Got back last night, we left after the first heats of the flats. Didn't have the turn out they were hoping for as far as the boats listed in the preview, but still a good weekend for the v-drive flat fan. I think there were about 15 flats racing, and another 10 or so there also. If anybody remembers seeing the red and white Sanger bouncing all over the place from the videos of last year, it does have a new paint job, but was still all over the place, and then upside down. Coming into the final turn( of a triangular shaped course ) he was on the inside and the boat skipped sideways and dug in, pitching him out and rolling over. The driver seemed fine, but he wouldn't have been if he stuck around and watched them try to get the boat up. It must have took them 40 minutes or so to get it up, and it was floating nose up like a flat will do, not totally submerged. They finally pull it up with two boats hooked to it and the two boats turn opposite ways!!! NICE. They cut one loose and the other drags the flat, still 2/3 under water, right along the rocky shore, causing more damage than the flip did. I seem to remember this taking a lot less time, with a lot less people and lot less damage. Hook it up, put a diver on the bow to help it break over, as the boat comes over the diver slides to the back and pulls the plugs, and by the time the boat is back to the ramp enough water is out for the boat to float close to normal. Put the plugs back in and put it on the tralier. Instead, sink it at the ramp again and drag it up the ramp with a rope, until it is shallow enough for a crowd of people to lift it onto the trlr. Then they get it out and one of the v-drive veterans trys to tell them how to do it next time and they don't want to listen to him, they just make excuses. So the VIP guest goes off just shaking his head. I did take a lot of pictures, that I will post when I get them developed. Oh yeah I guess another flatbottom driver got pitched out on Friday when he was out testing, he was ok and raced on Sunday. Maybe he will tell you about it sometime. Met him in person after talking on the forums, nice guy and a nice boat. Sorry if i rambled about the recovery effort, but man, was that frustrating to watch. Also met and talked to for about 2 hours, Harlin Orrin, a tooler who has been at it a long time and worked with many of the legendary builders. A very nice guy and very infomative about the v-drive boats. He is featured in the new ***boat mag. He knows alot of the history and is responible for a fair bit of it.