TAF Rookie, Steve, Gives It A Go
	Photo By RAP :: Race Action Photography

Steve Westerfield, formerly an open flat racer, had lots to be excited about. He was not only racing a new ride, he was racing a new class. Steve's new ride would require a license run, prior to him being considered a competitor. His new class, Top Alcohol Flat (TAF), meant a major adjustment to Steve's style. Steve, an open boat veteran had come full circle back to rookie, learning the ropes as a capsule driver.

The norm for most open flat racers is the ability to use peripheral vision to see markers, adjacent shorelines and their competitor, to measure where they are in comparison to their competitor. A capsule driver has no peripheral available and extremely limited movement capacity, due to the fact they are strapped within the confines of a cage.
How a driver sits in a boat is no longer an option for capsule drivers, their seat is tilted back at a 45% angle. Another huge difference is the feeling of looking through the capsules v shaped porthole versus the panoramic view available in open boats. If you are claustrophobic you not only have to get used to being enclosed within the closed capsule, you have to pull a tight full helmet over your head attached to a breathing apparatus.

In the event of a crash you have to have 100% trust in rescue, there's no swimming out of harms way or threading water frolics in the TAF class. The reward for all those seemingly uncomfortable inconveniences and restricted freedom is the fact that a capsule ride is among the safest in the industry.

The question is how will Rookie Steve Westerfield adjust to all this? The answer is smoothly. The man is very excited, and anxious to break loose down the lake. He loves his TAF, and like the boats namesake, Steve’s' eyes are "All Lit Up".