User Tag List

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 34

Thread: Starting Clocks

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks (Given)
    13
    Thanks (Received)
    129
    Likes (Given)
    70
    Likes (Received)
    626
    Mentioned
    35 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Starting Clocks

    Would love to hear everyone's stories about their starting clocks. Our local clock was a electric belt driven plywood monster that was always 1-2 seconds off. Even the weight of the wood second hand had an effect on the "upswing" to 12 o'clock / zero. (LOL)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    2,296
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    154
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    541
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	euafala 73.jpg 
Views:	265 
Size:	151.9 KB 
ID:	469676Starting clocks were always problematic. Most were electrical AC or DC but I saw a couple of water driven ones. Many starting clocks had the problem of being slower during the last 30 seconds. I got used to the clock we used down here at the Marine Stadium. It would pause for about a second at 4 to go. I stop watch timed that clock many times. I tried to watch check any unfamiliar clock as many times as I could before I had to start against it. As I recall the clock at Eufala Alabama was pretty good.
    Last edited by 2us70; 07-18-2020 at 01:37 PM.

  3. Likes Mark75H, Baker343 liked this post
  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    BRISTOL, FL
    Posts
    190
    Thanks (Given)
    78
    Thanks (Received)
    54
    Likes (Given)
    341
    Likes (Received)
    190
    Mentioned
    2 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    if i was the first legal boat to the first turn, the clock was perfect. if was not the first legal boat to the first turn, sumppin was wrong with the clock.
    The "Wheel Man" of the Sunshine Syndicate

  5. Thanks Instigator thanked for this post
  6. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    37,827
    Thanks (Given)
    64
    Thanks (Received)
    1667
    Likes (Given)
    337
    Likes (Received)
    19201
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

  7. Thanks Instigator thanked for this post
  8. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    2,296
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    154
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    541
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    This picture is the start of my elimination heat at Eufala in 1973. good illustration of how closed course racing was in those days. "Seemed perfectly reasonable at the time".
    Quote Originally Posted by FUJIMO View Post

  9. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks (Given)
    13
    Thanks (Received)
    129
    Likes (Given)
    70
    Likes (Received)
    626
    Mentioned
    35 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Eufala to Kankakee

    Quote Originally Posted by 2us70 View Post
    This picture is the start of my elimination heat at Eufala in 1973. good illustration of how closed course racing was in those days. "Seemed perfectly reasonable at the time".
    How and when did the OPC Nationals move from Eufala to Kankakee? It sounded like the OPC SE and SJ classes were huge at the time.

  10. Likes Instigator liked this post
  11. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    2,296
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    154
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    541
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    In those days it took several heats to get the final field down to the 12 boat maximum at Nationals in SE. SJ was more expensive to run but it was also very popular. SG and G Production classes also had big followings. I don't know when the move to Kankakee happened. I stopped racing after the 1976 season.

  12. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks (Given)
    13
    Thanks (Received)
    129
    Likes (Given)
    70
    Likes (Received)
    626
    Mentioned
    35 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Sport Classes In The 70s

    Quote Originally Posted by 2us70 View Post
    In those days it took several heats to get the final field down to the 12 boat maximum at Nationals in SE. SJ was more expensive to run but it was also very popular. SG and G Production classes also had big followings. I don't know when the move to Kankakee happened. I stopped racing after the 1976 season.
    I think SJ reached its peak in 1978. SG didn't exist in the Seattle area. I wanted to run FJ but it had died out in the early 70s. Even SE had dwindled down to 6 or so local boats.

  13. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks (Given)
    13
    Thanks (Received)
    129
    Likes (Given)
    70
    Likes (Received)
    626
    Mentioned
    35 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Water Clocks

    Quote Originally Posted by 2us70 View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	euafala 73.jpg 
Views:	265 
Size:	151.9 KB 
ID:	469676Starting clocks were always problematic. Most were electrical AC or DC but I saw a couple of water driven ones. Many starting clocks had the problem of being slower during the last 30 seconds. I got used to the clock we used down here at the Marine Stadium. It would pause for about a second at 4 to go. I stop watch timed that clock many times. I tried to watch check any unfamiliar clock as many times as I could before I had to start against it. As I recall the clock at Eufala Alabama was pretty good.
    How did the water clocks work? Paddle wheels? Cups? Conveyors? Funnels?

  14. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Annapolis, MD ragboat capital of the world
    Posts
    11,463
    Thanks (Given)
    591
    Thanks (Received)
    164
    Likes (Given)
    2428
    Likes (Received)
    445
    Mentioned
    2 Post(s)
    Tagged
    3 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by WaterZebra View Post
    How did the water clocks work? Paddle wheels? Cups? Conveyors? Funnels?

    Basically a hole in a bucket. As the bucket drained, a counterweight rotated the clock.

  15. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    2,296
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    154
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    541
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Here in South Florida I can recall a few times when SE required elimination heats at just regular races. At Nationals there were some automatic qualifiers such as division champions. In 1970 there was a pre-qualified boat in SE that was so slow that the leaders came within a few hundred yards of lapping him in both heats. It was a shame that that spot didn't go to a more competitive boat.

  16. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks (Given)
    13
    Thanks (Received)
    129
    Likes (Given)
    70
    Likes (Received)
    626
    Mentioned
    35 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Points Games

    Quote Originally Posted by 2us70 View Post
    Here in South Florida I can recall a few times when SE required elimination heats at just regular races. At Nationals there were some automatic qualifiers such as division champions. In 1970 there was a pre-qualified boat in SE that was so slow that the leaders came within a few hundred yards of lapping him in both heats. It was a shame that that spot didn't go to a more competitive boat.
    Yeah, I know the scheme very well. We had one guy who tooted his horn about being SJ US1 locally. SJ was essentially dead in the rest of the country. If he had raced at the height of SJ popularity and went to the Nationals he would have been annihilated by the likes of Pearl, Lee, White, Greene and others. Made my skin crawl to hear him carry on with the US1 bit.

  17. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    2,296
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    154
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    541
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    I was fortunate to have raced OPC at it's peak. Nationals drew literally hundreds of boats. Here in South Florida even our monthly Tri Club races would require you to be there when the gates opened to get a decent spot in the pits. I suspect some of those races had 100 boats.

  18. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks (Given)
    13
    Thanks (Received)
    129
    Likes (Given)
    70
    Likes (Received)
    626
    Mentioned
    35 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    100 Boat Races

    Quote Originally Posted by 2us70 View Post
    I was fortunate to have raced OPC at it's peak. Nationals drew literally hundreds of boats. Here in South Florida even our monthly Tri Club races would require you to be there when the gates opened to get a decent spot in the pits. I suspect some of those races had 100 boats.
    Does anybody have photos of what that was like? I took panoramic still photos of the Sport C starting line at Havasu in the late 80s and it kinda looked like Havasu in the late 60s or early 70s with 100s of big boats.

  19. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    2,296
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    154
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    541
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    There are a few pictures of races from the Marine Stadium out there but they usually show individual boats and drivers. There is a shot of all the Mercury team boats lined up from one of the 225 races. Someone might have a few from the Gold Coast Marathon. 200+ boats all starting together heading for West Palm Beach. I ran that race a couple of times before they stopped it.

  20. Likes Mark75H liked this post
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Did ya change yer clocks? SOON, in 3 weeks, watch how broke ya be..
    By Robby321 in forum The Scream And Fly Lounge
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-26-2012, 09:31 AM
  2. Progressive awakening alarm clocks?
    By Quinten in forum The Scream And Fly Lounge
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 09-07-2010, 10:43 PM
  3. Clocks
    By flabum1017 in forum The Scream And Fly Lounge
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-17-2008, 08:15 PM
  4. Anybody into old clocks?
    By triple dude in forum The Scream And Fly Lounge
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 03-04-2006, 07:08 PM
  5. Lie clocks
    By Raceman in forum The Scream And Fly Lounge
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 08-25-2004, 10:05 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Aeromarine Research