From the Editor:

NEWS FLASH!

NCOA joins the computer age!

They sent us a copy of the program and we bought a laptop. Our industrious scorers are now in the process of inputting the information they have. At the next NCOA race you'll notice a difference in the registration procedure. As APBA has approved this program but not yet adopted it, we must do a dual registration at our first race, but from then on registration should go very fast indeed.

By the way, this program will also keep track of finish position, finish time and points accumulation (both by race and for the year). It's pretty trick and, so I'm told, extremely high tech, but then I'm so far behind I'd not know.

Since our last letter a ton of stuff has happened. We finished out the season with Lake Minden, Suisun and Pleasanton. Minden was great again and the owners are thrilled with our program. Suisun was again in the "stadium" but will be the old course next year. Pleasanton saw around 170 entries per day and the race officials got the entire program in both days without having to plead with the rangers for "just one more half hour". Cudos and Attaboys all around.

We had our Awards banquet Saturday November 7, and

the membership overwhelmingly requested meetings of NCOA, it was surmised from the attendence at the last one that few really care. I personally hope this in not the case. We'll see how the next one goes.

it was again a success. Rumor has it the party continued well into the night at the hotel (Stockton Inn). Rumor also has it that the "demo" Daquari Whacker was in almost constant use - in someone's hotel room. Oddly, there were no complaints about that but the stogie someone was smoking caused some complaints.

Well that pretty much brings you up to date. Look for the year end results later in this news letter as well as a meeting notice.

Letters to the Editor:

Dear "ED":

You don't say which "Ed" you are, but let me say this. If you are Ed "Kookie" Burns, then I must tell you that I watched 77 Sunset Strip every week in case your "T" roadster would be shown. Even after I found out it was built by a guy named "Norm" I still loved it. Thanks if that's you.

Why don't boats get sponsorship you ask? Let us compare our fine craft with the popular and growing sport of roundy-round motor cycle engine powered open wheel cars. We race at an obscure beach with no paying spectators. They race in a stadium where everyone paid $10.00-$20.00 to get in, ergo, they are paying attention.

They race mere feet away from the fans. We race pretty far from the shore in many cases, making ads hard to see. Cars have huge wing side plates, or vertical surfaces to plaster with Ads. We have dinky, mostly horizontal surfaces, and have to display numbers on what little area we have.

Most people can relate in some way to a car, having driven one to the race. Trying to relate to a 13 foot boat that you lie down in, powered by an unknown German or Japanese engine, well you get it.

To get a business to "give you" money so you can enjoy your hobby at their expense is an unlikely situation. We have to offer something back, and I really can't think of much we have to offer at this time. I know that almost every racer is an enthusiastic person of good will, but that doesn't move any products out the sponsors' door. I don't know the answer and that being the case, I'm resigned to paying the racing bills myself

Regards to all my many race pals,

Tim-bob

606-C, Tsunami

By Tim-Bob

Join me now, oh long suffering readers, as we dive into the third, and possibly not the last spasm of boat painting euphoria. Last time we had achieved that highest pinnacle of human endeavors, the paintable surface. Now...what do you do with it?

Before you head down to the auto paint store, head to the craft or art supply store. Get the BIG set of colored marking pens with all the colors. Then draw a plain top view and side view of your boat. Keep it simple and do it on a sheet that will fit in a copy machine. Make 20 copies of your boat drawing and then get busy. Try all those color combinations and trim layouts or "graphics" as we now call them. By doing color the picture thing, you can eliminate the ideas that sounded good, but are not. Like flames on a Jersey Speed Skiff, for example.

If you don't have any ideas, do not dispare. Just go shopping at the supermarket. Walk up and down the aisles, but instead of thinking how yummy a whole box of Ho-Ho's would taste, look at the colors. People with actual college degrees design food and beverage packages, get paid large money, and they're good at it. So steal the colors from, lets say, a can of Spam...Howard Anderson did! He made the yellow the dominant color, but it's still Spam. Nature is a good source too, as in tropical fish and birds, like parrots. Sounds nuts, but take a look.

Other forms of racing can be a place to poach color schemes as well. Again, big dollar race teams spend cubic bucks for fancy graphics designers with names like Thom Taylor, who sit behind cluttered oak desks and own an abundance of air brushes. Use them up, they won't mind...Indy cars, sprint cars, and stock cars all come into your own TV room for you to glean ideas. So sit down with your drawings and pens and create something remarkable for yourself!

Next time we'll start putting down the colors. It will be a satisfying feelinmg..not unlike getting free Government cheese.

-Tim Dwyer

Points well taken. Selling and individual sponsorship is, in fact, more than difficult. I know, I've tried and except for some comp'ed hotel rooms and one particular race, have been markedly unsuccessful. However, I was commenting on event sponsorship rather than individual sponsonship. I still think that can be accomlished with the right efforts.

And no, while I might be a bit kookie, I ain't that Ed. (Ed.)

CLASSIFIED ADS

I would like to take a moment to look back on 1998. NCOA sanctioned and ran 5 events last year and while they were not all financially successful, they were all very successful in other ways. Everyone who attended each race was able to run all their heats, the weather agreed with us and we had a good time (which is the most important thing).

1998 was not without controversy, but we were able to work through it and continue to race. It was also a year that we lost some friends. Personally, some of the best friends I have are involved in this sport, and losing one is never easy.

There are some people in NCOA whose work never seems to be appreciated, but without them we would be nonexistent. Allen Sutfin spends six months in meetings so that we can have a great 4th of July weekend, Bob Gibson spends a large amount of time arranging the Suisun race for us (the only race of the year that pays prize money). I do not want to think about how much time Buzz Rasmussen spends on the maintenance of out club trailer and rescue boat. With all the checks that get written each year, Nan Rasmussen always has an accurate set of books. Without Kay Boyes and Mary Phipps none of us would have to worry about racing. These two ladies spend entire weekends away from their families, How many people have ever thanked them for their work? Pat Brians prepared a great BBQ at Lodi, while the Boyes family did the same at Shadow Cliffs. There are people like Don Morris, Dale Bishop, Donnie Morris and Mike Wilson who will do anything that needs to be done.

1998 also brought the inflatables to our club races. It is a treat to see them out playing on Saturday afternoons, willing to take anybody for a ride. That is what will help bring more people into boat racing. Last year also saw the return of the Cracker Boxes, it is good to see them back.

THE BULL MOOSE ARRIVES

It was a cold and foggy morning and as they arrived they were greeted by the Bull Moose. Everyone assembled in a small room to get out of the cold and the Bull Moose began to speak. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Steve Litzel...". The Konig repair clinic was in full swing. There were twenty-three people in attendance and the coffee flowed heavily. It was great to see all the interest in the alky division.

Steve started off with a history lesson on the Konig engine and the life of Dieter Konig. For those of you who don't know, Steve worked at the Konig factory in Germany and spent a great deal of time with Dieter, as well as traveling all over the world boat racing. He even spent time in Russia with some of his "commrades". It was extremely entertaining and gave a better understanding of how and why the Konig is configured the way that it is. There were many questions asked and several motors were torn apart. Before we knew it lunch was ready. Pat Brians cooked a tremendous lunch consisting of elk tacos with all the fixin's. A keg of beer was also on tap. Despite the cold, that keg was finished by Sunday night. Pat also cooked smoked tri-tip for dinner. "Man, Y'all out here are trying to fatten me up, I never eat this much!" the Bull Moose said.

We reconvened after lunch and more questions were asked and answered. I think everyone took something worthwhile home with them, I know I did. I really don't have the room to discuss everything in detail but I can say to those who couldn't make it, you missed out on a great opportunity. Steve did hand out a Spec. Sheet for the Konigs.

 Thanks to all of those who made the trek to show up. Special thanks to the Bull Moose for coming, my dad, Richard, for letting us use his shop, and to Pat Brians for cooking an awesome meal. By the way, the Bull Moose says that Pat has lost his boat racing privileges, he is now the official cook!

- Paul Fuchslin