TBPNews #64 - August 22, 2004
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>>>>>> Tunnel Boat Performance News >>>>>>>>>>>>>> (now over 5000 members!)
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In this issue: 
1) Merc Racing rides Highway to efficiencies 
2) APBA Offshore, SBI And OSS To Race Together
3) Mercury Racing expands 5-blade prop line
4) U.S. Commerce Department imposes duty on Japanese dumping'
5) Mercury Wins Russia 24-Hour Race
6) Jimboat writes Feature articles in HOTBOAT magazine
7) 'Hot Boat' magazine - Save 51%! 
8) ** NEW ** 'Tunnel Boat Design' Software - Version 7.7
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1) Merc Racing rides Highway to efficiencies 

Mercury Racing, says it has introduced Horsepower Highway, a four-cycle manufacturing process designed to improve efficiency of the companys sterndrive engine manufacturing capabilities and to enhance plant capacity and product quality.  The center is located at Mercury Racings world headquarters in Fond du Lac, Wis., and resulted from the companys first Green Belt Project. The process conforms to Mercurys company-wide Lean Six Sigma initiative, and is modeled after Racings 2.5 EFI outboard and Integrated Transom System processing centers.

A cross functional team from Mercury Racing identified the nonvalue-added activities associated with long-block assembly, then created a center specifically designed to accommodate the process.  The five-station center features a continuous build process in which technicians move engines along a rail system from one stage of the build to the next. Each station is equipped with the tools, parts and equipment necessary for each stage of the build. Cylinder blocks and cylinder heads are prepped in separate areas before being delivered to the center. A piston-assembly feeder line provides piston, ring and connecting rod assemblies measured, honed, filed and deburred. Completed piston/rod assemblies are then delivered to the point of installation via a gravity-feed roller system.  In the past, technicians worked on engines at independent work benches, using carts to retrieve necessary parts from the stock room. Horsepower Highway has reduced the time required to build engine long blocks by 2.5 hours due to a 2,000-foot reduction in travel distance.

The next scheduled improvements include moving the accessories build area closer to the center, and updating the marinization area, where fuel and electrical systems are installed.
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2) APBA Offshore, SBI And OSS To Race Together at Key West World Championships

The American Powerboat Association Offshore, Super Boat International and the Offshore Super Series will race together in a joint World championships event Nov. 14-21, 2004. The move for a joint World championships race marks the first step toward uniting the fragmented world of offshore racing. 

Formed at the end of the 2003 season, the Offshore Super Series boycotted the APBA Offshore World Championships in Orange Beach, Ala., last year and opted to compete in an unsanctioned race in Key West, Fla. Opposing factions have been part of the sport since 1989, when a group of racers led by actor and then-racer Don Johnson formed the Offshore Professional Tour. 

Several organizations have formed and folded in the years since then. However, in 1994 and 1995, APBA and SBI staged joint World championships, but have raced in separate events until this year. The fledgling OSS, which holds the lion's share of the fastest boats from last year's APBA Offshore fleet, will race with Bob Bull's organization, something that looked about as likely as peace in the Middle East at the beginning of the season. 
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3) Mercury Racing expands 5-blade prop line

Mercury Racing has expanded its line of 5-blade Lab Finished Maximus propellers, which it says has consistently outperformed the 4-blade Bravo 1 prop in back-to-back comparison tests.

Mercury Racing says those tests have shown speed increases of 6 to 10 mph at 4,000 rpm and 2 to 6-plus mph at wide open throttle. Slip has been reduced by as much as 12 percent.

The Maximus props are designed for use with the Bravo One, Bravo One XZ, Bravo One XR and Bravo One XR Sport Master drives. They are available in three diameters and five pitch sizes, with a sixth pitch size available by July 1.
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4) U.S. Commerce Department imposes duty on Japanese dumping'

The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a preliminary determination of dumping by Japanese outboard engine manufacturers, and has ordered a 22% import bond be posted for each Japanese engine brought into the United States. The DOC's ruling follows an investigation launched earlier this year after Mercury Marine filed a petition with the DOC and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). 

This was not an action undertaken lightly, Patrick C. Mackey, president of Mercury Marine said. Even though engines Mercury imports from Japan will be subject to the duty, we believed it was our responsibility  to our shareholders, our employees and the U.S. marine engine industry  to follow this course. What we seek is a level playing field upon which all outboard engine manufacturers sell at fair value,' competing solely on the basis of their products' features, appeal, price and value. As other industries have seen, by deliberately undercutting pricing to create an artificial advantage in the marketplace, these Japanese companies did not follow U.S. law. Our hope is that these findings will ensure that everyone competes on an equal footing in the marketplace going forward.

United States law authorizes the imposition of duties to offset injurious dumping, which occurs when a foreign producer sells products in the United States at prices significantly less than in its own country and causes injury to a U.S. industry. U.S. anti-dumping laws are intended to prevent foreign industries from using such pricing practices to harm American competitors by selling products in the U.S. at prices below fair value. The DOC will make a final determination on the duties imposed in the coming months. 
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5) Mercury Wins Russia 24-Hour Race
 
Mercury Racing 2.5 EFI Offshore outboard-powered Team PTK-Mercury won the White Nights 24-Hour World Championship endurance powerboat race July 4, in St. Petersburg, Russia. A total of 24 boats started the race on July 3, finishing a day later without stopping. 

Team PTK pilots Bob Wartinger (U.S.A.) and his Russian teammates Andrey Bernitsyn, Sergey Nikitin and Dmitry Vandyshev completed 841 laps over the 1.65 mile course for the win. Autonautique and Jumping Jack rounded out second and third place. All were powered by Mercury 2.5-liter race outboards. 

Similar to the infamous 24 Hours of Rouen endurance race in Rouen, France, boats run non-stop for 24 hours. Teams must swap drivers after a maximum of two hours. Unlike Rouen, the White Nights race features a vee-bottom rigid hull inflatable (RIB) design, with a fiberglass or composite center section, surrounded by an inflatable tube as the shear line of the boat. The name, White Nights, comes from the fact that St. Petersburg only gets dark (or semi-dark) for approximately 3-1/2 hours during the mid-summer season. 

The Russian team Roslit-81 SK completed 522 laps in their Mercury 60 EFI outboard powered hull to win Class 1 competition. Team Favorite placed second. A Yamaha powered team Dyadya Kolya completed 486 laps to win the Class 2 event. Team RT placed second. Team Jam won the Class 3 competition in their 90 hp Yamaha powered hull. Elko, Akuly (Sharks), Garant, and Mirage rounded out 2-5. Team Ochotnik-1 won Class 4 competition in their Mercury XR2 outboard-powered craft. Ataman, and Petrovich rounded out 2-3. 

Seven Television stations (both local and national) covered the race. Additional information available on http://www.race24hours.ru/
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6) Jimboat writes Feature article in HOTBOAT magazine

Check out the NEW high-tech, high performance powerboating feature articles just published:

"What a Drag" - Trim Angle & Engine Height Can Reduce Drag and Increase Speed", by Jim Russell, author of "Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design book [editor-HB].  See September 2004 issue of HOT BOAT Magazine.  Or get your own copy of the feature article at: http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/adverts/HotBoat_August2004.html

"10 Safety Tips" - The author of "Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design" offers ten safety ideas for high performance go-fast boats [editor-HB].  See August 2004 issue of HOT BOAT Magazine.  Or get your own copy of the feature article at: http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/adverts/HotBoat_August2004.html
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7) 'Hot Boat' Magazine - Save 51%! 

We have obtained great deals on Powerboat magazine subscriptions. This month we have a great deal on the popular 'Hot Boat' magazine. 

'Hot Boat' Magazine - High-performance boaters bible featuring tests, technical reviews, adventure travel, racing coverage, product reviews and tips. 11 issues Only $2.45 per issue. That is 51% off.
 
http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/boating%20magazines%20discounts.html 
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8) NEW 'Tunnel Boat Design' Software - Version 7.7

We've just released the new Tunnel Boat Design Software - version 7.7. This is the best release yet - with the most dynamic and plentiful new features ever! Includes new "Auto BlowOver Check", Design-versus-Design comparison graphics, HeadWind & TailWind feature, Nine (9) new design Wizards!  Check out new features at http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/tbdp6.html, or download the summary of new features at http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/New%20in%20TBDP%20Version%207.zip
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See you next time!

/Jimboat

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Note: The articles presented in TBPNews are edited excerpts from the "Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design" book, by Jim Russell, published by AeroMarine Research.  The STBD book explains the theory in full, and outlines example design calculations, step-by-step.  The "Tunnel Boat Design Program", software, does all the force calculations, dynamic force balances at all speeds, and reports the analysis automatically, including complete graphical performance results for any tunnel or modified vee hull design.
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