hydro design

[aojesus]

I was enjoying a thread started by Mr. Silvestri concerning hydro design. ( now I can't find it:o ) I was particularly interested in his views on higher cockpit sides. J hydros were slow when I raced them in the late 70's but I still managed to get thrown out the right side.:o One time I actually got tossed to the right far enough that I was half out of the boat and it flipped in the corner.:eek: I am sure slowing down a little would have helped the cause, but hydros are more fun to turn wide open.:D

My question is,... Has anyone seen a negative point to having higher sides?(wind resistance, cross wind, e.t.c....)
I really like the concept!

Thank you for your time,
RussW

[Joe Silvestri 36-S]

Russ,

When I ran JH and ASH, my boats had short, standard height, cockpit sides as well. I too, was pitched out of the boats a few times. What happended was that my right hip had nothing to bump against when I was turning and hit a wave. Therefore, my butt would fall outside of the cockpit and I would then be thrown from the boat. In 2001, when I moved into CSH I bought a Roper from Sean Augustine. The cockpit sides were 21" tall at the windshield and tapered down to the top of the transom. When I first raced the boat it was weird. But, after the second heat of racing the boat, I told my father that I'd never race another boat with short, standard height, cockpit sides. Since the Roper, I've had a Z-Craft and now my laydown and these boats have had and have tall cockpit sides, 21". The tall sides have kept me in the boat several times, as I like to drive agressively in both smooth and rough water. I've never had a problem with the sides concerning strong cross winds.

I almost forgot to mention, my two CSR's I've built have tall cockpit sides as well. 24" tall where the windshield meets the sides. Numerous times, the tall sides have kept me in the boat.

[f8andbethere]

Folks,
The fact of the matter is that until you start thinking differently about issues of safety (and their solution) your nads are always going to be at risk no matter what speed you are going.
What is a bit disconcerting is how long it has taken the sport to understand this and to make changes to its designs to foster faster and safer racing. It did not take the airplane guys too long to figure out that even in open cockpits, not unlike stock outboard cockpits, they should be belted into the airplane.
I have seen several posts about why is the sport not growing, and while there are many facets that should be considered, at least some discussion of safety or perceived safety should be considered.
Boats today in the stock category look the same as they did 75 years go. Sure there are cosmetic changes, but ultimately they are made the same way, they look the same, and they perform the same, and they are inherently dangerous -- and let's face facts, all racing has an aspect of danger involved with it.
The sad thing about this is that the powers that be within the sport allow this to happen. For some reason they live in the world of "This is the way we have always done it" so shut up and go stand in the corner.
So if you choose to go racing in the stock category, understand that if you want to be competitive, it is not a matter of if, but rather when with respect to an accident. And your survival of an accident is more based on luck and the fact that you are not racing against 20 other looney drivers than anything else that you have going for yourslelf. Thank God for Kevilar and collars.
--f8