OSS and OPA making progress toward unification

July 09: Everyone involved with this sport, be it a racer or a fan has been asking for unification for a long time and this seemed like a good time to investigate the possibilities. After several discussions with Ed Smith (Smitty) from OPA we've collectively come up with something that is very exciting and should certainly help move this sport in the right direction. OSS will replace the Kenner race with a race one week later in St Clair MI (Aug 1&2). This will be a joint race with OPA run by the Blue Water Offshore Racing Association. This will be an OPA and OSS points race. We expect to have 60 boats at this race. From there, we'll do another joint race in either Patchogue NY on Aug 22 & 23 or Point Pleasant NJ on Sept 12 - 13 to replace the Orange Beach Race. This will also be an OPA and OSS points race.

Then on September 26 & 27 the Lake of the Ozarks will host the 2009 OSS National Championship Race. This will be an OSS points race but not an OPA points race, however, some of the OPA teams will be joining us in LOTO to show their support of our collective race series. (This is not an OPA points race only because OPA has a race one week prior in Cambridge MD and some teams may not be able to do back to back races.) As a final race (Worlds to replace Jupiter FL) OPA has been invited back to Ocean City MD in Oct and they've invited OSS to race there too. Details will be worked out over the next few weeks and we'll keep you informed as to our progress. This race in Ocean City MD will be the final race for OPA and OSS in 2009.

For next year, we'll take the best of our collective race sites and make a single fantastic series with more than 50 boats at every event. We are determined to move down it for the betterment of offshore racing as a whole. We hope you agree and will support our efforts.

    Ron Polli - OSS President
    Ed Smith -- OPA President

-credit: oss/opa