Powerboat races to return to FMB

By BETSY CLAYTON - Offshore powerboat races will return to Southwest Florida on Memorial Day weekend, bringing 40 of world’s largest, fastest race boats to Fort Myers Beach and race-related events to Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

Spiderman Boat Races Nationwide

By Steve Kaminski -The Grand Rapids Press - HOLLAND -- Chances are good the success of "Spider-Man 2" will produce another sequel or two down the road.

But the name brings success on the waves, too, because Todd Welling guarantees offshore powerboat racing fans have not seen the last of his Spiderman, either. He said it will be sleeker, smaller and faster, but he promises a new version will be riding the waves next summer.

Apache Lawsuit Dismissed with Prejudice!

FORT MYERS, Fla. (12/3/04) — The U.S District Court Southern District of Florida on a motion for voluntary dismissal has dismissed with prejudice a 13-count lawsuit alleging that a Fort Myers-based boat builder was unfairly using trademarks made popular in the powerboat industry.

Two more suppliers hike resin prices

Two more resin manufacturers have announced another round of price increases beginning next month.

Resolution Specialty Materials of Houston will increase the price for all unsaturated polyester resin by 5 cents per pound, while the price for all vinylester resins will increase by 10 cents per pound. The increases apply to all products shipped on or after Jan. 3.

OPA Newsletter 12-05-04

Before we look to the 2005 season, let us first congratulate our teams
that bought home the trophies from the World Championship Races in Key
West last week. It was a grueling three days of racing with
back-to-back races on the weekend, only the strong survived it. Congratulations to
our OPA teams, you made us proud to be called Jersey Boyz.

P5 - World Champion - Kean Racing
P5 - 3rd Place - Simply Awesome
P3 - World Champion - WAZZUP
P3 - 3rd Place - Wanted Racing
P2 - 2nd Place - Obsession
P2 - 3rd Place - Firewater
P1 - World Champion - Lightning Jacks
Super Vee Limited - 3rd Place - Team Typhoon
Superboat Cat Limited - 3rd Place - Showtime

Onto new business. OPA has announced their 2005 race schedule and
winter party dates. Please mark your calendar to attend the winter racer
meeting and awards party on Saturday, Feb 12th at the Hyatt in
Philadelphia across the river from the Battleship NJ.

From 1pm to 4pm, we will discuss OPA rules and procedures for the
upcoming season. All racers should plan to attend this meeting so that your
thoughts can be heard and rule adjustments made. Then from 7 to 8pm,
the OPA awards party kicks off with a cocktail hour followed by dinner
and the awards for the 2004 season Champions. Information about party
tickets will follow in a few weeks but feel free to make hotel
reservations now if you would like to. Click Here


The 2005 OPA Offshore Racing schedule is as follows.

June 10 - 12 - Cape Cod, MA
July 15 - 17 - Atlantic City, NJ
Aug 10 - 12 - Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Sept 23 - 25 - Cambridge, MD
Oct 7 - 9 - Camden, NJ

Thank you all for a wonderful 2004 racing season and we hope to see you
again in 2005.

See ya at the races,

Ron

Brunswick CEO: Dumping destroys industries

If the U.S. pricing policies of Japanese outboard manufacturers are allowed to continue, the names Evinrude, Johnson and Mercury could disappear from the U.S. marketplace, the chairman and CEO of Brunswick Corp. warned today.

George W. Buckley, in a public statement detailing why Brunswick has pressed its federal price dumping allegations, also contends dumping was “a significant contributor” to the demise of Outboard Marine Corp. in 2000.

Oceans hold more 'monster' waves

By Jim Flannery – Senior Writer

Don't tell Fran Murray there's no such thing as a rogue wave.

Murray, of Rockville Center, N.Y., was cruising home with his family this past July after a weekend in Newport, R.I., when his 46-foot Sea Ray literally went airborne off an 8- to 12-foot rogue wave.

Mandatory PFD Idea Still Afloat

By Jim Flannery – Senior Writer - Soundings

The message was simple: Wear your life jacket.

But the policy considerations brought before the National Transportation Safety Board in a forum on how to bring that message home to boaters was anything but simple.

The facts are undisputed: In 2003, 481 of 703 boating fatalities in the United States were drownings, and 416 of those drowning victims - 86 percent - weren't wearing a PFD. Coast Guard studies show that a little more than 22 percent of boaters overall wear their PFDs on the boat. The wear rate for adults on speedboats and runabouts averages a scant 3.9 to 5.5 percent. These figures have changed little over six years despite a massive public education effort.