Boat racing
Bass boat racing
Active vacation with iactivesite.com
Bass boats. They are low, streamlined, fast boats. They usually have large, powerful outboards bolted to the transom. They are intended for fishing - according to their owners. Yes, there is a practical reason for their need for speed, when you consider how much money is at stake in bass tournaments. Any time you waste getting from the dock to the fishing hole (or from one hole to another) means less time actually fishing. A fast boat means you have more time to fish. Of course, it doesn't hurt that its FUN to go fast! Once again, as with all things that have engines, sooner or later somebody will race them.
Unofficially, of course, it's always a race to the fishing hole, across the lake, or back to the dock. Now, however, some bass tournaments incorporate an APBA sanctioned racing portion to the event. The same boats that are used for the fishing tournaments race around a course designed to test boat handling and driver skill.
The boats race one at a time, against the clock, to maximize safety. These are, after all, fishing boats that are needed for fishing the next day. After experimenting with the concept in 1999, the WCF (World Championship Fishing) incorporated "boat handling" into their weekend schedule of events for each of the 2000 season tournaments. They don't call it racing, since it is, after all, a fishing tournament.
So far, it has been a hit with both participants and spectators. It allows the participants to compete with each other in a safe controlled environment while providing an added spectator draw to the event, allowing them to see what these boats can do up close. Sponsors also benefit as they receive additional exposure to spectators, some of whom might not be attracted to a purely "fishing" event. For more information about Bass Boat "Racing", visit the WCF website or read the article in the March 2001 issue of Family and Performance Boating.