Hi James

Hi! I feel like celebrity or something… surely there are more interesting people on IW to interview?? Oh well, prepare to be bored. 

As with every interview, lets start with :

As a kid, what did you play with?

As a kid, I played with many different things. One of the first things I remember was a train locomotive that I got for Christmas. It was pretty cool, didn’t actually run on a track, but it had a whistle and it would puff smoke out of the stack. I remember it because I absolutely HAD to figure out how it worked... you put oil in the top, turn on the switch and smoke came out…hmmm… so within an hour or two of opening the gift I tore it all apart to see what made it “tick”. My mother was furious. My dad was proud.

After that I did many things, I wasn’t really into store bought “toys” but was more into building things. Helping my dad with a few show cars he has had over the years, I learned how to weld when I was 7 years old (my father has been a machinist/fabricator for 36 years), Pops built my first go-cart when I was 3 ½ years old. When I was around 12 years old, we built from the ground up, two full size 650 Yamaha powered dune buggies, full roll cages, racing seats, 5 point harnesses, fully independent suspensions, two-way radios installed… the whole nine. Then we moved onto dirt bikes when I was 14 and started racing motocross and trail riding, my dad beside me the whole way (also racing). We raced motocross for around 6-7 years then got into drag bikes. Had a few bracket bikes that we used to race at the local 1/8 mile track then decided to take the plunge and build a pro stock bike and a top fuel bike (hence the name Topfuel443). That’s another set of questions all together, but it was FUN to say the least. My dad truly is my hero, he has been the best father and friend anyone could ever hope to have and because of him, I am into the things that I am today. Basically, if its got a motor and you can race it, I am all for it.

How did you get involved in rc-boats?

I started messing with R/C in 1992, like many, I started with R/C cars. I raced for a number of years at a couple local tracks, and just bashing with my buddies. I got seriously into boats when I moved to Charleston in 1998. I had always seen ads for K&B engines, Dumas Hot Shot and Prather boats in virtually every R/C magazine that was available at the time, and always thought- THAT would be cool. I purchased a Dumas kit and it has been a full fledged addiction from that day. I had the luxury in Charleston to have a hobby shop that actually had some good R/C boat stuff in stock and got into the racing scene through the shop’s owners and the club that they were affiliated with. I’ve raced or owned, tunnels of every size imaginable, 4 or 5 .21 hydros, a couple .45 hydros, and a .67 hydro. I had two scales that never saw the water, as well as a crackerbox, and a couple monos.

Later on, did the area you grow up in contribute anything to your R/C boating?

The area I grew up in, Orangeburg, S.C. had very little to no impact on me and my R/C boating passion. The closest hobby shop was 60 miles away, and the closest boat club was 70 miles. The only thing I can think of is, now when I go back to visit, I always have several ponds to use for testing. As most normal country boys, I used to fish at a lot of these places and I know most of the owners, so testing is no problem.

What was your motivation to become one of the club directors?

Sometime between 2003-2004, myself and two other people belonged to a local Charleston boat club and decided amongst ourselves that there was entirely too much political “bickering” and power struggles involved within the club for it to go anywhere but down the drain. We decided to form our own club and do things on our own terms so to speak. We pledged among ourselves to never let politics get in the way of our new club having fun and racing R/C boats. We got the minimum number of members needed for the office positions, filled out the appropriate paperwork with IMPBA and haven’t looked back since. I was initially elected club president and we quickly started the ball rolling to get on the District 13 race schedule. The club we started, Charleston Model Boaters (CMB) now has 19 members and is one of the biggest, if not the biggest in the district. The good thing is that of those 19 members, there are a lot of dedicated people to do the “work” that a lot of clubs find only one or two members actually willing to do. As most know, we have the only current and biggest all tunnel boat race in IMPBA history, or any other sanction for that matter. The 3^rd annual National Outboard Tunnel Championships will be held in March of 2007 and it’s shaping up to be the race of all races if you run tunnel boats.

You have lived with your family some time now in Europe: how is the boating scene there?

The boating scene over here is MUCH different than in the United States. I have not yet attended any boat races over here, but I have done quite a bit of research trying to figure out the racing scene in Europe. Basically, if you race a nitro tunnel boat, and you live in Germany like I do, you don’t race here. Hydros and monos are all that seem to be running over here, lots of big gas boats are showing up and the FE following is pretty large. It has taken me quite some time to get over the language barrier here, and that has attributed a lot to the fact that I have not found any racing in my area. I have located a few races that are offering and filling a few tunnel classes in Italy and although they are 6-8 hours away, I am determined to make my way to a few of those races after the winter to get my “fix”.

What are the differences between Europe and the USA? Boating and other .

Wow. That’s a big question. As for the boating portion, well having not actually been to a European boat race I cant say for certain, but having read numerous articles, rule books, and race reports, I can safely say its not quite the same. A lot of the products used are the same, hulls, engines, pipes, props ect., and that’s about the extent of it. The race formats are really different, the course layouts are different, the points systems/districts/race scheduling/sanctioning bodies are all different.

The second portion of the question is the big one. Anyone who has lived overseas will have their own opinions about things, but here are a few of mine, starting with the complaints.

Europeans have NO concept of the “personal space” that Americans are accustomed to… meaning, if you are standing in line waiting for something and there is 2 feet of space between you and the person in front of you, a European will insert himself in that space and not think twice about it. Its just the way it is, they are not being rude and they are not being mean, its just the way it is and I’ve gotten used to that. No problem.

Germans do NOT wave as you pass by them, either in a car or on foot. I’m talking about next door neighbors and people who live in the same town, not just some stranger on the highway. Waving is just not a part of their culture like it is in the States. No problem.

Germans STARE at you from the minute they see you and continue until you are no longer in their sight. This, in the US would be considered extremely rude, and many Americans over here get offended because of it. We have come to realize that staring is something that Germans (and maybe other Europeans?) do. Its not that they are trying to be rude or mean its just what they do whether they are male or female, 5 years old or 80 years old, It doesn’t matter. We have also had to get used to that. No problem.

The winter sucks

The roads are too narrow.

The cars are too small.

The refridgerators are too small.

The houses don’t have closets.

********ON THE OTHER HAND********

The beer is WONDERFUL. Period.

The Food is EXCELLENT. I haven’t eaten a bad meal since I’ve lived here.

The people that I have actually met, talked to and call my friends, are extremely nice and courteous. In fact, in general, Germans seem to be much more helpful and friendlier than most Americans.

The Autobahn ROCKS!

It is VERY clean here. You could almost eat off of the sidewalk.

The countryside is beautiful.

You can visit all of Europe with relative ease.

The beer is WONDERFUL. The beer makes up for any of my above complaints, we absolutely love it here.

What is your favorite type of boat? Why?

That’s an easy one. Outboard powered tunnels are my favorite. I like tunnels because of the challenge in getting one set-up to do what you want it to do. I like the scale appearance of tunnels. I like the way a fully modified outboard looks hanging off the back of the newest, sleekest tunnel on the market. I like to watch 6-8 tunnel boats come down to the start line side by side and then battle it out for the inside lane. I like to watch a good handling tunnel boat dance nose up down the straights, then slam down and fly around the corners. I like to watch tunnel boats blow off the water just like the real boats. I like the rooster tail off the back of the cavitation plate. If it has an outboard motor, and rides on a tunnel of air, it has my full attention…..other than that, I’m not sure why? 

Why is the tunnel boat suddenly so popular again?

I have had this conversation with a few friends before. I think there are several reason why tunnels have made a huge comeback in the racing scene. A lot of the reasons are also mentioned in the above question. I think a big turning point was at the 2004 IMPBA Internats in Jackson Tennessee when Ron Drake ran a BALLISTIC lynx to an impressive win. The boat was FAST, and handled flawlessly. I think that a lot of people realized at that time that tunnels are no longer the slow, bob up and down around the course with a blubbering K&B on the back. These boats are serious business and serious competition. Shortly after Ron’s US1 title, the Lynx tunnel was THE hottest (and arguably still is) thing to come out in the outboard world in a long time. That alone sparked a huge interest, but coupled with Intl. Waters outboard forum, and the many “smack talkers” on there it was only a matter of time before the outboards exploded into what it is now. Look at the Aussie boys for example; there were only a small handful of guys running tunnels, now they respectively fill up the classes with them.

Another reason I think tunnels are so popular is the almighty Top Speed 2. While a lot of guys have had their share of set-up problems, a nicely laid up fiberglass hull, designed by a racer, with a huge manufacturer backing up the product… all for $99.00 with hardware?? Install a new K&B or OS on the back of it, get a cheap radio and you could be racing competitively for under $500.00. You can’t beat it.

The K&B Company started making outboards again!!!! FINALLY!!!! Do you guys remember how long the unfulfilled promises went on from them?

The OS was reintroduced in the US after a short discontinuation.

A lot of die-hard mono and hydro guys started to race the tunnels, which in turn brought even stiffer competition.

Multi-time national champion Mike Zaborowski of the former Power Surge Racing Products, selling hulls like the Villain, the Nemesis, and supplying the boating guys with all of the hardware needed to race, it all fell into place really. Now that Mike has moved onto bigger and better places, you can bet with his influence in the R/C boating community, things will only get better, for tunnel lovers and all other facets of the hobby alike.

Not to leave out the likes of Mark Hopper’s HTB tunnel boats, offering a full line up of quality hand made fiberglass boats, LeeCraft recently being acquired by a new owner. Jerry Dunlap’s ever growing list of easily built W.O.F. tunnels, its easy to see why the tunnel crowd is growing in leaps and bounds.

What did or can the iw-forum add to you and your hobby?

The IW forum contains a HUGE wealth of knowledge. It is a priceless gathering of experience, expertise, and advice. Personally I have made many new friends on IW, and met a few of those friends at various races. Living in Europe it also acts as a good link to my old friends in the boating scene. It’s interesting to see what other boaters do with set-ups and strategies. It also provides a great outlet of advice for the new boater to work the bugs out of his or her new boat while lowering the “find out the hard way” factor. The down side to the internet is one has to weed through a lot of the misinformation that is frequently given out by non experienced or self proclaimed experts on certain issues. Every one has differing opinions on how something should be designed or how something should be set-up, and it’s a challenge not to get bogged down in all of the options that get laid out. I am addicted to IW. My wife will vouch for that statement. It’s the first thing I check when I wake up and it’s the last thing I check before going to bed.

Does your job has any linkage to the rc boating stuff?

Well… yes and no. I have been a motorcycle technician for about 9 years in the states and also have training from a technical school in electronics. I have worked in the biomedical field for a few years and found my self not really liking that type of work, so electronics is not my thing, not for a career anyway. I also grew tired of being a technician because the work is dirty, and no matter how long you are in the business, you never get to point where you can relax and still make the same or more money. You will always have to turn wrenches to make money. As for the question, yes being a mechanic gives me a solid understanding of how engines work, and a good knowledge of the mechanical features in our boats. Our move to Europe has opened many new potential paths in our lives, one of those being the opportunity for me to go back to college. I am currently enrolled in University of Maryland’s satellite school located on the military base. I am studying for my bachelors in business. It will open a variety of different options for me once we get back to the U.S. Ultimately, I would like to open a hobby shop, although that is quite a few years in the future.

One of your statements: a drinking club with a boat problem----Tell us about that one

First the disclaimer: We are not alcoholics (although that’s what most alcoholics say!). I guess it kind of came from the fact that my racing buddy from the States, Don Gilbert, and I used to sit out in my workshop or his and have a few beers while coming up with our next “great idea”. We have made many discoveries with engines and boat set-ups over a good cold beer (or four). If the ideas weren’t flowing, the beer usually still was. It’s not a big secret or anything, just a funny name for a couple of normal guys who like beer. Doesn’t everyone like beer?

Finally: peer into the crystal ball and predict where this hobby/sport is going. What is going to be the next big thing? What technology should we be on the look out for?

Hmmm….I’d like to see (and/or be part of) the tunnel records getting knocked down from the where they are. They are almost 15 years old and things have come a long way since then. It will take the right person with the ingenuity and determination of the likes of Tommy Lee and Co. to do it. Not sure if I or anyone else has what it takes, but we will never know if we don’t try. A few of the oval records have been defeated but the SAW’s still stand strong.

I think that Fast Electric is developing at an alarming rate. I think that with the technology on the move, it will be extremely hard, if not impossible to beat the power to weight ratios that these electric guys are coming up with. It will require many changes on the current boat styles in order to hold the power being produced, and with that being said, it may also break down the invisible barrier for other forms of power, be it nitro or gas. Evolution is a good thing.

Aside from FE developments, hull design will also be a major factor in boating our boating future. To state an oxymoron, thinking outside the box will become the norm.