I'm new to the sport. I have a 45" deep v with a mod 260 Zenoah with a 275 prop that goes quite well, and I am ready to 'attempt' to race. I've probably run the boat for 10 hrs, and am just comfortable that I could make it around a course consistently and probably not hit anyone else.

There doesn't seem to be much reference material on the do's and don'ts of actually racing. What is the etiquete? Do you simply stay out of everyone's way while you're learning? How do you practice? Do you watch for chop or just ignore it? Do you drive a little slower but make sure you drive accurately? I imagine good drivers don't want to have their boats destroyed by learners? Do clubs have'learner'divisions, or grades that you progress through as your skills improve?

I'm not expecting anyone to answer these specific questions, just wondering if therte are any good articles on racing that I haven't found?

Hi Mate,
First of all welcome to this very addictive hobby , the best advice I can give you is to hold your line, the biggest mistake often made by learners is to try and get out of the way of a faster approaching boat by changing lanes, this often ends in a coming together as the approaching boat may veer the same way, If you hold your line the other boat can navigate around you ,the best way to get your confidence and ability up is to go out and race, just clock up laps and your confidence will grow and in time you will feel you can drive more aggresively.
most if not all other facets of racing are pretty much common sense stuff.
Hope this helps
Damian

hello and welcome to the world of R/C boating.
ok the thing I tell all our new members at our club
is to expect the unexpected it may happen.
even the best drivers outhere get into a crash at times.

I also tell them sitt and watch a few races before jumping in.
and if you not sure of your self stay on the outside lanes till
you feel that you can get into the mix of things.

watch and learn that's the best thing to do.
and now go out and have some fun.

Regards
Luc

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll just have a go. It's definitely an addictive hobby. I bought the boat hoping my son would take an interest in something else while he was sitting at home healing a few broken bones,(he races MX so it's not long between broken bones). Only problem is that it was me that got hooked, and now I'm planning the second boat.

What's the best advice for crossing patches of chop from boat wash? Do you just ignore it and hope for the best? When practicing, probably once every 15 minutes
of full throttle running, (always while turning), I will have a crash from rough water. Sometimes the nose burries and sometimes it just flips.

just a quik question where do you run your boats at this time.
the reason I'm asking is that most club waters are not that rough
will will get the wakes from other boats but that's about it
3/4 of the time.

here's some info from IMPBA
www.impba.net/images/stories/Rulebook/sec-g.pdf

Regards
Luc

The lake I'm using is an old sand mining site, only about a metre deep with hard banks. I guess logic says that is why I'm getting 'freak waves' every so often.

Before I raced for the first time, I attended a race to watch everything going on to see how it's done. This wasn't bad for me as the site was around 50 miles away. If that isn't easy for you to do, watching some race videos over at www.metimeliverc.com can be a big help.
Drive your own race. You know what your boat is capable of. Use all of your senses. Feeling some wind against your face? Use your eyes on the water conditions among everything else that you have to see. Listen to your boat.
Before a race there will be a driver's meeting explaining a lot of things.
Just squeezing the throttle and holding it there for 6 laps might not win you any races, drive smart and know when to back off. Wait for the hot dogs to make mistakes as sometimes it's a battle for survival. Finishing a heat will get you a lot more points than a DNF.

The way I started years ago was to find a club and go and see them. Join the group they belong to IMPBA or what ever. Talk to them learn club rules and read rule book for the IMPBA or others. Then I would start at the back of the pack and stay way outside and let them pass even if I had to slow down some. This way you learn to run with other boats. Then after awhile you will have the hang of it and you can run like the rest.

Thank's for the advice everyone, all makes sense.