from the standpoint of having a mass start race with so many different skill levels on a river like the Tellico... and purely from a safety standpoint... big deal... let'em bilge... especially those in the mere mortals class.
a pump really doesn't matter if/when someone does swim though does it? actually it's kind of comical to see an empty boat floating down the river peeing itself dry.
but seriously... to an extent I can totally see Tommy & Joe's point and sort've agree with him... but also as Richard pointed out it's a race for fun... there's really no 'rules' which includes trying to tip people using pumps in their boats over to see how good their rolling skills are. now... if someone came screaming into the Notch in an OC1 during the Green Race and there was a spout of water shooting out of the side... there might be something to really debate.
when are you going to have an Upper Yough race with 'rules' ?
Tommy I like the fact you talk shiet and you think so highly of youself. But with this being said and after reading your bla bla bla I AM CALLING YOU OUT. you pick the race you set the rules and the looser buys beer.
FullGnarlzOC wrote:Pumps cause testicular cancer...
Excellent, We can all ask for brass prostheisis after we've been treated and we'll all be as good as you...
OH wait! You're nothing special, I forgot about that... Silicone balls it is!
(This is a nice little resurgance of banter, I like it)
Joshua Kelly - "More George Smiley than James Bond"
CBoats Moderator - Not necessarily representing the CBoats staff though...(I'll use words like "moderator", "We" and "CBoats" to make it clear when I am)
Richard; thanks for all you do to promote canoeing. The informal "gathering of friends" on the first Sunday of ALF was a total blast both on and off the river at the after party.
There is a whole lot of whining and b*tch*ng going on in this post. For those of us cboaters who did not make it to ALF, what really happened up in those mountains at night? There's a lot of crabby boaters posting on this forum in the past 3 days so fess up. How was ALF?
C-boats Moderator
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
Hmm, Thought of it more as the best open boat party ever been than a race!
Thanks Richard for coordinating it. I saw no other manufacturers step up the way you did!
I know of at least two youth that lost because they were full of water & wouldn't think of using a pump. If they didn't care why would anyone else? They were planning to give the boat away anyway.
Hope we can do it again next year!
Pump or no Pump:
I had a blast and didn't care who did or didn't have a pump.
I loved the race the way it was. It was my first time doing anything like it, especially at that level.
I had lots of help and encouragement on the way down.
Thanks to all who organized it, the party afterwards and helped to pull my butt out of the water .
I look forward to doing the race again next year!!
Whether or not electric pumps are allowed in the race should be up to the organizer. If the organizer says, no rules, than no rules. BUT, I absolutely agree with Tommy that one of the skills that make open boating so fun is learning to run dry and avoid filling up. If I were a race organizer, I'd outlaw electric pumps.
now... if someone came screaming into the Notch in an OC1 during the Green Race and there was a spout of water shooting out of the side... there might be something to really debate. 
.