Steering in the boat race?

I have the same problem. It could be luck or because the server is still in beta. I say the latter.

 

You turn with your mouse now instead of your arrows. Also at the start of the race people appear behind you but are actually right next to you causing you not able to turn sometimes. The reason they seem behind you is because the connection between you, the server, then them isn't instant so they seem a few blocks behind when in reality they're even or close to you.

 

If you are looking for tips, then I would suggest that you play with a third person view (F5). It is helpful for steering and can also be useful for most of the other gamemodes as well.

 

Also a good tip that I use a lot in the boat race is that I tend to drive almost diagonally. This may not be the quickest, however, 80% of the time, all your other opponents will crash at least once. When moving diagonally you are constantly moving away from whatever logs are coming up behind you, and you have a good view of any logs moving towards you.

 

I agree with this because it is true that most of the games are much more easier to play on in F5 mode. Now I do not consider it an advantage because everyone can use it, though it does allow a player to see around them easier. Some games are harder in F5, its up to the player in the end.