Have you always enjoyed spending time out on the open water and pushing your boat to the limit? If so, you might want to consider becoming a boat racer. There are boat races that take place all across the country each year, and they provide a thrilling experience unlike any other. It’ll take a lot of time, not to mention money, to turn yourself into a boat racer, but it’s possible to do it.
Before you pursue a life of boat racing, though, it’s important for you to prepare for it. The last thing you want to do is enter a boat into boat races when you’re not ready for it. You don’t want to push yourself too hard and end up putting yourself or others at risk. Check out how you can go about becoming an official boat racer below.
Buy the right boat.
If you’re going to take life as a boat racer seriously, you’re going to need a serious boat to do it. The boat that you have now might not cut it. You should look around at boats that are specifically designed for boat racing. Whether you choose one with an open cockpit or a closed cockpit, you can find something that will work well for you. Prepare to spend anywhere from $20,000 all the way up to $2 million (or more!) for the right boat.
Outfit your boat with the right equipment.
In addition to buying a boat that’s equipped for boat racing, you also need to outfit it with the right equipment. If you don’t, you might find that your boat won’t move as fast as you want it to in the water. The exact equipment that you buy for your racing boat will depend on what kind of boat you invest in. But you can upgrade everything from the transmission and the engine to the gear changes and the propellers on your boat to improve its power and speed.
Learn how to stay safe when racing a boat.
Boat racing can be very dangerous, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t have the right equipment installed on your boat. You should take the time to read books and articles about staying safe on a boat while racing it. You should also consider installing safety equipment on your boat to keep yourself and others safe. Some of this equipment should include an emergency kill switch and a self-contained air system. Whatever you do, don’t start racing boats prior to making safety one of your top priorities.
Enter smaller boat races at first to see what boat racing is all about.
Once you have a great racing boat put together and know how to stay safe while using it, check to see which small boat races are held in your general area. Enter a few of them so that you can see first-hand what boat racing entails. Even if you don’t perform well in them, you can learn a great deal about boat racing by participating in races and getting your feet wet, so to speak. You’ll also find out whether or not you love boat racing as much as you think you do by signing up for smaller races.
Consider obtaining a boat racing membership.
If you’re going to become a big-time boat racer, you’re likely going to need to obtain a boat racing membership with one of the major boat racing organizations. These organizations include Offshore Powerboat Association, Super Boat International, and American Power Boat Association. While you don’t have to join a racing group to race boats, it’ll make it easier for you to do. You’ll be able to find more races to participate in, and you’ll also be able to learn all about the rules that each individual organization uses to govern races.
Travel around the country to take part in different boat races.
In order to develop your skills as a boat racer, you’ll need to do more than just take part in small local races. You’ll also need to get out there in the world and see what boat racing has to offer in other parts of the country. Transporting a boat all over the place won’t necessarily be cheap, but it’s the price you have to pay to become a serious boat racer.
Assemble a crew to help you fine-tune your boat over time.
If you don’t mind doing all the work that needs to be done on your boat by yourself, you don’t need a crew to help you. But investing in a crew could pay off in a big way if you want to become the best boat racer you can be. They can help you fine-tune your boat and make it better over time so that you’re able to improve your boat racing skills dramatically. You’ll realize your full potential as a boat racer with a dedicated team by your side.
Becoming a boat racer will require a lot of hard work. But it’ll be well worth it in the end when you’re able to race your boat on a regular basis. SCS Gearbox can help bring this dream to life by providing you with the best marine racing equipment in the business. Call us at 419-483-7278 to hear all about the equipment that we have in our inventory at this time.