UMPBA events do not utilize electronic timing. Boats approach a starting-line buoy together, about 50 feet apart. Racers are then flagged off from a starting boat located 30 feet beyond the start buoy. Judges and a camera are waiting in a finish-line boat at the end of the 800-foot course. Each class runs a double-elimination format.
In drag racing, quickness, rather than top speed, often determines the winner. A boat able to out-accelerate a faster competitor – or the driver with quicker reaction time at the start – may end up winning the race. Minimal weight is the key to quick acceleration, and faster UMPBA classes are dominated by 18- to 20-foot hulls produced by brands like Checkmate, Allison, STV and Hydrostream that may weigh less than 400 pounds. Hang a lightweight outboard on the transom, like a modified Mercury Racing 2.5 Drag making 400 hp on alcohol fuel, and you’ve got a real rocket.
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