WRC

[Col]

With all the recent war mongering between the different boating factions, a few of them were calling for regulation, especially for J/ski's.

I watched the WRC rally events on the telly last night, if any sport is in need of better safety it is rallying. These cars are zooming around hairpin bends at a million MPH, and all the spectators have got for protection, is a bit of plastic "crime scene" type tape, (and an umbrella if it's raining)
Wonder how many people get killed/injured if a car goes out of control?
How are they able to run these event in this way? Compare it to formula 1 with all the gravel traps /tyre walls/safety netting etc:
Or is rallying safer than it looks?

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[mtb]

Your right the drivers have to be qualified wear the right clothing carry fire extinguishers and so on but the spectators!!!!
I sat in a car while being driven by a chap who drove in classic rallies .
He was dangerous

Thing is with jet ski's
They buy em and ride em.
Where my tug used to be when the tide's down they play chicken rind through and under an old jetty at high speed !!
they think that showing off to friends on the bank is what its all about regardless of who is affected by their actions.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler or tug v, cheap or swap for tug

 

[hlb]

Must agree. Have always wondered that. Cars rolling over and people running out the way. It all looks a bit iffy!
Trouble is with jet ski's. There not any good for anything except bombing around in circles trying to impress. They get the idea that all the folks looking on and laughing, are impressed. Not realising that they all think the skiers are just bloody stupid.

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Haydn

 

[EME]

Ouch.

We actually have a classy member of the rally fraternity on this forum. As someone who has engaged in motor sport (badly), I would confirm that both sports have a lot in common. However there is a LOT more control over m/sport than boating. That is not an excuse , just a fact.

'Classic Rallying' is a very broad term. It ranges from driving 10 yr old cars gently around tarmac roads to International-status stage events using 'cars of yesteryear'. Drivers capabilities are,generally, commensurate with experience.

P.S. I am a lot safer in a 2.7 RS or on the track in any 70's Cooper / Lotus / Van Diemen etc than in a 3.0m inflatable , but I'll get there !!!!

...I wanna boat please..

 

[Col]

No issues with driver ability, It's the provision for spectators.
We've all seen people running when these car go out of control/spin/rollover.
If any thing, it's putting an extra responcibility on the drivers, that they could probably do without.

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[nicho]

It's pretty safe if you are INSIDE the car, but not necessarily so if you are a spectator. I was a professional competitor in rallying for many years, including WRC (retired in 1989), and spectator safety has always been an issue. There have, over the years been many accidents in which spectators have been killed (the worst one in Portugal when around 7 or 8 were killed in one incident.) It is still a nightmare today, and seems worse in the Latin Countries. One of the favourite games there, is to reach out and tap the roof of the car as it passes! - a bit like running with the bulls in Pamplona - tired of life or what?. For the competitors, it is a nightmare - you are there to do a job for your Manufacturer, and that is to go as fast as possible to win the event. To be absolutely honest, the only way you can do that is to ignore the dangers and go for it - it's not a comfortable feeling though. The situation is constantly under review by the Authorities, and this year there have been many special stages cancelled because the spectators posed too much of a danger. In my view, WRC will, over the coming years, turn into 'made for TV' events, with probably a maximum of 30 competitors looping around a few stages that will allow proper control of the masses - insurance coverage will become impossible otherwise. We may even see grandstands and special viewing enclosures - rather like Grand Prix in fact.
Nevertheless, having competed (& won!) at the highest level, I can honestly say it is the most incredible sport you can ever compete in.