Speed Control Updates
Revised: 4/28/2008
ZeroOff - Course Mapping
Slalom Course should be mapped with the gate buoys in-line with the GPS receivers.
Jump Course should be mapped with the gate buoys in-line with the boat pylon.
System Manuals
ZeroOff
PerfectPass
Current Software Version Numbers
ZeroOff - Version P, PerfectPass StarGazer V7.0.04
StarGazer 'N/L' Parameter
The L parameter is for skiers 125lbs and below at 34.2MPH or slower, 165lbs and below at 36MPH.
It will give a softer pull. If the mid course times are slow you may need to go to 'N'.
N is the default unless the skier requests L.
The skier will be able to request L at the start of their run and will have one change during the run.
2008 Rules Governing Towboats and Speed
Control
Revised: 3/7/2008
Slalom, Jump & Trick Equipment and Definitions
All tournaments Class C and above are required to use speed
control.
Tournaments are only allowed to use speed control devices tested
in conjunction with the towboats approved
for use by the Towboat Committee. Approved towboats, including equipment as tested,
are listed on the USA Water Ski Web site under
the Towboat section.
Approved Towboats
(pdf)
Software changes are permitted as approved by the Towboat Committee
at any time during the season, except that no changes that
affect skier pull will be permitted between July 1
and the conclusion of that year’s National Tournament.
Slalom & Jump Timing
General: The boat speed shall be validated by timing
on each pass from the speed control system (see rule 8.10(g)).
Acceptable timing methods may be magnetic point
to point or calculated virtual timing provided such methods
and timing components of the speed control system are tested
and approved.
Documents
PerfectPass
Parameters
Here are recommended settings
for 2006 tournament boats approved by the Towboat and Speed Control Committee.
Updated and approved on August 9, 2006.
| |
Nautiques |
Mastercraft |
Malibu |
|
5.7 |
6.0L |
5.7 |
6.0L |
5.7 |
6.0L |
| Slalom & Trick |
|
|
|
|
|
| CS |
730 |
730 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
| CR |
1540 |
1540 |
1940 |
1940 |
1940 |
1940 |
| SSB |
10 |
10 |
13 |
13 |
16 |
16 |
| KD |
28 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
| KDW |
80 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
| NN |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
JUMP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X8U
(range)
|
85
(170-175) |
200
(150-300) |
85
(70-175) |
200
(150-300) |
100
(70-175) |
200
(150-300) |
X8D
(range) |
225
(150-300) |
225
(150-300) |
225
(150-300) |
225
(150-300) |
100
(70-250) |
150
(70-250) |
| CT |
175-190 |
175-190 |
175-190 |
175-190 |
175-190 |
175-190 |
| S2%FAST |
+40 |
+45 |
+40 |
+40 |
+40 |
+40 |
| S2%RTB |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Notes:
1. Boats that run with their bow higher than average tend to have lower drag
and require lower X8D values. Similarly, bow low boats have a higher drag and
run slightly higher X8D values. X8D represents the "throttle down" response
rate when the skier stops pulling.
2. The lower range of X8D values are typically used for Mens 1, Mens II and Open
Men skiers.
PerfectPass SmartTimer Placement
12 inches in front of the pylon
at the widest width possible on each side of the boat
- tolerance +/- 6 inches fore or aft. The fore/aft placement must be the same
on both sides of the boat.
Excerpts from the 2007 Towboat report.
Complete
Report (pdf)
Speed Control
- The section in the AWSA Rule Book containing the Speed Control Adjustable
Parameters chart shall list the AWSA Towboat/Speed Control website address
and state: "The speed control parameters posted on the Speed
Control Web site supercede the speed control parameters printed in the AWSA
rule book." The cut-off date for changes to adjustable parameters
is July 1 preceding the respective AWSA National Championship Tournament.
- It is the responsibility of towboat/speed control manufacturers to determine
the values for the adjustable parameters for their product. The Towboat Committee
is charged with testing towboat/speed control combinations to confirm that
they will pull a skier in the slalom, trick, and jump events within the requirements
as stated in the AWSA Rule Book. We do not have the time or resources to
test towboat/speed control combinations to determine optimum settings
for the adjustable parameters of speed control. As with anything adjustable,
different people have different opinions what is best or optimum. We
recommend that manufacturers rely on the people that drive their boats, tournament
drivers, promotional boat owners, ski schools, ski coaches etc. to help determine
the settings that work best in their boat. These values need to be provided
to USA-WS headquarters in order to update Adjustable Parameter charts.
- Speed control override is incorporated in 2007 model year towboats using
Perfect Pass speed control.
- Perfect Pass Speed control tested a speed based (vs. rpm based) speed control
at the 2007 model year boat tests. The speed based PerfectPass slalom speed
control was conditionally approved for use in class C and lower tournaments.
We need to gather more data-radar plots and skier and driver input before
we choose speed based or rpm based speed control with PerfectPass.
Adding Weight to the Bow Area of Towboats
- The AWSA Official Tournament Rules state in section 8.02(b) Added
Weight: It is the duty of the boat judge in consultation with the driver,
to supervise adding a suitable weight in any event to even out boat balance,
wakes, spray, or handling. This weight shall not present a hazard to the
boat occupants or potential harm to the boat interior.This rule
does not preclude adding weight to the bow area of a towboat. Some drivers
believe that adding weight to the bow area of some towboats can improve
the handling characteristics of the boat.
- The AWSA Committee has discussed this issue at length. Additionally some
testing has been done with and without weights in the bow area of towboats,
with the same skiers and line lengths, drivers and boats with no conclusive
results.
- The role of the AWSA Towboat Committee is to test what the towboat
manufacturers provide to us for intended use in AWSA sanctioned events. The
committee is not a body that would create this process and policy of weighting
boats. Rather, the manufacturers need to bring the boats to us to test and
specify how, where, and when the weights are to be used.
- In summary: At this time the AWSA Towboat Committee does not recommend
changing the existing rule 8.02(b). Our recommendation is that if a manufacturer
chooses to offer the addition of optional weight in the bow area of a towboat,
the boat be provided for testing with the optional weight as well as the
configuration of the optional weight.
