Tragedy Strikes Super Boat Race in key West.

A horrific year for motorsports of all kinds...

RIP.

http://keysnews.com/node/35806

 

Awful. I hate to hear it.

 

sad news

a couple of guys from my old stomping grounds, Lake of the Ozarks.

RIP.

this has been a terrible year for motorsports; car, bike, plane and now boat.

 

This is terrible.......R.I.P. to them.

Superboats are a Big Boys game, there's not much room for error...

Thoughts and prayers to the families.

 

It has been very hard in motorsports this year. I'm saddened again.

My thughts and prayers go out to their families.

 

Very sad. RIP.

Looks like the boat went into the water facing backwards after it flipped in the air.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YPAxuoPpXo[/ame]

 

that was a huge impact with the water, at an angle that doesn't provide much protection for the head/neck.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jIEohcOduizZCS3OA_QDa-UlysWw?docId=d4d2f602d05d47ddb96c6affa5a0cc20

 

Wow..from the video it doesnt look so violent. The front of the boat touches the water first and then the cockpit as the boat just splashes against the water. I wonder if the canopies got flattened?

 

That's probably why the accident was fatal. When a boat (or car, or bike) comes apart, all that energy is transferred away from the occupants. Usually the most dramatic crashes are the ones with the least amount of injuries. Sad year for racing in general.

 

I knew both these guys.

My first run in with JT 16 years ago turned into a massive fight on the docks, police and ambulences were everywhere, he and a few of his friends got taken to the hospital then jail. We were always cool after that and had a good time telling the story over drinks for many years.

Sorry to see him and Bob go.

 

The modern safety cells are pretty good, air breathing systems and all......but agree a freak angle (like backing in upside down like that) could break necks or knock unconscious and then you are done (underwater).

Usually they pop out of the bottom safety hatch quickly...if able....R.I.P.

 

Don't kid youself, a 43' boat with FOUR engines is a lot of weight and the speed multiplies physical forces.

That looked like a soft landing from a distance, I assure you inside the boat it was not.

 

it was a bigger hit than it looked on that video, but the weird angle I think is what cost these guys their lives.

a bit like the Dale Earnhardt crash...not the biggest or most spectacular crash, but still a big hit, and at the exact wrong angle.

 

Where does it stop at? Nascar type restrictor plates?

Another crash:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2-powerboat-racers-injured-on-2nd-racing-day-of-key-west-offshore-championship/2011/11/11/gIQADEb4CN_story.html

Biggest ego sport in the world, I use to own an aviation biz so I had turbines in one of my boats, glad I sold it or I'd probably be injured or dead.

Both cars and boats are seeing crazy levels of speeds now, I think there needs to be some restrictions OR move the class to calm waters.

 

Joey Gratton has died from his injuries.

http://www.performanceboats.com/content/265-joey-gratton-killed-key-west-crash.html

This is just horrible. RIP.

 

After watching the video I think the g-forces were just to severe and they sustained massive internal injury's.

RIP gentlemen and prayers go out to their friends and family.

 

RIP to all three guys and their friends & families.

As much as I love these boats and everything about them...looking at the video of the Wednesday race and pix from this race; these events are just a heartbeat away from spectator deaths, along with the racers. When you see the proximity of the boats to the spectators (<50 feet?) and the boat speeds (>>150mph?); that sent a shiver up my spine......Of course that's the thrill (if you can't be onboard), but if/when the worst happens, there simply won't be any more events in the US. Best case, much farther offshore and therefore not spectator-friendly.


Anyway, thoughts for a different thread....
Tritone

 

I was on a lake where a turbine boat ran 203mph 50ish feet from me and an entire row of spectators that was 2-3 miles long, if this turbine boat would have broken a prop shaft or rudder it would have killed 100's of people, it's basically an aircraft weighing 10k LBS full of race fuel traveling 200ish mph at that point that will go where ever it wants.

The sport would be cool again if everyone had a sealed pair of 650hp Lamborghini V-12's, a minimum boat length and weight.

Did you see the Reno air race? Lots of spectators were REALLY lucky.

 

That was my best friend driving ms. Geico. I was hoping it wasn't him when I saw the title to the thread. Very sad for these guys it is surprising that it doesn't happen more often considering the speed and the fact they run in different some time less than desirable condition.

Condolences to these poor guys families and friends.

 

Just spoke with Marc, another driver killed this week. That's 3 people. Many of these racers apparently don't have the experience required to run these boats but have the $$ and balls. There should be more scrutiny with the league to run 50' with twin turbine 3000+hp boats.

 

The boat I was talking about was Dave Callan's turbine cat - Callan Marine, a year or two later it ran 209mph on the same lake and this was back in 2006-2007, I saw pics of his gps where he had gone 223mph in the ocean.

He is a big tech guy with money to burn, he started and sold several tech companies for around $4billion before he was 41, it's guys like this that make me nervous when it comes to racing.