Recently, IJSBA opened the period for the public to make recommendations for changes to the Competition Rule Book. IJSBA listed the recommendations received (some have been expanded since the initial listing to properly express the intent of the suggestions) and now these suggestions will be sent to Affiliates, select competitors, and to the IJSBA Board of Directors for voting.  Each voting party shall vote YES, NO, or ABSTAIN.  The IJSBA Managing Director provides a list of recommended votes based on the comments received by the public.  Below are these recommendations in no particular order:

•  Create a Vintage Ski rule which limits displacement to 550cc.

Recommendation: YES with modification to suggestion.   Modify suggestion to the following:  Modified Class engine provisions for 700cc displacement and below; Limited Class engine provisions for any displacements above 700cc.  The idea of this class is to allow former engine packages that came in vintage area JS type Ski watercraft.  Some persons have added modern engine packages to the vintage watercraft for increased reliability and horsepower.  However, if Modified rules were allowed for the larger, and more modern engine displacements, then there would be a windfall of performance gains.  Therefore, larger displacement engines with extensive modification privileges should be avoided.

• Create a Vintage Ski rule which prohibits the use of a sponson towards the front of the PWC.

Recommendation: NO.  Front sponsons were allowed for the purposes of making hulls, that had not been updated, more usable in both competition and recreational environments.  While Vintage Ski is intended to provide competition programs for nostalgic watercraft, the vintage type watercraft must run on modern tracks.  Allowing the continued use of the second set of sponsons will make Vintage ski more accessible to newer competitors and provide for more class growth.

• Allow aftermarket supercharger impellers in Runabout Stock Class for specific brands only (Sea-Doo).

Recommendation: NO.  This provisions would go against the intent of the Stock Class and open the door to continued modifications in this class.Allow aftermarket supercharger housing modifications in Runabout Limited Class for specific brands only (Sea-Doo).Recommendation: NO.  This provisions would go against the intent of the Limited Class and open the door to continued modifications in this class.

• Restrict backdating provisions on OEM parts to distinguish between normally aspirated and forced induction parts to prevent the use of normally aspirated parts on Stock Class watercraft that are equipped with superchargers (or turbochargers).

Recommendation: YES.  This restriction will prevent uneven performance gains in the Stock Class for watercraft models that have the advantage of having normally aspirated counterpart PWC which have higher performing stock components (i.e. camshafts).

• Allow  some exhaust modifications in Runabout Limited,

Recommendation: NO.  There is no observed need for an across the board allowance for increased speeds and performance in the Runabout Limited class.

• Allow AFR gauges to be affixed in Runabout Limited but not connected to ECU or autotune device.

Recommendation: YES.  This provision can allow Runabout Limited competitors to ensure their watercraft is tuned within safe limits to avoid equipment damage.

• Allow AFR gauges to be affixed in Runabout Limited and be hooked up to an autotune device and ECU.

Recommendation: NO.  This provision would make new autotune devices practically mandatory and would add additional expenses to the Runabout Limited Class.  This provision would also result in performance increases in the Runabout Limited class.  There are is no observed need for an across the board allowance for increased speeds and performance in the Runabout Limited class.

• Allow aftermarket waterboxes in Runabout Limited.

Recommendation: NO.  There are is no observed need for an across the board allowance for increased speeds and performance in the Runabout Limited class.

• Allow an aftermarket throttle body in Runabout Limited.

Recommendation: NO.  There are is no observed need for an across the board allowance for increased speeds and performance in the Runabout Limited class.

• Allow use of E85 Fuel

Recommendation: YES to be effective 2015.  E85 is available in increasing numbers at pump stations.  There should be a time period before this provision is effective to allow for research and test methods to be developed.

• Allow the use of aftermarket replacement valve springs in Runabout Stock Class.

Recommendation: NO.    There is insufficient public comment nor sufficient evidence of valve spring failure in the stock class to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.  It should be noted that the IJSBA Rulebook has a catch all provision to allow replacement parts where there are known to be high failure rates of the OEM part in the competition setting.

• Allow increasing size of OEM air inlet openings so that all OEM PWC have as much of an air inlet footprint as the OEM homologated unit which has the largest air inlet footprint.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.  There is insufficient data to determine whether such an air inlet footprint could be adequately measured and made equal across all models even if there was such public support.

• Remove the provision for aftermarket hulls and top decks in Runabout Open.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to adopt warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.  The IJSBA has already been adopting a course of action to reduce the proliferation of Runabout Open classes and increase the focus on Stock and Limited classes.

• Require that Sport Class watercraft competing under GP Rules to be restricted to a single exhaust chamber.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.

• Increase GP Ski displacement to 1640cc for Ski PWC equipped with normally aspirated four stroke engines.

Recommendation: YES.  This provision will allow for use of well-established four stroke engines to be used in the GP class.  There is likely to be larger performance increases and there is a likelihood that there will be opportunities for increased reliability and decreased costs over time.

• Allow Trim Tabs to be cut or removed.

Recommendation: YES.

• Allow OEM fuel pump to be modified or aftermarket in Runabout Limited Class.

Recommendation: YES.  This provision will allow for an affordable fuel pump replacement and is consistent with the goals of the Limited Class.

• Allow AFR gauge to be used in all classes (where not currently allowed).

Recommendation: NO.    This provision is addressed in a recommendation above.  There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.

• Allow rear through hull exhaust relocation in Runabout Stock Class.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision

• Change Veterans Ski minimum age to 35.

Recommendation: YES to be effective 2015.  This change reflects the needs of the current competition demographic.  The change should be delayed to 2015 to give current Veterans aged competitors time to plan for class changes where necessary.

• Change Masters Ski minimum age to 45.

Recommendation: YES to be effective 2015.  This change reflects the needs of the current competition demographic.  The change should be delayed to 2015 to give current Masters aged competitors time to plan for class changes where necessary.

• Merge Veterans Ski and Masters Ski into a single class with a minimum participation age of 40.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.

• Require one year’s experience to compete in any Amateur class.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.  Further, this defeats the purpose of an Amateur designation to allow for fuller lines in classes which may not have adequate competition numbers to run in Novice or Expert only divisions.

• Require one year’s experience as an Expert to compete in any Pro Am class.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.  IJSBA may consider an exception where there is Runabout Open.

• Prohibiting any competitor with three world titles from competing in any Amateur Class.

Recommendation: YES.  This provision should be enacted subject to petition for appeal.  This provision should not cross over between Runabout and Ski categories.

• Prohibiting any competitor with three world titles from competing in any Expert Class: such competitors would be limited to Pro/Pro-Am only.

Recommendation: YES.  This provision should be enacted subject to petition for appeal.  This provision should not cross over between Runabout and Ski categories.

• Change Veterans Runabout minimum age to 45.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.

• Allow a second set of sponsons for Runabout Classes.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.

• Require leg protection for all Ski classes.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.

• Change maximum Runabout displacement to 2000cc maximum by removing the limitation of OEM displacement plus 1mm overbore on all cylinders.

Recommendation: NO.    There was insufficient public support to warrant a recommendation to adopt this provision.The IJSBA managing director will submit this set of recommendations with the 2014 voting packet.  The IJSBA Managing Director will request that the IJSBA Tech Director send a list of comments on these recommendations to the IJSBA Board Of Directors who will ratify the votes and approve the changes to the 2014 Competition Rule Book.  If there are any questions or comments on these recommendations, please email info@ijsba.com. [fblike]