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It’s happened multiple times on this site over the years. A good idea pops up, several people get interested in moving forward, excitement grows and then everything gradually disappears. What usually happens with many boat racing interested people is they get involved with TORC . They race in one class and within a few years are racing in multiple classes. Most members are not interested in the management part of the club , but there are always a few willing to step up.

It’s difficult to make changes to classes starting at the club level. Changes come down from the National level and once approved there the change becomes part of the rule book. Once approved the clubs will decide if they want to make that change part of their program. Get enough people interested and committed to that change and see what happens. That’s where we are at today with the 4 strokes racing. One person with one entry could lead the way...3 entries would have a better chance.

BUT!...what class? There currently is good interest in the younger age entry “A” hydro classes. I think the best fit is runabout classes and the “D” and higher hydro classes where entries are fewer and especially mod where a tunnel hull is an option. The current 4 stroke engines with non race style gearcases are at a disadvantage to the current motors.

Above is the situation in Stock Outboard. T Class doesn’t have that problem. 4 stroke models are approved in all three groups...GT30, T750 & T850. The best fit is GT30 and T750. The T850 class would be difficult for the current 4 stroke models to be competitive.
Stock Outboard is seeing growth at entry level young age drivers. T Class in Europe is seeing growth in GT15. Those new young people start in GT15 and move up to GT30.

We could do that here. Give young children the option of a “A” stock hydro or a 4 stroke GT15 T boat. Under the T rules you could run a GT15 in GT30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRhyDrR ... luZw%3D%3D

Club core members (executive) say the want help but do they? There’s a lot of politics in boat racing. New people who join usually do not get led in the right direction to begin with. Most do not realize that stock really isn’t stock at all. You see Luc Albert’s thread on hydroracer on that Bezoat restoration? Ask him what it has taken for him to get to the level he’s at right now. People get frustrated after awhile when they don’t make any performance progress and move on to other things. Now you’ve seen the thread on BRF and Ken Slessor’s videos of his hydro, only 1 mph difference between his rig and a rig with a racing foot, same motor same boat, that’s a fact. So for all intents and purposes the same. Keep in mind Ken never played with a Ron Hill prop either, that was an off the shelf Solas and using the engine pin trim. When the age change for BSH (CBF) was passed a couple years back I was also going to table 3 other rule changes. One to allow any 15 hp 2 stroke raced as is in J (with restrictor) and A. Plenty of those on kijiji, dime a dozen. Think Muskoka country. Two to allow 15 and 20 hp 4 strokes in J, A and B. Three was to allow any yamato C engine as raced in 20SSH in BSH for 14-16 year olds only along with the age change proposal. I couldn’t sit at the table at the CBF convention because I wasn’t a member during the racing year and the convention was held early the following year. I thought I was good not realizing the convention was for the past Racing season, it was a covid thing. I ended up withdrawing the 2 and 4 stroke proposals and had Gary Fraser put for the age and engine proposal for BSH. The age change passed and the engine proposal was withdrawn because people couldn’t wrap their head around the fact of taking a 20SSH outfit and running it in B. How stupid does that sound, they are the same setup. This is what you are dealing with in boat racing. Bob missed a big opportunity when he reintroduced outboard racing back into Quebec. Could have remade it with production engines, big stage at Valleyfield. You notice no one from TORC ran Valleyfield? That’s all I’m going to say about that, remember politics? Earth moving changes almost never happen at the national level. Case in point, BSH. The current configuration with the SW 20 actually happened with TORC first then APBA adopted the configuration for the next season. You can look that conversation up on hydroracer, interesting to say the least. The current 4 stroke approvals didn’t start at the national level either, they got backed into the corner and had no choice. Jimmy Shane had some good insight on the current situation and he’s someone who’s connected. His group has been making some good progress with 15 4 stroke on a hydro, started at 33 mph now over 43. So where should we be going? HRL tried to take over CBF at the last convention. Will be interesting to see what happens at the next one. We need to bridge the gap between racing in Ontario and out East (New Brunswick & Nova Scotia). They had a lot of momentum going out east until Adam Carruthers moved to inboard and since then no one has stepped up to carry the torch. Don Dennis has a foothold on Lac Baker (New Brunswick near Edmundson) now so a race may be coming there in the future. If HRL does take control of CBF an Outboard Series should be formed with GT 15&30, T750 and 850 and J/A being the initial core grouping. Class or classes for Yamato engines would need to be figured out. Would like to see some amalgamation of classes based in displacement and restrictors being used. Bring a complete outboard race or two back to Quebec to bridge the Ontario to New Brunswick gap. Who’s going to lead the charge? That’s the big question.