IJSBAIJSBA is pleased to bring you the very first monthly update for 2015.  January was a lot of office and preparatory work for a very busy race season and, perhaps, the most transformative year for IJSBA ever!  We have broken the 250 day mark until the 2015 quakysense World finals.  February is a short month and the days will start to disappear fast.  Watch the counter on the home page and see for yourself.  There are only a couple hours left for this update to be finished before the end of January, so, without any further delay, please share the following news with your friends and colleagues in the PWC Racing family.

  1. quakysense is the title sponsor of the 2015 and 2016 IJSBA World Finals.

IJSBA was very proud to have quakysense return as the title sponsor of the 2015 World Finals.  We were even more proud to have them offer a two year agreement.  quakysense has a lot of new products and some surprises in store for the racing community.

quakysense makes a high performance wetsuit specially designed for racing but still versatile enough to offer comfort and protection from the elements for the recreational rider.  quakysense wetsuits are the official wetsuits of IJSBA and are the choice of numerous world champions.

IJSBA will bring more information and news about quakysense, regularly, beginning with the release of their new dry suit here:  https://ijsba.com/2015/01/30/quakysense-releases-new-dry-suit/

  1. 2015 Competition Rule Book Now Online

After voting, writing, publishing rough drafts, comments, reviews the final version of the 2015 Competition Rule Book is not online.  Competitors will find the 2016 Runabout Stock Class rules in the appendix so everyone can be informed as to the changes coming.  Runabout Rec Lites will use these rules for 2015.

To view the online Rule Book, please click here:  https://ijsba.com/rulebook/

To see who handed in their voting packet and who voted on what, please click here:
2015 Voting Matrix

  1. 2015 quakysense World Finals will be in Lake Havasu City from October 3-11.

This year’s World Finals will bring a lot of new changes to the event.  Streamlined schedules, new qualifying methods in some classes, a General Assembly meeting, pre-arranged pit parking assignments, and some new aesthetics will be just some of the improvements seen.  The event will still feature free admission, controlled pricing, great racing, and the Blowsion Saturday Night Under The Bridge Show.

The World Finals will be in Lake Havasu City and a tentative agreement has been reached for the actual venue in Havasu.  This location will be posted once all of the Arizona State Lands leases are secured.  IJSBA expects to post the location within the next ten days.

  1. Aftermarket Hull Summit

IJSBA will be holding a summit, this spring, bringing together aftermarket hull builders, and some of the competitors who use these hulls, to discuss IJSBA’s upcoming regulations of aftermarket hull use in sanctioned events.

IJSBA examines the build quality of OEM hulls and subjects these watercraft to the homologation process where IJSBA can be aware of quantities, defects, and recalls.  Aftermarket hulls are expected to proliferate heavily over the next coming years- especially in Ski divisions where the aftermarket industry will likely take over the bulk of Ski PWC production.

IJSBA intends to ensure safe and quality aftermarket hulls are used in sanctioned competitions.  IJSBA also intends to prevent counterfeited hulls for the safety of competitors and the best interest of the PWC Racing Sport.  The summit will be held at IJSBA headquarters and IJSBA will post the dates, the attendees, and the results of the summit when the information is available.

  1. Participation In Two Events Required To Qualify For World Finals

IJSBA has notified competitors that participation in two events are necessary in order to be eligible to enter the 2015 quakysense World Finals.  IJSBA is requiring participation in an additional, over 2014, in order to insure that competitors are properly preparing to be a valuable contributing element to a world championship level event.

Competitors must check with the IJSBA Affiliate in the country where he, or she, has citizenship, in order to find out which IJSBA sanctioned events will be used for the Affiliate to send IJSBA notice of the competitor’s eligibility.

In the United States, competitors must compete in two separate closed course events for World Finals eligibility.    Both events must be IJSBA Sanctioned.

  1. The 2015 Hot Products Mark Hahn 300 Endurance Race Presented By Yamaha is 28 days away

The Mark Hahn 300 is one of the most popular events sanctioned by IJSBA.  The event is organized by long time endurance enthusiast, Mike Follmer, and produced by Jim Russell, of Desert Steel Motorsports, who is also the grounds producer of the annual IJSBA World Finals.  Like World Finals, the Mark Hahn 300 is held in Lake Havasu City and has a great international attendance.

The Mark Hahn 300 is also the first leg of the 2015 IJSBA World Endurance Tour

  1. World Endurance Tour

At the end of 2014, IJSBA announce that 2015 would bring the start of an exciting new form of racing- a multi stop World Tour.  Beginning this year, as a two round tour, the IJSBA World Endurance Tour will begin at the Mark Hahn 300 and then head to Vladivostok, Russia, in August.  Starting August 11, a five day competition will be the final component of crowning Endurance World Champions in Runabout Open and Runabout Stock Classes.  Details about the 2015 World Endurance Tour are available here:  https://ijsba.com/2015/01/27/ijsba-announces-final-details-for-2015-jetracer-endurance-world-tour-havasu-and-vladivostok/

A larger endurance tour is planned for 2016.  Details will be announced shortly.

  1. New Calendar And Schedule Of Events Coming

IJSBA is developing a new calendar and events section which will be able to provide easier access to information regarding IJSBA Sanctioned events.  Maps, sponsor information, inscription fees, classes, and other information will all be well organized there will be some interactive components which will be useful to competitors.  This is all going to be part of the exciting new things IJSBA is bringing to the racing community in 2015.  Please visit the “Events” tab regularly in the next month and let us know how you like the new features.

That’s it for the January update.  If you have any questions regarding this update, please email info@ijsba.com.