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Thread: Some Thoughts About APBA's Rules

  1. #21
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    See this is the problem, we spend a lot of time chasing specialized equipment that has been out of production for decades and then try to find solutions to increase the supply of parts for said engines. That is not a model for mass participation in boat racing. A few of us having been saying for years why aren’t we using regular production fishing engines? I suppose the closest thing we have right now to production engine classes would be T750 and 850 here in Ontario. Very similar to the V bottom classes of the 1980’s.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Albert View Post
    As someone who had only been around stock ourboard for a couple years, yamatos are great and they are easy to work on and rebuild but I have two omc 15 motors in my garage that are useless unless I find a lower unit. I can’t say I haven’t been tempted to measure the racing unit and have a batch machined offshore.
    You could say the Yamato was the best and worse thing that happened to stock outboard. When those engines first came over I believe Ron suggested a setup similar to what 300SSH is now. He stepped out of the room for a bit and came back to find out something entirely different was agreed on. It has been a never ending rule book since and trying to keep up with it. These engines are anything but stock and you know that first hand and it goes right back to APBA and SORC leadership. I see rule changes that have happened over the years like the head dimension delete and all that invited was a rework of the head combustion chambers and because we no longer have many skilled inspectors and inspections at races anymore. You could always do something like that but it was a lot harder.

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    I rebuilt my Yamato 80 from a basket case from gearfoot to crank bearings doing everything myself except the rod bearings (had a friend press the crank) I was fortunate that there are people around who helped me but I’ll tell you trying to find stock pistons a rod and a bunch of other parts to keep it stock as per the manual was a hassle. If I were less concerned with it being legal for stock I could definitely have at least matched the rods and gotten a blank piston to be made to work and ….well you know made a legal looking from the outside motor that would work better.

    I didn’t keep track of what it cost but I’m sure I could have bought a great used 25 fishing motor by now instead of having an 80 that’s not competitive because I don’t have access to a dozen used rods and pistons to make a good set. Or freshly sleeved block, or a cnc or a tig set up to weld up and machine the head with a tighter squish band and higher dome that still meets the cc limit.

    Now a modern four stroke…with a low water pickup of some kind and a sealed ecu…now wouldn’t that be something. But it’s no fun racing by yourself and all the locals run Yamato’s.

  4. #24
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    Default Props Are the Least of the Problem

    Everyone of these Race Boats have stock production gearcases.

    Hell that 6 HP or whatever have one of my 16 pitch cleavers on it. Check out the skeg, I'll bet he can turn on a dime.
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    It seems like requiring a low production gear case in an entry level class that should be used to get people on the water is a very curious rule
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Hill View Post
    Everyone of these Race Boats have stock production gearcases.

    Hell that 6 HP or whatever have one of my 16 pitch cleavers on it. Check out the skeg, I'll bet he can turn on a dime.
    Long skeg for sure with very high running prop on a tunnel + far engine set back and the little 1 cylinder engine it is a very maxed out set up.
    " Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead" Ben Franklin
    " ------- well Doctor what have we got a Republic or Monarchy? A Republic he replies if you can keep it"
    Benjamin Franklin, 1787 Constitutional Convention, as recorded by signer James McHenry's in his diary at the Library of Congress

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  7. #27
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default So, I bought three Tohatsu 30's from Western Engine

    Western Engine was good to me, they paid COD when I delivered propellers. When I found out the motors only cost $450, so I bought three.

    There were some young men working at Western Engine, Chuck Frederick, Bill Shepard to name two. Twitchy, I never knew his real name, had a small show sell Addictors and Tohatsu motors.

    Somebody, probably me, decided we should have a race. It was decided to race to Catalina Island. Willey Poole, who's dad owned Trailer Boat Magazine wanted to race. We had 12 boats and they followed Bruce Nescher out into the ocean in his 36 foot boat. Off they went. One problem, they all ran out of gas. Willey Poole borrowed some gas and finished.

    We got everyone back safely but that night over few drinks I told Sleek Craft and Western Engine had someone died out here we'd all be sued and they had more to lose than me.

    I SUGGESTED, I go to APBA and get us a class, so we could use APBA insurance. As it turned out, my long time friend and college roommate was Ernie Dawe and he was Stock Outboard VP. I presented the class as C-NOD (30 HP, National One Design) It was approved.

    Charlie Strange went to Ernie and said, "If you'll kick that Japanese motor out, tomorrow, I will built you a NEW "A" and "E" motor. Ernie responded that, "You build the motors, I will let OPC (because it is a sit down boat) have C-NOD. Next year we had a new "A" and "45 SS" motor. Ernie kicked C-NOD to OPC.

    Backing up a year, Mercury came out with the CUB class that never hit the water as far as I ever knew.

    I got home from the APBA meeting and Western Engines tells me they have a 40 HP. They also tell me they will buy insurance and trophies for all our races.

    So, I throw in two new Classes: S-NOD stock 40 that became Sport C (31 cubic inch maximum as to not let Mercy 4 cylinder 44 kick Tohatsu's ***). And U-NOD (31`1 cubic inches Modified).

    We schedule a 5 hour Enduro at Parker the week before the Thanksgiving Havasu Classic. We get like 65 entries,1 Merc, 2 Evinrudes 1 Yamaha and the rest Tohatsu's.

    Race was crazy successful. We start racing everywhere. Club makes money because of Western Engine paying APBA fees and buying trophies.
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  8. #28
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    It never made sense to me that "Stock" never had classes with "Stock/Club Foot" motors. I think my first Mark 5 J motor was a club foot and it worked just fine. Any disadvantage in running a club foot was not a disadvantage if everyone ran them. As far as speed, most want to stay in the 55 to 75 range anyway and cubic inches can regulate the speed. Spending a lot of money on the foot is an expense for everyone just like jacking up the motors for speed has become a safety hazard for everyone.
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  9. #29
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    Default Why We Have "Racing" Gearcases and Why We Don't Need Them

    Our first Mini Enduro had like 67 boats in three classes. No racing gearcases.

    We had a hell of a five hour race. The trophy presentation was over the roof with cheers.

    The Miller Boys from All Season's Marine had won overall with an Evinrude (U-NOD) Blake Esau won O-NOD with a 40 Tohatsu. And I can't remember who won C-NOD.

    All year we raced with the regular APBA club, SCOA. SCOA made lots of money with Western Engine paying the insurance bill and buying the trophies.

    to be continued

  10. #30
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    That’s an OMC 15 in the picture to the right? Bob Abbott has a couple of dozen motors that need a gearfoot. Apparently people will sell you an engine but not with the gear case, keeping them for a spare. Any new ones being made? I thought SW LLC was making them but that is in limbo now. I hear the sucking sound of that drain loud and clear!

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