RB08 stakes.

[Limey Linda]

Ok, so where would you put your money
Mine is here

RB1 Venturer
RB2 Bandit
RB3 Hot Lemon
RB4 Team Pulsar
MC2 Power Products
MC1 Mystic Dragon
CC1 Red FPT
HC1 Team 747

First across the line: Red FPT

[the bandit]

I believe that MBY this month will have the odds worked out by some of the organising commitee. many thanks for putting us first in RB2 you may want to now we have never raced before and half of us are taxi drivers so we will probably be going the long way round

[Limey Linda]

Go for it, best of luck, and please turn the meter off.

[philb]

MC1, Seahound if you please

[thomas]

RB4 Arctic Blue & RIB International Racing please

[ribit]

Line honours surely must go to a Buzzi boat if not the favourite FPT then Wettpunkt or perhaps blue FPT, wettpunkt in the past has had some serious reliability issues so these must have been sorted one assumes, then their is the UK Buzzi entries, again the Tecno and Silverline have had some major engine gremlins over the years so all this brings it back to Buzzi/FPT geared suitably for running on failed engines so as to lose no points on any stage and he's the man again, unless.......

[howe]

I think Black Gold should be there for RB4!!

www.rib-racers.com

[simmons0]

Overall - Fabio or possibly Wettpunkt if they don't get any mechanical gremlins.

MC1 - Gotta be the 55ft Buzzi

RB3 - I think this'll be hotly contested. Goldfish are making some huge speed claims for their boats but i can't see that 380hp out of a Yanmar on standard drives is going to be reliable. My money is on Shelly and Neil Holmes in the Sunseeker.

RB4 - The B28 is going to fly but probably going to go through a few powerheads. For me its between the RIB Internation Artic Blue with twin diesels, Fullers Phantom 32 with twin diesels and the Pascoe with twin outboards.

[thomas]

The temptation to disclose top speed figures is so high but i think what ever happens it will be an epic event, one which all will enjoy and remember regardless of who wins each class. good luck to all and see you there in a few weeks.

[thomas]

Good Luck Black Gold!! looks like a nice bit of kit, will be nice to see her in the flesh. Hopefully as we pass her :P only teasing good luck.

[ribit]

Originally Posted by ribit

Line honours surely must go to a Buzzi boat if not the favourite FPT then Wettpunkt or perhaps blue FPT, wettpunkt in the past has had some serious reliability issues so these must have been sorted one assumes, then their is the UK Buzzi entries, again the Tecno and Silverline have had some major engine gremlins over the years so all this brings it back to Buzzi/FPT geared suitably for running on failed engines so as to lose no points on any stage and he's the man again, unless.......

I think RB 2 has a few dark horses the Silverline is the only boat that is competing on a regular basis with a crew that is very experienced in offshore and endurance although engine problems have continued to aggravate their progress, will look forward to seeing Bandit hopefully at the CR event this weekend, will be very interesting to see this new boat and crew come together and as yet no news on the CUV with the very reliable in P1 Ilmor engines or Garmin/Hunton, and Fountain
RB 3 gut feeling says Neil Holmes does not like to loose and Hot lemon always a contender although the Vilda boat looks competent, and what of the super quick Goldfish all unknown
RB 4 Go JF kick ass, a guy that can make a pile of scrap go fast and is fastidious in setting up must be in with a very high chance, just those engines he is using completely unknown but he will have done his homework on them

[BruceB]

I have a workmate getting a hurl in one of the boats as a passenger/journo, need to ask him what one.
I know he has little experience in power boats never mind racing ones as we have all been winding him up.
Now he isn't sure whether or not to believe us and is c**cking his pants

[Limey Linda]

I agree that Buzzi should take line honours unless they have a complete disaster. Tom's post is a great demonstation of the wonderful spirit of the competitors.

[Cookee]

As a boat builder, racer and journalist it's a difficult one - I am doing Bangor Oban in Gordon Comptons boat competing against the boat we built - Nick Gilley and Jon Fullers 32', then of course there are a number of other boats that can do well with experienced crews!

The one thing that is definite is that the biggest race willl be in RB4 with many different boats with totally different configurations - when was the last time you heard of a twin XR2 boat up against a pair of diesels?!

Oh yes - Buzzi for overall!

[the bandit]

Originally Posted by Cookee

As a boat builder, racer and journalist it's a difficult one - I am doing Bangor Oban in Gordon Comptons boat competing against the boat we built - Nick Gilley and Jon Fullers 32', then of course there are a number of other boats that can do well with experienced crews!

The one thing that is definite is that the biggest race willl be in RB4 with many different boats with totally different configurations - when was the last time you heard of a twin XR2 boat up against a pair of diesels?!

Oh yes - Buzzi for overall!

I would of thought RB3 will be interest.

[MarkWildey]

Unless Fabio sinks his boat he has it in the bag having taken advantage of the rules.

As part of the crew on Venturer we are hoping for rough weather as the boat will excel in those conditions. If it is calm there are plenty of boats that will log some pretty impressive average speeds and leave us, a little way, behind.

I'll be taking my laptop/camera on the way round and plan to publish a blog with photo's each day.

Cheers

Mark

[thomas]

Originally Posted by MarkWildey

Unless Fabio sinks his boat he has it in the bag having taken advantage of the rules.

As part of the crew on Venturer we are hoping for rough weather as the boat will excel in those conditions. If it is calm there are plenty of boats that will log some pretty impressive average speeds and leave us, a little way, behind.

I'll be taking my laptop/camera on the way round and plan to publish a blog with photo's each day.

Cheers

Mark

I agree with Mark, we also are hoping for rough weather, the rougher the conditions the faster are boat seems to run. Still have lots of work to do on the craft, Weve been traveling back and forth to Poland were we are testing here trying to get every last detail correct. With plenty of last minute testing here next week in the solent and much more prop testing we hope that she will run really well. Results so far have shown the hull to work really well at all speeds, but rougher the better.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Cookee

As a boat builder, racer and journalist it's a difficult one - I am doing Bangor Oban in Gordon Comptons boat competing against the boat we built - Nick Gilley and Jon Fullers 32', then of course there are a number of other boats that can do well with experienced crews!

If it's rough weather, I mean really rough weather then my money would be on Gordon in RB4. He's done an awful lot of long distance passage making, probably as much or more than most in the race. He doesn't hang around when cruising either.

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Alan

If it's rough weather, I mean really rough weather then my money would be on Gordon in RB4. He's done an awful lot of long distance passage making, probably as much or more than most in the race. He doesn't hang around when cruising either.

Exactly -experience is going to be hard to beat in my opinion!

[the bandit]

Check the odds out. Mr Bul--- has lost the plot.

All the RB4 boats have better odds than the Huntons in RB2 class

Oh and the 34 knot classics have the same odds.