go

go or i-go, a board game popular in Japan that probably originated in China or India as long ago as the third millennium B.C. The board is marked by a grid of 19 horizontal and 19 vertical lines to form 361 intersections. Of the 361 pieces, 181 are black stones and 180 are white. The player with the black stones begins by placing a stone on any intersection. The players alternate turns. The object for each player is to control the most territory on the board while capturing as many of the opposing player's stones as possible. Stones are captured and removed from the board when they are completely encircled and are deprived of any access, either directly or through a chain of like stones, to a free space. A game is over when all the empty spaces on the board either are controlled by one or the other player or cannot be controlled by either player. The winner is the player who controls the most open spaces after the stones captured by the opposing player have been substracted.

Driving and racing miniature, skeleton-frame, rear-engine automobiles called karts or GoKarts. The sport originated in the U.S. in the 1950s after the first kart had been assembled from unwanted lawn-mower parts. It thereafter developed into an international sport in Europe. Speeds of 100 mph (160 kph) are not uncommon.

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Chinese weiqi or wei-ch'i Korean baduk

Game that involves two players alternately placing black and white stones on a board checkered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines. The players attempt to conquer territory by surrounding vacant areas or capture stones by surrounding them. Points are awarded by conquering and capturing and reduced by losing one's stones. The game is also played in electronic formats. Go probably originated in China, possibly as early as circa 2300 BC. It was brought to Japan circa AD 500, where it developed into the modern game. Most identified with Japan, is also popular in China and Korea and is played worldwide.

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The dance or go-fast boat is a high performance boat of a characteristic design. Originally designed for his offshore racing team by Donald Aronow, the fast, powerful boats became notorious as the drug smuggling boat of choice in many parts of the world starting in the 1980s. These boats were used at first to smuggle cigarettes into Canada and therefore derived their nick name as the "cigarette boat". A company was formed later and trademarked the actual name cigarette.

History

Don Aronow became involved in powerboat endurance racing in the early 1960s. He founded Formula Marine, Donzi Marine, Magnum Marine, Cigarette Racing Team, Squadron XII and USA Racing. Aronow formed the Cigarette Racing Team in 1969 along with a young man called Nick Beauchamp. He had a World Championship win in an unusual 32' Cary race boat called "The Cigarette".

Construction

A typical go-fast is built of fiberglass, with a deep "V" offshore racing hull from usually 30 to 50 feet (10 to 15 m) long, narrow in beam, and equipped with two or more powerful engines, often with more than 1000 combined horsepower. The boats can typically travel at speeds over 80 knots (150 km/h) in calm waters, over 50 knots (90 km/h) in choppy waters, and maintain 25 knots (47 km/h) in the average five to seven foot (1.5 to 2 m) Caribbean seas. They are heavy enough to cut through higher waves, although at a slower pace.

Use

In accordance with their pure racing heritage, the accommodations on these boats are minimal, and they are built to hold 5 or fewer passengers. While most do have some cabin under the foredeck, it is low and much smaller than a typical motor yacht of similar size. Apart from the racing market, most buyers of these boats purchase them for the mystique; the combination of the racing and smuggling connections, plus the immense power, high top speeds, and sleek shape make these boats popular.

Illegal use

These boats are difficult to detect by radar except on flat calm seas or at close range. The United States Coast Guard and the DEA found them to be stealthy, fast, seaworthy, and very difficult to intercept using conventional craft. Because of this, Coast Guards have developed their own high-speed craft and also use helicopters. The helicopters are equipped with anti-materiel rifles which can be used to disable the motors of the go-fast boat. The Coast Guard go-fast boat is a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) equipped with radar and powerful engines. The RHIB is armed with several types of non-lethal weapons and M240 GPMG.

See also

• Poker Run
• Narco submarine

External links

• Congressional testimony on technologies for detecting go-fast boats
• Lexington Institute article on technologies for stopping go-fast boats