YAMAHA BOAT SELECTED TO BOATING MAGAZINE’S “BEST BOATS OF THE MILLENNIUM”

Yamaha WaterCraft Group, a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., today announced that Boating® magazine has selected the Yamaha AR230 to their coveted Top 10 List of Best Boats of the Millennium. The Yamaha AR230 is the predecessor to one of the most popular boats on the water today, the 24-foot Yamaha AR240.

According to Boating magazine, the AR230 not only held its own among the reigning stern drives of its time, it bettered them marking a sea change in the way consumers viewed jet drive boats.

“What hit you right off is the Yamaha boat transom. Yamaha designers watched how we use runabouts and saw that when not underway, we congregate in the stern. So why not make the aft platform area the center of activity,” said Boating magazine.

“The low profile of the Yamaha engines made it possible to design a 4'-deep platform that's arranged on two levels to create a comfortable lounging area. It's a design that can't be duplicated on a stern drive-powered boat, which has a much taller engine sitting right up against the transom. There's also the feeling of safety offered by the jet drives, which are tucked far under the stern of the boat-away from the feet of young swimmers,“ the magazine added.

“The AR230 is a shining example of the design philosophy that we still utilize today. We let our customers direct product planning by telling us how they use their boats. Then we take that first hand information and then try to exceed their expectations on every level,” said Scott Watkins, head of product planning for Yamaha’s Watercraft Group.

Yamaha concluded the 2012 selling season with its highest share of market ever in the 16 to 25-foot family fun category; having the number one selling boat in each of its segments. For 2013, Yamaha offers 12 models ranging in length from 19’ to 24’.

JetBoatPilot Introduces Seadek Traction Mats

Greetings fellow Jet Boat Enthusiasts,

     We have taken the last year or so and have developed a traction mat line featuring Seadek and Jet-Turf (our own brand name), specifically for Yamaha Jet Boats. This product line is now available in various colors and configurations through either our website or by calling in your order. 

     We hope the video below will help to illustrate why traction mats may be of benefit to you.

New Thrust Vector XL Install Video (New Nov 2012)

Check out the newest edition of our best seller, the Thrust Vector XL. This video will show you how to install them and will also show you the new Cross Tie feature, which will strengthen the fins and allow for more control at slow speeds and less flex at intermediate speeds.

Thanks for watching! Have a great day!

Invite JetBoatPilot To Your Boat Show = Increase Sales!

Good morning Jet Boat Enthusiasts and Dealers,

     This article is directed to Yamaha JetBoat dealers of America and Canada. We here at JBP learned a valuable lesson this past season and it came to us by surprise. We learned that our participation with Yamaha dealers at dealer sponsored boat shows actually increased boat sales for the dealer at the show and in the weeks thereafter.

     River Valley Power and Sport in Rochester, MN. and Cycle Springs in Clearwater, Florida, both invited JBP to their spring boat shows this past season and when all was said and done, we heard some pretty amazing things coming from the owners of both dealerships. They told us that they actually sold more boats than the previous year, and both dealers felt that having JBP present at the show contributed directly to sales increases.

     I know what you're thinking. How could asking a parts and accessories manufacturer to come to our show, actually increase sales? The truth is when JBP comes to your show, they are not there to sell parts or accessories. JBP is there to promote the Yamaha and JetBoatPilot brands. With years of actual Yamaha Jet Boat sales experience, ownership in 6 different Yamaha boats over the span of 8 years and with tons of online tutorial videos produced, JetBoatPilot literally has all the tools necessary to promote your product at your show. Its like having another well qualified salesman at the event, without having to pay them a commission.

     Here is what Marty Skapik, President of Cycle Springs Power Sports, said about our involvement this past season:
  

 John Wooden, Owner at River Valley Power and Sport said this:

     So what's the catch? How does JetBoatPilot make out in all of this? Its really very simple. For starters, when Yamaha succeeds, we succeed. Our entire business is built around Yamaha Boats and if they sell lots of boats, that's more potential customers for us. Secondly, we do ask that dealers pay our way to the show. We don't bring tons of POP material or anything costly to transport, but we do ask for airfare for 1 person and hotel for one person be covered. We also ask that dealers place a minimum order of JBP merchandise for the show. This varies by dealer based on volume so we will need to speak with you individually to determine the minimum for the show. Lastly, we really like to build strong relationships with our dealers in our network, and this creates an opportunity to connect faces with names and to work side by side with the guys that are selling our product all throughout the year. We feel its a win win for everyone involved!

     We look forward to speaking with you and assisting in any way that we can during the kickoff of your 2013 season!

     For more information on how to get JetBoatPilot to your boat show this coming season, call 850-960-3236 or visit our website at www.jetboatpilot.com.

YAMAHA SHIPS FIRST 4-STAR ENGINES FOR JET BOATS

KENNESAW, GA – November 7, 2012 -- Yamaha WaterCraft Group, a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., today announced it has shipped the first 4-star certified engines for jet boats to its boat manufacturing facility in Vonore, TN where the first 4-star compliant jet boats in the industry will begin arriving in dealerships in January of 2013. 

Yamaha is the first company to introduce an ultra low emission 4-star compliant line-up of jet powered boats to meet the requirements of its customers in California.  Yamaha’s 4-star compliant boats were first introduced to dealers during Yamaha’s 2013 national product introduction in August.

“Yamaha jet boats continue to set the bar for innovation and leadership with the shipping of the first 4-star compliant engines,” said Bryan Seti, Yamaha’s national marketing manager.  “Our 4-star jet boats will deliver the class leading performance that has become a staple for our brand and we will deliver these boats to our California dealers at no additional cost.”

Yamaha boats ended the 2012 selling season as the best-selling boats in their classes and Yamaha boats in total were the best-selling 19-foot to 25-foot’ family runabout boats in the industry.

Introducing Thrust Vectors For Seadoo Boats

Hello fellow Jet Boat fanatics,

     JetBoatPilot.com is proud to announce that our best selling Thrust Vector line is expanding to include Seadoo Boats. We have been selling Thrust Vectors for Yamaha Boats and various personal watercraft for over two years now, and with the success of the Yamaha Jet Boat product, we felt that Seadoo boat owners would benefit from Thrust Vector's improved slow speed control.

     For those of you who are not familiar with Thrust Vectors, I will give you a brief explanation of what they do and why they were designed. For more detailed information, visit www.JetBoatPilot.com.

     Thrust Vectors were designed to significantly improve the response time of a jet boat or personal watercraft’s steering input while at sub plane speeds. Additionally they were designed to assist in straight line tracking in cross winds. With Thrust Vectors installed on either a jet boat or a personal watercraft, the rider will feel a sense of predictability and confidence when steering around docks, loading on trailers, maneuvering in slow speed zones and in heavy traffic.

     Pictured left you will see a 2007 Seadoo Speedster 200 with our first set of SeaDoo Thrust Vectors. Note that this is a late prototype and that there could be small changes in the cosmetics on the final production version which is set to be released very soon.

   



      If you have a Seadoo Challenger 230 or 210 or Speedster 200 or 150 and live in the Panama City area, give us a call at 850-960-3236. We are in need of a test boat to finalize some spring settings. We would gladly give you a set of Thrust Vectors for your time. These are a $400 value on a twin engine and $200 for a single engine.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Yamaha 242LS VS. The Competition: Bow And Cockpit Seating

Good day fellow Jet Boat enthusiasts,

     During the process of producing the original comparisons between Yamaha boats and how they have evolved over the years, we were asked to do the same comparisons between Yamaha boats and their competition. That sounded like a great idea as we did not know if Yamaha really did have as much space as people think they have (when compared to their competition). This article should help you visualize, in vivid color, how Yamaha boats really give you more for your money!

     One thing we were not really familiar with, since we are not in the Sea Ray or Chapparal or Four Winns business, is that there really is a drastic and might I even say expansive price gap between Yamaha's flagship 242 Limited S and the nearest competitor in this article, the Four Winns SL 242. We're not talking hundreds of dollars, or even thousands of dollars, but tens of thousands of dollars separate the two, and that is for the boat nearest Yamaha in this comparison. Sea Ray, which I might add, has the very smallest usable bow seating area and cockpit seating area is, according to our research, over $27,000 higher than the Yamaha! That's 50% more!
   
     We have not done the research on Sea Ray as we have done with Yamaha, specifically on how these boats have evolved over the years, but we can tell you what we do know. Yamaha has made change after change in their hull designs and each time, getting better and better. Do you want to know why they are in the lead by such a strong margin? One element of that is called change! You don't just sit on an idea that works today and expect tomorrow to yield the same results. People change, needs change. We all get better every day of our lives in our respective duties or hobbies, etc. Why should a boat manufacturer be any different? Well Yamaha Boats have made it abundantly clear that they will pursue change and here are some illustrations of how they're changing the industry one boat at a time.

     In the above images you will see Yamaha's 2013 242 Limited S and the three major competitors offerings (most near to Yamaha's target market). Each boat is in the 23'-24' category. Each boat is 8'6" inches wide. Images are from left to right, from longest to shortest, but the size of the boat does not necessarily dictate the size of the seating area. As you will see in the illustrations above, Yamaha, and their award winning design team have maximized the available seating in the bow and cockpit area and have one upped their competitors, all while doing it for less.

     When asking yourself "How is it that Yamaha boats are the best selling brand in the business and have been since 2009? It all boils down to "most bang for your buck"! If I'm Mr. Joe customer out looking for a boat to spend time with family and friends, the Yamaha is where I'd put my money.

      Let's assume for a second that this available space area was the only key area where Yamaha had a leg up on the competition. With the tremendous price differential plus the additional usable space where you need it, one could make a case where Yamaha would be able to sell more boats than the other guys on those merits alone. Now, add back to the equation the fact that they have twin engines (peace of mind), direct drive (low maintenance), no exposed prop (safety), tons of extras at no additional charge (value), Yamaha marine engines (reliability) and one of the best looking boats possibly anywhere ('nuf said), you can see how Yamaha is actually revolutionizing the boat business as we know it.

     Word to the wise.If you're in the market for a boat, do your research. Then, go buy a Yamaha boat! You will love it, your family will love you for it and you will have peace of mind knowing that you got the most out of your hard earned dollar!