Русская версия

Victory of a team YAMARAN in the International 24-hours race 
by inflatable boats with outboards motors 
"White Nights Endurance" in St. Petersburg

About race and participants
  On July 7-8, 2001 in St.-Petersburg the International race by inflatable boats with outboards motors Russian Open Cup "White Nights Endurance" becoming already traditional was held. As well as the last year, the line of race was laid in the most picturesque place of city, around Peter and Paul fortress, with pass on Large Neva and in Kronverk channel, under Kronverk and Ioann bridges. Length of a circle has made approximately 2650 meters.

  The race proceeds 24 hours, the start is given on Saturday in 16:00, the flap by a checkered flag reached up the finish of the participants Sunday at the same time. Within the day the boats of participants move on a line with the greatest possible speed, with stops for change of the pilots and filling. The boats of the teams - participants are shared into five classes depending on displacement of the engine: up to 700 сm3, up to 1000 сm3, up to 1500 сm3, up to 2000 сm3 and unlimited. The winner in each class of boats is defined by the greatest quantity of circles during race.
This year 22 teams started the race. It was a little bit less than the last year, however general level of preparation of teams appreciably has increased, that proves to be true by smaller amount of failures and quits from a line on fault of equipment (from 22 boats up to finish have reached 17). All teams used for race of a boat of a RIB type (rigid bottom, inflatable boards). The overwhelming majority of the participants have acted on courts of manufacture of the St.-Petersburg firm MNEV and Co, on one boat have exposed companies STRINGER, BRIG and ADVENTURE. 10 participants used MERCURY motors, 9 boats were equipped with YAMAHA motors, 2 teams used TOHATSU and one boat went under HONDA. 18 teams used 2-stroke motors, 4 teams applied motors with 4-strokes engines. Except for the Russian crews the representatives of Sweden, Latvia and Ukraine participated in the race.
Our team #7, created and sponsored by PETROSET Ltd., an official dealer of YAMAHA in St. Petersburg, was named YAMARAN, due to the new Russian trademark, marketed by PETROSET group. 

Preparation for race 

Why we have accepted the decision to participate in race “St. Petersburg 24 hours”? First, because being by one of largest Russian suppliers of YAMAHA marine products, we could not miss an opportunity to show advantages of our equipment in so prestigious competitions. On the other hand, advancing on the market domestic product of the European quality (YAMARAN inflatable boats), we subjected to test it in enough severe constraints for revealing defects and weak places of design for their subsequent elimination. One can consider this daily race on an abrupt Neva wave, the best for such testing of large inflatable boats with the rigid bottom. Moreover, it was interesting to check up our forces in control of a boat under extreme conditions.

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   All the equipment of the boat and motor was regular, without alterations. On the instrument panel digital tachometer with the trim gauge was mounted. The battery of recommended capacity 100А/h has been installed in a special compartment. The alterations have touched fuel system: instead of a standard stationary fuel tank mounted under a steering column, three demountable plastic fuel tanks (two main tanks 25 liters each and reserve tank of 12 liters), connected among themselves by three-way stopcock, were installed. Such design has allowed to make replacement of fuel tanks during a stop for change of the pilots, that increased safety and reduced time of pit stops. On a poop rack - ramp with a package of the light equipment four fodder red dimensional fires have been mounted according the race regulation, the bow hand-rails have been dismantled for safety reasons in case of collision. For transportation and release of boat the standard boat trailer was used. Regarding the technical part it is necessary to add, that in time of the motor running in, and also during the race, the 4-stroke oil for outboard motors YAMALUBE 10W30 was used.
During the preparation and adjustment of the boat, and also development of tactics of race, taking into account experience of last year's competitions, the accent on reliability and stability was made. However already at running in of the motor was found out, that the equipment has significant potential. Together with high-speed parameters especially we were pleased by the control and stable behavior of a boat in turns. Small instability in course and propensity to approach at impulses of a counter wind caused by poop balance of the boat (the over weight of 4-stroke motor) was possible to compensate by accommodation of a ballast in bow compartment. According the test results the steel three blades propeller BALLISTIC has been selected for race with enough large pitch. For the selection of the propeller it was taken into account not only maximal speed, but also such factors as stability of the boat, speed of the engine, fuel consumption. While selecting "hydrodynamic heavy" propeller with the equal speed characteristics the boat went appreciably coherent, the appreciable decrease of acceleration dynamics also has given positive result: during the race at strong roughness it fails precisely to control the throttle, therefore at sharp movements of the trottle lever the boat was smoothly accelerated and was effectively braked. The maximal speed of the engine during race did not exceed 5000 rpm, that is20 % below of maximum allowable speed of the YAMAHA F115 motor. However, due to smooth power characteristic of 4-stroke engine, the reduction of the maximal power was insignificant, whereas the fuel consumption has decreased essentially, that has allowed to increase time between stops in race at filling of 50 liters up to one and a half hours. Moreover, the low number of revolutions positively has an effect for reliability of the engine, as far as the full throttle operation within 24 hours is rather serious test for the motor.
The last touch in preparation of a boat was installation of an additional soft pillow on a driver's seat - an element considerably influencing reliability of the pilots. 
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Race 

   In a class PR 1500 this year 7 teams started, it is more than in other classes. In this class the boats of four various manufacturers competed, the motors of four different companies were applied, among the participants there were representatives of four states. The level of preparation of teams was rather high also it was reflected in strong struggle down to finish of the race. 
Usually, the first hours in daily marathon allow to define high-speed qualities of the contenders and determine further tactics of teams during all the race. This time things went a little in another way. The speed practically of all boats was equal, only boat of Francardi team fall behind since start of race. The main competitors of our team from the first hours of race were the "Aquashelf racing" team, that did not become unexpected: on the transom of Mustang 540 of this team the 4-stroke motor MERCURY 115 has been mounted. The boat was driven by experienced sport pilots from Sweden and Latvia. As quickly there were on a line the light boats of teams "Stringer" and "Team Captain", equipped with 2- strokes 90 HP MERCURY motors. 
The start of race has passed without undue incident. The first circles competitors went by dense group, after the fifth circle the boats of the participants were distributed on a line, the circular overtaking of teams of younger classes began, the course of race was stabilized.


   From the first circles of race it was possible to our team be wedge in a group of leaders in the class. The equality of speeds in leading group assumed struggle during all the race, both on a line, and in time of pit stops. In this connection at the first stage of race we tried strongly to not attack, getting used to a boat and studying a line and contenders, moreover a strong wind and excitement from courts, taking place on a waterway, complicated control of a boat. Because of strong impacts there were faults in work of tachometer- trimmer: the screen of the device was simply off. Probably it has taken place because of damage of electric circuit of the device by the not fixed alarm lantern in gloves compartment under it. After the lantern have been removed in an other place, tachometer worked normally up to the finish of race. At 7:00 PM upon a line has fallen a heavy downpour proceeding more than 1 hour, the race passed in conditions of bad visibility. After five hours of race, when all pilots of a team have lead on a line on one hour, it has appeared, that the break between boats of teams "YAMARAN", "Aquashelf- racing" and "Stringer" was less than one circle. To come off the persecutors, we have accepted the decision to increase an interval between pit stops up to one and a half hour. The wind after the rain abates, the surface of Neva became quieter, the speeds of boats have increased. By 10:00 PM the team "YAMARAN" has passed 142 circles, "Aquashelf- racing" and "Stringer" accordingly 141 and 140 circles. . 

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