What you need to know about the ERCU Seafair Cup

Even though the official Seafair race will not be held in 2021 – second year in a row – there will be a Seafair race in ERCU, keeping alive the tradition that’s been going on since the club’s inception in 2003.

The race will be Saturday, May 1 at Woodland Creek Park in Lacey.

With thanks to Seafair Contest Director Ron Daum, here is everything you need to know about the event.

Woodland Creek Park
6729 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey, WA 98503

The third race of the 2021 ERCU Pentair Championship Series is the Seafair Cup, set for Saturday, May 1 at Woodland Creek Park in Lacey. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the third event of the year:

Contest Director
Ron Daum

Pre-Registration
Pre-Registration for the Seafair Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/seafair-cup.html find the pre-registration link in a blue box just underneath the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. You can also find pre-registration by going to www.ercu-hydros.com, then selecting “Schedule” from the main menu, and “Seafair Cup” from the schedule itself.

Schedule
It is our intent to have the course set by 8 a.m., so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. With the possibility that there may be new boats that need to be inspected or rookie drivers who may need to take a driving test, please plan to arrive early on Saturday morning. The water will be open for testing until 9:10 a.m., with the drivers meeting set to begin at 9:15 a.m., and time trials for the Modern Triple Crown to follow the drivers meeting. Modern heat 1A will begin immediately after the time trials.

Three Minute Clock
The three-minute clock will start as soon as all drivers indicate to the Chief Referee that they are ready and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety. There may be an opportunity to skip the clock ahead to 1:30 when all drivers are at the driving area and boats are ready to go in the water. This will be discussed at the drivers meeting.

Drivers Meeting
The Drivers Meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes. It will begin at 9:15 a.m. at the scoring tent. It should not take longer than 15 minutes to complete.

New/Guest Drivers
ERCU always welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. If a rookie driver needs to be qualified, we will close the course during the test session for the rookie driving test as often is as necessary. The full procedure for rookie qualifications, and for visiting drivers, is in the rulebook, see below).

2021 Rules
Please review the rulebook as is posted on the ERCU website, available under the Resources tab (or by clicking here). The Contest Director/Chief Referee will make every effort to be sure that officiating is consistent with the rules as published on the website, and that every effort is made to assure consistency in officiating.

New Boats
As noted above, it is possible that there will be new boats in the pits that need to be inspected. We ask that you print out the 2021 Hull Inspection Form, found on the Resources tab of the club website (www.ercu-hydros.com), and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat models.

Seafair Cup Defending Champions (2020 season)
Vintage: 1962 Miss Supertest, Brad Lewis
Classic: 1982 Oh Boy! Oberto, Brad Lewis
Modern: 1985 Miss Budweiser, David Newton

Race Format

• LOVE PLAN: Three flights of preliminary heats, five laps each
• First and second connies for each class (depending on total boat count and attrition)
• First connie winner advances to the final as a trailer. Second connie winner advances to the first connie as a trailer
• Second place boat in the first connie may choose to be an alternate in the final.
• Final heat with top five boats in each class
• Modern Triple Crown Series Event #1
• Flight Schedule
  • 1/10 Scale modern, classic, vintage heats
  • 1/7 Scale modern, vintage heats
  • 1/8 Scale exhibition

Post Race Cleanup and Awards Presentation
After the race is over, please remember to stick around to help cleanup and re-pack the club trailer. Also, please stick around after cleanup is done to help celebrate the day’s award winners. Awards will be given to the podium (1st, 2nd & 3rd place) for each division and each class. It’s always nice for the award winners to be present, and to have our friends present to recognize those who won.

Weather Forecast
As of this writing, the weather is expected to be a 40 percent chance of rain and in the a high of 59 degrees in Lacey.

Covid Notice
Thurston County (where Lacey is) is currently in Phase 3 in the state’s Covid protocol. According to the information from the Governor’s Office, we should still be fine for our outdoor event at Woodland Creek Park.

Pits
The pits should be staked and taped to limit admission to the pit area. Please do not invite in people who are not in your racing team group. This is for everyone’s health and safety. It is also to show Longview we care about following the Covid guidelines they have in place, and that we have in place. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Nelson.

Restrooms
The public restrooms nearby are expected to be open for us. Race Coordinator Jerry Dunlap will confirm prior to the event that the City of Lacey will make sure the restrooms are open for us.

Electricity
There is limited access to electric outlets near the pits, and much of the time those outlets are off during the spring. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source to charge your batteries if you need to charge during the day.