I was checking in at one of the offshore powerboating forums the other day and one of my favorite guys, Charlie McCarthy – the Chairman of HORBA (Historic Offshore Race Boat Association) brought up the possibility of some new “old school” offshore races being organized. Unlike most of today’s races, which are held on closed courses close to shore, these traditional-style races are run over greater distances, over open water. More marathon that speed sprint.
It’s good to have people like Charlie around, not only because they keep reminding us about the history of offshore racing, but also because they put the current state of the sport—and hobby…and lifestyle…however you may want to refer to it—in a clear context. Sometimes the conversations get a little contentious; many people long for the “good old days” to return, while others prefer to let the past go and make the most of what we have now.
What also comes through in these conversations is the fact that the sport is nowhere near as “centralized” as it was in the past. That not only goes for racing, but even for the way people are connected throughout the sport, and how news gets communicated. Like the way professional boxing was diluted by the “alphabet soup” of sanctioning bodies and promoters, so offshore powerboat racing has also lost some of its mojo. There’s still plenty of great racing, but it’s not what it was.
The same goes for offshore powerboaters. At the high end, everything still looks great; new boats being built, and most poker runs are seeing solid, and even growing, participation. But that can’t hide the fact that it can be a tough road for entry-level powerboaters—especially those who may not have the mechanical experience or cash to repair, restore or rehab an older boat.
The Great Recession took its toll, too. None of the major boating forums has anywhere near the traffic they had ten, twelve, or even eight years ago. There are far fewer posts, fewer comments, and a general malaise that’s evident, with a few exceptions. There’s some seasonality to it, yes—but when your most active forum is the “off topic” forum, or when the last post on a meaningful topic was from last year, that says something. Powerboat Nation closed down its forum recently, due to the fact that the level of activity didn’t justify the cost of maintenance.
There are a few bright spots. Speedonthewater.com has preserved a great tradition of powerboating journalism in the US, where Matt Trulio and Jason Johnson continue to do yeoman’s work bringing folks the day-in, day-out news from the offshore world. There are some other online sources for news, especially focusing on UK and European powerboating that continue to do a great job as well.
Still, how do we fight the apparent “dissipation” within the sport? Maybe focusing on one or two of the online forums is one way to go; at least consolidating the traffic that’s left might help focus and strengthen communication. But which one(s)?
Facebook seems to dominate social media, but for how much longer? It has significant problems, and may not be the best for business. Twitter is simpler and easier to manage – but many don’t know how to use it correctly. Print is still a popular medium among powerboaters, but it’s not profitable for publishers anymore. TV coverage is hit-and-miss—and again—a victim of economics and audience potential.
With all this in mind, is it still possible to grow the sport? How do we make the most of the participants and interested fans we have left? Is offshore powerboating doomed to become the exclusive sport of “Rich Old Guys?” – or can we find a way to bring people in, based on excitement, seasonal lifestyle, innovation and some sort of affordability at an entry-level. If the sport is going to survive in a truly meaningful context, it might be nice to have some answers.