Sir Robin to compete in Powerboat race

"Well, I was in the Western Solent when the fleet went through and bearing in mind your earlier comments about the noise, I was pleasantly surprised by how quiet they were. Probably less than the Coastguard heli and certainly a lot less distracting than the powered hang gliders that swarm around here."

Are you sure it wasn't the wind and general conditions that were dampening the sound this last weekend?
I accidentally came upon this debacle on a warm sunny, relatively calm day, when they could be heard each and every end of the solent.
 
Last edited:
Scotty_Twister said:
Are you sure it wasn't the wind and general conditions that were dampening the sound this last weekend?
I accidentally came upon this debacle on a warm sunny, relatively calm day, when they could be heard each and every end of the solent.
Click to expand...

they could be heard. So what?

What about the racket made by halyards in the hamble. At least a powerboat race goes away.
 
l'escargot said:
Can't hear them in the middle of the Solent - and they don't create wash.
Click to expand...

How many people live in the middle of the solent?
And wash oh dear. I don't condone inconsiderate and selfish wash, but in the middle of the solent? It's not like you can't hear it coming! I suggest you go and buy a canal boat if it bothers you.
 
Elessar said:
How many people live in the middle of the solent?
And wash oh dear. I don't condone inconsiderate and selfish wash, but in the middle of the solent? It's not like you can't hear it coming! I suggest you go and buy a canal boat if it bothers you.
Click to expand...
The Solent is too confined and congested for fast powerboat races these days, they should be taken round the back of the Island - Sandown Bay perhaps?

I don't like inconsiderate and selfish wash either - motor boats aren't immune to the effects from it either, I hope it doesn't effect you. How do you hear wash coming?

You seem to display an inconsiderate attitude that gives the majority of more reasonable motorboaters a bad name. Perhaps you would be happier in the canal boat?
 
l'escargot said:
You seem to display an inconsiderate attitude that gives the majority of more reasonable motorboaters a bad name. Perhaps you would be happier in the canal boat?
Click to expand...

Any type of boat gives me pleasure.
And I'm happy to see others enjoying theirs, as long as they are considerate.
I've not done that much canal boating, but I have done quite a bit on the non tidal Thames. I think overall I've spent more time sailing than in motorboats, although mobo may just have taken over this year. I planning to get some sailing in next week though.

As it happens I do think there should be a noise restriction on straight through exhausts when they're close to land but that matters not, the attitude of this thread is "I don't like that type of boating so it should be banned full stop". And its that attitude that gets my goat.

Arguing a bit of wash in the middle of the solent is an inconvenience is a nonsense. And if the noise of a raceboat didn't give you advance warning what will? FWIW you won't find me creating wash where it matters.

Just let others enjoy their boats.
 
I walked along the banks of the Medina this weekend to take in the beauty of the scene from the Folly right into Newport and back.
I passed many a boat and boat owner on my way.
I walked in among the boats in the marina which lies just inland from the folley and generally observed and talked to some of the boat owners.

What an arrogant, uncouth lot the powerboaters are in general! Ellesar seems to be somewhat uniquely different??
As a one time owner of a Thames cruiser, thankgoodness I didn't pursue that further to becoming a powerboater along the coast.
 
Last edited:
Wash? from a powerboat race? I think there might be some confusion out there. At the start, yes there will be a great deal of wash until the boats are up to speed, but this will last 30-40 seconds

When a race boat is going along, most of it is out of the water and it doesn't cause wash, even 12 class 1 powerboats travelling at 140-160 mph (and these are the biggest and fastest racing class) leave little wash, more wash would be left from 12 displacement yachts doing 6 knots.

The faster a motor boat is going, once it goes over the hump, the less wash it leaves because the hull shape is lifting more of the boat out of the water. The less of a hull that is in the water, the less wash it leaves behind. Before a planing hull goes over the hump - in semi displacement mode, that's when it's wash is biggest not when it's on the plane.

By the time the racing boats (of any size) are up to speed their wash is negligible compared to that of the red jet for example.

What you will see from a race boat is it's rooster tail, this is is a tail of water from the propellers, but unless you're caught in the tail (very unlikely unless you're racing) then this isn't a problem either
 
Reading the angry/disappointed comments on here about RKJ agreeing to be part of powerboat racing. Well he certainly enters into a lot of banter with Shelley on the sail v power thing on his H2O show, R Solent. He makes his feelings known on this. So he is obviously doing the honourable thing and trying it before knocking it too much. I can hear him saying it; "Great experience but I think I'll stick to sailing".

It's not for me either but it's all part of boating.

Shelley should have our respect too - she has had success at p/boat racing.
 
Elessar said:
How's this for a proposal to the RYA.

To get a coastal skipper or above, yachties have to skipper a mobo for a day and visa versa.

Would that stop us snapping at each other so much?
Click to expand...
Most raggies already do, most have engines in their sailing boats - I don't see as many mobos with sails.

As for "Just let others enjoy their boats", I agree. But I don't necessarily agree that running a powerboat race through the Solent on a bank holiday weekend upholds that principal.

And anyway who would be daft enough to move to the Hamble and complain about the noise of yachts?
 
l'escargot said:
Most raggies already do, most have engines in their sailing boats - I don't see as many mobos with sails.
Click to expand...

I meant a planing boat. Different challenges to operating at displacement speeds. It's planing boats that get moaned about, and I bet some, maybe many sailors don't appreciate the problems they can cause high speed craft. It is certainly true the other way round.

l'escargot said:
And anyway who would be daft enough to move to the Hamble and complain about the noise of yachts?
Click to expand...

No one I hope. It would be like moaning about waves on the sea..........
 
Scotty_Twister said:
sarabande said:
one of the most socially and environmentally selfish sports that exist.

I think the above says it all.

There are a few very noisy activities that take place away from the rest of civilisation where the general public is not liable to be effected, other than long term, by the 'fall-out' of fumes etc.

On pure safety grounds I can see no justification for allowing powerboats on open water where 'jo public is' and where the noise so very much effects everyone.

A few years ago I found myself in the middle of a powerboat race whilst out for a pleasant weekend sail. There was no prior warning on the vhf and living 80 miles inland I was not privilleged to have local radio or tv info' on it leading up to that weekend.
The powerboats came incredibly close to my yacht and the noise was deafening even though we made off and were eventually miles away from the 'track'.
Accidents do happen at speed and with most sports great steps are taken to ensure that there is no risk or hardship to others.

As some out there are powerboat enthusiasts, I would like to know what efforts are made to silence these boats and how they can justify racing so close to others at such incredible speed.
I've been to motor race circuits where the machines are now well silenced to take out the bandwidths that cause most irritation to others and where the safety barriers are becoming so strictly enforced that the watching public are way back in case of incident.
How on earth do powerboaters get away with racing down The Solent?
Click to expand...
Its called having a life pal. one where joe public can do WTF he likes instead of being policed the whole time like life is on land.

its about time some of you people realised that there are other types of person in the world than folk who just like to take things easy and have total peace and quiet,not so, even on water!:p

and FYI there are no restrictions on most motorsports sound outputs ...ever been to an F1 race ? it will make your ears bleed.........
Click to expand...
 
l'escargot said:
But I don't necessarily agree that running a powerboat race through the Solent on a bank holiday weekend upholds that principal.
Click to expand...

This is sensible and worthy of debate. But just remember the comments gone before that I so strongly disagree with.

RJK has been one of my heroes from wayback.-------8<-----------
If he now is to qualify for this then he has taken a step back in my estimation of him.
Click to expand...

Very sad news! I would have hoped that RKJ would have had more sense. -----------8<------------
Powerboaters, like those who build bonfires in their back gardens close to others, should be banned!
Click to expand...
 
JasonClark said:
Scotty_Twister said:
Its called having a life pal. one where joe public can do WTF he likes instead of being policed the whole time like life is on land.

its about time some of you people realised that there are other types of person in the world than folk who just like to take things easy and have total peace and quiet,not so, even on water!:p

and FYI there are no restrictions on most motorsports sound outputs ...ever been to an F1 race ? it will make your ears bleed.........
Click to expand...

I guess while there are individuals that have these selfish attitudes then there is little hope for greater harmony between the sports.
p.s. As an addendum to that Jason, you may like to know that I used to race in a motor sport where the engines were scrutinised for sound and that I built a kit car some 21 years ago that I still have, that has a V8 engine that is not so loud it upsets people. Even 'raggies' like to 'have a life'. :-)
Click to expand...
 
Not aimed at any post in particular, but I wonder if we shouldn't have a bit of a reality check here?

I went out to watch the start of the race on Saturday. In the event, it was a bit of a damp squib, with the different classes of boat starting at different times, so not the spectacle that was originally promised, nor a patch on the dramatic starts of the CTC in the sixties and seventies.

Yes, the boats are noisy and yes, they are fast. However (a) as Snooks says, they generate negligible wash when they're on the plane and (b) they are moving at a considerable speed and they're past and gone in a couple of minutes. To read some of the posts on here, you'd think they were occupying the Solent all day and denying access to all other boaters whilst generating more decibels than Led Zeppelin when, in reality, they were briefly blatting along the north-west shores of the IOW and equally briefly blatting back a few hours later. The race was well stewarded and extensively trailed in advance by a Southampton VTS NTM amongst other things.

So - a few minutes of noise and speed, with normal service resumed for the remaining 364 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes of the year. Well: what passes for normal in the Solent, anyway......

As for those who have had a pop at RK-J: shame on you:mad:

PS Although I'm currently a moboer, I swing both ways and [embarrassed] am even occasionally to be seen on other people's raggies [/embarrassed]
 
Last edited:
jhr said:
Not aimed at any post in particular, but I wonder if we shouldn't have a bit of a reality check here?
Click to expand...

Agreed, it seems a bit much to complain about 1 weekend of powerboat racing a year when almost every day over the summer there are fleets of racing yachts charging around the solent expecting joe public to give way to them.

As for the round the Island race 1,400 yachts heading towards the needles at once. Do you hear mobos complaining about having to avoid all the raggies on that Saturday?

Strange how it's acceptable when the shoe is on the other foot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top