he could to move it forward but the powers that be dragged their feet, F1 has 1 issues though car and track.
I would think boat racers have more power to change as a simple consensus among drivers should be all that is required???
Capsule tunnel boats are still lacking in a canopy that can survive impact with the water, I think that was the issue with the recent F2 death
Offshore seem to still not understand the forces on the deck when upside down and going backwards at race speeds
Boat racing is still killing more than motor sport for no good reason, I wonder if that is preventing people from entering the sport?

[seacow]

I wonder what role increasing speeds over the past 45 years has to do with the statistics.
Also I wonder that if the percentage of fatalities per number of drivers has gone up or down over 45 years. Membership in APBA has been steadily declining during this period. If it were found that the number of drivers decrease while the number of facilitates stays the same or increases this would indicate a very serious situation, indeed.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

I wonder what role increasing speeds over the past 45 years has to do with the statistics.
Also I wonder that if the percentage of fatalities per number of drivers has gone up or down over 45 years. Membership in APBA has been steadily declining during this period. If it were found that the number of drivers decrease while the number of facilitates stays the same or increases this would indicate a very serious situation, indeed.

I would think that coming to a conclusion about what Seacow is asking would be very difficult, as unlike most motor sports (wheeled type) the type boat, conditions they participate in, open or closed cockpit, kneeling, sitting, outboard, inboard, etc., and all the other factors would have to taken into consideration. I am sure it could be done, just don't know what the relevance would be if everything were lumped together as "boat racing fatalities". That is fairly obvious when you look at the information Ron referenced from Wikipedia. It is incomplete as to ALL the various type of boats in the sport.

If you wanted to take just the PRO category from APBA, it is very hard to say whether the introduction of the closed cockpit, strapped in rule did much one way or another regards safety in a narrow outlook way, as after the introduction of that rule it basically killed the numbers from what they had been in the 500/700/1100 Hydro numbers before versus after the rule took effect. We lost probably 3/4 of the competitors after the three year phase in period of the rule, not because the majority were afraid to race anymore because of the speeds being attained, but because the equipment cost escalated by a factor of at least 2-3 times and they either could not or would not absorb the extra cost to continue competing in the same classes.

As someone who has an artificial joint from a boat racing crash, I am all for safety, and continued my racing career for another 20 years after, BUT, as as example, I still think the capsule rule was an overreaction in the PRO category, and most of the same things could have been achieved with other/different changes rather than the road taken, which as stated basically resulted in the end of the classes affected as we once knew them participation wise except for a few people willing and/or able to pay the price equipment and cost wise.

[seacow]

I can see what you are saying and can partially agree, Bill. I also agree that drivers that still race are not afraid of increasing speed. I was referring to the drivers that no longer race because they are concerned by this. I have the impression that over 5 decades that more drivers have left the sport than signed-up or stayed-in. Cost is certainly a major factor but I would not completely discount the growing perception of danger as an influence on some decisions to abandon ship.

Another aspect of safety rules whether or not they hurt the sport or not is the issue of legal liability. I can speak as a former expert witness in lawsuits. Let me say first that I am not a fan of the legal system. Anyone can file a suit about anything and cost the other side hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to defend themselves even if they "win". If APBA cannot demonstrate that racing dangers are recognized and addressed the legal sharks could have a field day with lawsuits against the organization as the result of death or injuries. Waivers that drivers sign can successfully be challenged and defeated in court if it can be proved that APBA did not adequately address the issue.

An example of what can happen is seen in the great number of current suits against the NFL as a result of concussions that are alleged to trigger deaths and memory loss, dementia, depression etc. Some sports commentators have predicted the ultimate demise of football as we know it. All it takes to file suit is agreement with a shark law firm to give them 50% of any award if successful. Granted the claimants would not get much money from APBA before it was put out of business. Race Insurance would pay to its relatively low limits but be exhausted by any class action suit from widowed relatives of several drivers. After that premium rates could not be afforded. UN-aggregated overall APBA fatality figures and the trends over decades would figure as evidence for the plaintiffs in a law court.Dis-aggregated fatality rates by category would be attempted by defendants. A court or jury might rule and decide on cases on the basis of whether or not APBA took reasonable precautions to address growing evidence of fatalities.

Having said all of this I do not like capsules. I for one will never race a capsule boat because to me boat means the experience of open air. I choose slower lasses for the open air and for what I assume but do not know is greater safety at slower speeds.

[Powerabout]

damn hard to a class to go slower, with outboards that would probably mean most of your engine changed, open air is great but I was always thinking if this thing rolled at this speed its going to be ugly
Is sst45 the biggest class because its the cheapest or because its the safest?

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

damn hard to a class to go slower, with outboards that would probably mean most of your engine changed, open air is great but I was always thinking if this thing rolled at this speed its going to be ugly
Is sst45 the biggest class because its the cheapest or because its the safest?

Least expensive & entry level in to OPC tunnel boat racing

[Powerabout]

Least expensive & entry level in to OPC tunnel boat racing

is there any other class ( to step up to) where you can confidently run the season without going into your engine?
in other words, buy a more expensive boat but not have a big rise in operating costs?