It’s no secret that times are tough for many of the boatbuilders in the high-performance business. They may want to take a page from the playbook of the automobile industry to increase sales. (Did I just write that?)
The automakers have been offering “payment protection” plans as an incentive to spur sales. If the buyer loses his or her job during the first year after purchasing a car, an automaker will make the payments until they find new employment. The payment protection comes with restrictions, of course.
The Brunswick Corp. announced last month it was getting in on the “payment protection” promotion with 12 of its brands eligible for the insurance. Production boats from Crestliner, Bayliner and Maxum are among the brands qualifying for the program.
Under the promotion, Brunswick says it will pay up to nine months of payments if the boat buyer loses his or her job within a year after the boat purchase. The qualifying monthly payments can go up to $500 for Bayliner, Maxum and Trophy, while other brands are good for $250 a month. Customers have to get their new boat by July 6.
High-performance boatbuilders might want to consider a similar idea to boost sales. Maybe guarantee payments of up to $2,000 a month for a year if the customer loses a job. It might be the catalyst to get consumers into the showroom.
By all accounts, Gary Taylor had a bright future as an engine builder in the performance-boat industry. A firefighter by day, he would spend his days off and weekends building custom engines.
The 41-year-old Taylor is now a sad footnote in the high-performance industry after he was sentenced to 22 years in prison in early May for his crimes. Taylor of Newbury Park, Calif., pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said Taylor sexually abused a relative between January 2000 and September 2008. He was arrested last December after detectives reportedly recorded the former firefighter incriminating himself in the crimes. He has been in county jail ever since.
At his sentencing in a Ventura courtroom, Taylor’s defense attorney asked for a lesser sentence of 18 years but that was rejected by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie. The sentencing range was 18 to 22 years.
Brodie told the courtroom, which included the teenage victim, “The lives that this case has touched are just incredible.”
Under California law, Taylor is required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. He will spend the next two decades behind bars and register as a sex offender.
Friends described the former firefighter as a down-to-earth guy whose home-based business of Taylor Performance Industries (TPI) had great potential. He also served as a staff member for another high-performance boating publication.
Obviously Taylor had a much darker side. He’ll have at least 18 years in state prison to reflect on his crimes.
If you follow professional sports, you might have seen the news that Albert Haynesworth signed a seven-year, $100 million contract to play football for the Washington Redskins. And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about a football player when this is a blog about powerboats. Within in our small boating world, the Pro Bowl defensive player is a big fish. Haynesworth has owned boats from an Outerlimits to a Baja and recently took possession of a 44-foot catamaran from Marine Technology Inc. The boat was on display in the MTI booth at the Miami International Boat Show.
He recently ran the boat during the Florida Powerboat Clubs’ Miami Boat Show poker run (his Hell Raiser 44 MTI earned the best paint job award) and took his share of good-nature ribbing from some of the participants. During the stop in Islamorada, ESPN ran a piece saying that Haynesworth’s contract would be the equivalent of an “economic stimulus package.”
I’m sure there are plenty of high-performance boatbuilders hoping he’ll put that to good use. You can be certain Haynesworth will be at his share of poker runs before football training camp opens this summer.
Pepsi vs. Coke. Apple vs. PC. Red Sox vs. Yankees.
While the blossoming feud between Malibu Boats and Tigé Boats doesn’t rank among these legendary rivalries, the tow-boat builders are taking it to the water in an effort to sway consumers.
Malibu Boats in January announced its “Truth is on the Water Challenge,” that allows potential customers to test its boats against competitors—provided those competitors bring a boat. Texas-based Tigé has accepted the challenge and will offer prospective buyers a “Free Demo” checklist.
Going on demo rides is nothing new but what is uncommon is Malibu’s in-your-face approach. And even more surprising is that a rival manufacturer would take the bait.
Under the program, a prospective buyer would go to the local Malibu dealer. After deciding which brands they want to test, the dealer will create a custom invitation for the buyer to deliver to the rival boat companies they’d like to participate in the on-the-water challenge. If the rivals decide to participate, they’ll meet at the local lake.
Malibu is encouraging potential to bring friends, family and gear to “accurately gauge the usability of these boats.”
Tigé Boats in a press release called it an “outstanding opportunity,” noting that they always encourage customers to test drive the boats they are considering.
None of the industry’s larger players such as MasterCraft or Correct Craft have signed on. I think you’ll see Gun n’ Roses reunite before that happens.
Last year, AMF Offshore Racing’s John Haggin received the Viking Spirit Award from Powerboat. But because of the timing of the Awards for Product Excellence dinner in Los Angeles, Haggin was unable to attend.
Haggin was at Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Neb. The team’s Miss GEICO boat was on display for the thousands of shareholders and media who attended. (GEICO insurance is owned by Berkshire Hathaway.) So when it came to making a choice, we understood that when your billionaire sponsor comes calling, you have to oblige.
Over the past six months, we’d run into Haggin at offshore races or other events. He was always very apologetic and planned to come out to California to accept his award. That finally happened on Saturday night when Haggin was joined by Miss GEICO driver Marc Granet and throttleman Scott Begovich. The group also included Powerboat’s Bob Teague, Jason Johnson, Kevin Cooper, myself and Hering Propeller’s Jeff Johnston (Jeff worked previously at Powerboat). Also joining us was writer Gerry Anderson and his girlfriend.
Haggin “accepted” his award at a restaurant at Universal City Walk—nearby where we held our 2008 Awards for Product Excellence dinner. It was great to hear him talk about his passion for the sport and his respect for Granet and Begovich, especially for the speeds they drive on the racecourse.
The best part of the night had to be when Granet was having fun with Teague, who throttles a Super Cat Lite boat. Granet mockingly laid a bottle on the table (to represent the throttles being hammered), looked around for a few seconds, then said, “There’s the finish line.” He then lifted up the bottle. By implying the throttleman doesn’t do much work in the smaller boats, he had everyone at the table laughing, including Teague.
It was then time to present Haggin with his award—again. Haggin was thankful to receive the Viking Spirit Award, which was named after the magazine’s founder, Bob Nordskog. The award has only been given out twice.
“I’m honored to receive this,” Haggin said repeatedly.
It was a great night. And after spending a few hours with Haggin and the AMF crew, it reminded us why he was a perfect pick for the honor.
If you have ever spent some time at the Miami International Boat or a poker run in Florida, chances are you’ve probably met Albert Haynesworth. As an owner of Outerlimits and MTI boats, he’s probably one of the sports most notable owners. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a Pro Bowl defensive player for the Tennessee Titans.
Haynesworth is currently on the disabled list and is going to miss the final two games of the NFL regular season after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee. He’s expected to return in time for the playoffs.
Anyone who follows the NFL knows that Haynesworth is having a monster year. His Pro Bowl selection Tuesday comes after posting a career best 8.5 sacks and 41 tackles.
The good news for Haynesworth is that he’ll probably have a lot more money to spend on a new boat after this season. Haynesworth, who was designated a franchise player by the Titans, can become a restricted free agent. And at age 27, he’s in the prime of his career and one of football’s best defensive tackles.
And even with his Pro Bowl selection, he’ll be able to make it to the Miami Boat Show to see the debut of his offshore catamaran in the MTI booth. The Pro Bowl is played Feb. 9 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Miami Boat Show, which starts Feb. 12.
A couple of Powerboat staffers recently earned top honors from the Minnesota Magazine and Publications Association for their work in the magazine.
Managing editor Jason Johnson and Art Director Rick Jimenez deserve the recognition from their peers for the memorable stories and layouts they produced. Both guys are incredibly talented and very dedicated to producing the best magazine possible.
Jimenez earned Gold in the Best Use of Visuals/Illustrations for the foldout poster that appeared in the August 2007 issue on the Victory catamaran. Powerboat has become well known for “Anatomy of” posters. Jimenez combined an illustration with actual photographs to create the poster.
The judges wrote, “Bold an interesting use of visuals.” Apparently, his work left them short of words.
Johnson earned the top spot in the Best Technical Article category for his piece, “The Outs and Ins of Gelcoat” that appeared in the April 2008 issue. For the story, Johnson visited LaveyCraft Performance Boats with photographer Rob Brown to learn about gelcoat.
He learned a few things about graphics and Brown produced some stunning photographs. The judges agreed. “The article is well researched and put together well,” one judge wrote. “The photos and the layout are sophisticated and eye-catching.”
You might be wondering why a California-based magazine is competing in an awards program in Minnesota. Powerboat’s parent company is based in Maple Grove, Minn., which made us eligible for the 12th annual publishing awards.
Five years ago, Dave Patnaude found himself at New Jersey Boat Regulation Commission trying to beat back speed limits for Barnegat Bay. Patnaude and the New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club (NJPPC) were successful then but now they find themselves back in a familiar position.
This week the Boat Regulation Commission is reviving plans for a 30 mph daytime speed limit, and the NJPPC will be there to argue against it. A state senator is also proposing a 10 mph nighttime speed limit. The proposals were a bad idea five years ago, and they are still a bad one today. The Boat Regulation Commission is set to review the proposal on Wednesday (Sept. 10).
An environmental group, Save Barnegat Bay, has brought the proposal back in response to a nighttime fatal boating accident that occurred in August. The accident is still under investigation and authorities don’t know if speed contributed to the accident.
Patnaude points out that U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that excessive speed was a factor in just 12 percent of the accidents that occur in the country. Sadly, boating under the influence-while on the decline-is still the No. 1 cause. The group is arguing that increased law enforcement, not an arbitrary speed limit, is the answer.
Anyone who is on the email blasts from the NJPPC can see the amount of energy Patnaude is devoting to the cause. All performance boaters should be thankful for his efforts. I’m confident that the NJPPC will help the commission make an informed decision.
As we put the wraps on the October issue of Powerboat, now is a great time to share what will be coming out in the issue.
We just returned from Washington, N.C., where Reggie Fountain showed off one of the first Baja boats built at the Fountain plant. The 26 Outlaw was equipped with a MerCruiser 496 Mag HO engine and was reportedly running 2 to 3 mph faster than ones that were built by Brunswick.
Fountain shared what changes they’ve made to the line. The most notable improvement is that all Baja by Fountain boats will be equipped with full hydraulic steering from Latham Marine. Fountain also raised the X dimension on the 26 Outlaw and switched to a four-blade propeller.
See the complete story in the October issue.
Also in the upcoming issue, we’ve spanned the globe (thanks to Wide World of Sports for the assist) to bring a couple of exclusive stories. We went to Italy to see the delivery of a 50 Marauder by Cigarette Racing. Managing editor Jason Johnson traveled to Northern Africa to cover the Powerboat P1 race. The tour is proof that boat racing can attract 12 boats in just one class.
Closer to home, we wrap up Unlimited hydroplane’s APBA Gold Cup—or lack thereof. We also go inside Team CRC’s victory in the Rum Run.
I think the issue is one of our best this year. And I’m not just saying that because I wrote three of the feature stories.
Fountain Powerboats spent $4 million to Baja Marine but in the end it might not cost them a dime.
According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fountain Powerboat Industries and Baja by Fountain Inc. bought the boat company’s assets for $4 million from Brunswick. Brunswick is floating the loan and has included a huge incentive for the new Baja boats to be stocked with MerCruiser and Mercury Racing products.
Under the agreement, no principal or interest is due until 2020. If Baja by Fountain meets all of its obligations under the deal, the loan will be cancelled and they won’t have to pay it. In Fountain’s case, hindsight could be a great thing.
In the public documents, the agreement says that Baja Boats will have to buy everything from propellers, throttles and shift cables to K-Planes and engines, of course, from Mercury. If Mercury doesn’t build it, Baja can purchase it elsewhere.
Mercury also has to hold up its end of the deal too. It must meet delivery deadlines or the boatbuilder can go elsewhere.
Fountain completed the purchase in early June and should start producing the new Fountains by summer’s end. Only time will tell if it will help boost the company’s stock price.
