San Diego
  1. UL-16 Alamo
    Bo Schide
  2. UL-10 Earl’s Performance Products
    Charley Wiggins
  3. UL-110 Miss CompAir
    Randy Haas
  4. GNH-136 Carefree Water Technologies
    Scott Schatz
  5. UL-3 Miss Vnode.com
    Doug Brow
  6. UL-72 Pocket Mechanic *
    Phil Bonocini

    * one-lap penalty for lane encroachment

Notes: Bo Schide and Charley Wiggins put on an outstanding show in the final. UL-10 Earl's Performance Products and UL-16 Alamo were side by side for most of three laps. Charley had the inside and Bo had the outside. A great race for the UL final in San Diego. The UL-16 pulled ahead and took the race in the end.

A point worth noting is the exceptional effort of the UL-110 team and the other crews that jumped in to get the UL-110 Miss CompAir back on the water. After flipping the boat, it's a feat to see them take a strong 3rd place.

 Hawaii

Here are the results of the UL final. Randy Haas in the UL-110 Miss CompAir took off and never looked back, securing his second win of the season. The boats behind him had some problems, though. The GNH-9 Aloha Hyundai, with Paul Droullard, had to shut down after the first lap due to the rough water. The UL-23 had serious problems as JW Myers shut the boat down and then it started sinking. They did get the boat back to the dock and JW was fine, but when it was lifted out of the water, there was a hole about 18 inches wide and 5 feet long in the bottom of the hull.  Due to a flip earlier in the day, The UL-72 Pocket Mechanic was unable to make to final.  Phil Bonocini was uninjured in the accident.

  

January 2000…Sounds like we are on top of the world!!! Well, maybe we are…think back to the days of totally Limited Racing - and certainly those races were, and are, important to team and family members, and for prestige and National High Points and trophies as well.  Not bad.  Enter the newly formed Unlimited Light Class.  Now there is international exposure, with premier races in the US and Canada.  Unlimited Light events are recorded on ESPN2 and local television.  Articles and photos appear in USA Today and in local newspapers, besides being "ONLINE".

There have been some growing pains-including my own, but the new season promises to have a solid core of boats who wish to run the entire circuit and there is more interest from newer teams than I have seen in the past couple of years.  I will be phoning each of you over the next few weeks.  And as soon as I get a feeling for numbers of boats who will be on board for each race, I will be talking with each race site to ascertain their level(s) of support.  Additionally we are talking with some new race sites.  The Unlimited Lights have been invited to participate in some competition which does not conflict with the Unlimited schedule.

Your new Rules Committee is working hard to finish their task and the Technical Committee is busy fielding calls from teams who want to comply with UL Rules. Your Administrator, and your Hospitality Committee will be contacting many of you.  Your Director of Communications is keeping the website(s) very current, and he also available to assist teams in preparing material to present to sponsors.  USE THESE RESOURCES!!!

Congratulations to Ned Allen, Bo Schide and all the Alamo team.  Though we wish you well in your new ventures, you will be sorely missed in our ranks. 

I wish for each of you a personally successful and Happy New Year, and for all the Unlimited Light family - a great racing season 2000!!!!!!!

Patty Darling, Commissioner

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