Video: Sprint Boat Racing Is Like Time Trial Racing for Boats

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpVvBpgZvFE

What's cooler than a V8-powered race car? How about a V8-powered race boat?

This is Sprint Boat Racing, a time-trial style event that features small, often V8-powered boats racing through a narrow circuit that is usually no deeper than three or four feet. And then add in the navigator. 

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Jay_W
Jay_W SuperDork
7/29/20 11:30 a.m.

Sprint boats are an absolute laugh riot and everyone should love 'em...

snailmont5oh
snailmont5oh Dork
7/29/20 11:50 a.m.

Back in the early '90s, I could live on a constant diet of jet sprint boat and lawnmower racing, both of which Speedvision showed tons of. 

GTwannaB
GTwannaB GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
7/29/20 8:49 p.m.

How in god's name do you navigate? I see a copilot but how do they know where to go? Rally style notes?

NOHOME
NOHOME MegaDork
7/29/20 10:10 p.m.

I cant figure out a sea of  orange pylons, that would be just nuts to figure out.

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
7/30/20 7:19 a.m.
snailmont5oh said:

Back in the early '90s, I could live on a constant diet of jet sprint boat and lawnmower racing, both of which Speedvision showed tons of. 

All through the 90s wasn't it? I remember seeing these and thinking, "What in the holy awesome hell is this?"

pirate
pirate HalfDork
7/30/20 8:57 a.m.

Only boats I know of with roll bars and for good reason. There are numerous videos with roll overs after missing a turn.

914Driver
914Driver MegaDork
7/30/20 12:29 p.m.

No way, I get lost in a mall parking lot!

D2W
D2W Dork
7/30/20 2:00 p.m.

There is a company here who builds them. They are crazy fast, and cool. Around here they will go out and dig a course in an empty pasture. They are usually not more than a foot deep. The navigator memorizes the path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUJzo5oK-6A

We also have this nearby, which in my opinion is even more insane.

nderwater
nderwater UltimaDork
7/30/20 2:46 p.m.

1) that looks astonishingly fun

2) the placement of the spectators seems super sketchy, yikes!

TGMF
TGMF HalfDork
7/30/20 3:34 p.m.

That looks pretty damn intense. I don't see how the navigator's directions are clear enough or fast enough  to make sense at that speed.  I feel like  there were several cases where I swear he was pointing left and they went right.

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