TBPNews #40 - June 6, 2003 
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>>>>>> Tunnel Boat Performance News >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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In this issue: 
1) JDR article in F&PB July 2003 issue
2) New website makeover at Sream and Fly Online Magazine
3) Bombardier Purchase short list 
4) OEMs get a look at new Yamaha F150 
5) Fred Kiekhaefer wins Publisher's Award
6) Outboard sales edged up in 2002
7) Bernie Little dies
8) FREE Powerboat e-book
9) 'Family & Performance Boating' magazine - Save 25%!

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1) JDR article in F&PB July 2003 issue

Check out the July 2003 issue of Family & Performance Boating Magazine to read author Jim Russell's first in a 3-part series on Tunnel Boat Design.

http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/F&PB_july03.html
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2) New website makeover at Sream and Fly Online Magazine

Have a look at the new website design at Scream And Fly Magazine.  It has the forum on the web, also excellent Hull Tech, Engine Tech, and Evaluations sections.  Great job, Greg!

http://www.screamandfly.com/screamandflymagazine/
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3)  Bombardier Purchase short list: family, 5 others

Bombardier Inc. now has a short list of six finalists in the bidding to acquire its Bombardier Recreational Products. In his weekly Real Deal newsletter, BRP vice president and general manager Roch Lambert assured the companys boat and engine dealers  that the Bombardier family remains in the running. The family is the only potential bidder the company has publicly identified among the 20 or so companies and investment groups who had expressed interest. Between now and the end of June, all of the potential buyers will participate in a series of management presentations and property inspections.  The company expects to announce a winner in July. Bombardier Inc., the Montreal-based transportation equipment conglomerate, is selling off the recreational products operation to help it weather the downturn in aerospace. BRP manufactures the Sea-Doo lines of sportboats and personal watercraft and the Evinrude and Johnson outboard engine brands. 
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4) OEMs get a look at new Yamaha F150

Representatives from nearly 100 independent boat manufacturers were shown the new Yamaha F150 4-stroke outboard for 2004  the worlds first 4-stroke EFI 150hp outboard  during Yamahas annual OEM Conference last month in Chattanooga, Tenn.  Yamaha traditionally has used V6 powerheads for engines in this range. For the F150, the company broke that tradition and instead uses an Inline-4-cylinder powerhead. Yamaha says this all-new engine actually has a greater displacement than its 2-stroke V6 outboards with the same power rating  2.7-liter vs. 2.6-liter  while weighing in at only 466 pounds.  This is an all-new motor with a slimmer width of the powerhead when compared to its 2-stroke counterpart.  Yamaha says the F150 is an ideal engine for single installation on boats from 17 to 22 feet and for dual installation on boats from 23 to 27 feet. In addition to the F150, Yamaha also revealed the Z300 and VZ300, also the worlds first 300-hp factory stock direct-injected outboards. The VZ300 with its 20-inch shaft is configured for bass and flats boats.
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5) Fred Kiekhaefer wins Publisher's Award 
  
Fred Kiekhaefer, president of Mercury Racing, was presented Powerboat Magazine's 2003 Publisher's Award for Product Excellence ceremony. He was also the keynote speaker for the event. Kiekhaefer won the award for guiding Mercury Racing into what Powerboat Publisher Jerry Nordskog described as "the most important and influential company in high-performance boating today." Nordskog presented Kiekhaefer an engraved Publisher's Award for Product Excellence crystal trophy. Nordskog's "Publisher's Letter" column in the June issue of the performance-boating magazine features an interview with Kiekhaefer, son of the late Carl Kiekhaefer, founder of Mercury Marine in 1939.  Kiekhaefer, 55, has been the president of the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin-based company for the past 13 years. He was born in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and grew up in Winter Haven, Florida. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Ripon College in 1969 and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1972. He also received a master's degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University in 1978. 

Mercury Racing has been, and continues to be, one of the strongest performing divisions of Mercury Marine, the magazine stated. Much of that success is attributed to Fred Kiekhaefer and his staff's strategy, the magazine reported, which took the business from a 90-percent focus on racing and 10-percent on consumer products, to what today is 90-percent consumer focused and 10-percent race. Even though only 10 percent of the business is dedicated to racing today, the division continues to set more records and win more races than all other engine companies combined, and remains the only major marine-engine manufacturer to support national offshore and tunnel boat racing series with on-site product support, according to Powerboat Magazine.

NOTE:  Fred Kiekhaefer can be seen in an interview, along with author Jim Russell, on the 'Powerboat Television Show', on Speed Channel.

http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/powerboat_tv.html
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6) Outboard sales edged up in 2002

Sales of outboard engines grew 1.1 percent in 2002, as roughly 302,100 units were sold, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Associations recently released Study of Outboard Engine Sales.  The report shows that outboard engine retail sales have grown at an average annual rate of 2 percent over the past 10 years, and indicates that consumers want higher-powered engines. Sales increases were recorded for most categories of higher horsepower engines from 1992 to 2002: 50-74 hp increased 2.5 percent; 75-99 hp increased 2.8 percent; 100-149 hp rose 4.5 percent; and 200-plus hp engine sales jumped 7.6 percent.  All categories under 50 hp experienced sale declines. The average horsepower for outboard engines sold in 2002 climbed 3 hp compared to 2001 to 85.8  its highest mark ever.

Over the past 10 years, the retail cost has increased at an average annual rate of 6 percent ($355 per year), rising from $3,546 in 1992 to $8,209 in 2002.  Another major factor adding to higher engine costs was the introduction of more environmentally friendly engines to meet standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to NMMA.
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7) Bernie Little dies

One of the most recognizable faces in motorsports history, Bernie Little, owner of the Miss Budweiser unlimited hydroplane team passed away April 25 in Lakeland, Florida as a result of complications related to pneumonia. He was 77. A force in hydroplane racing since 1963, Little completed 40 consecutive seasons of competition after entering 354 Unlimited hydroplane races. Little's Miss Budweiser finished in the top three a total of 230 times. At the conclusion of the 2002 season, the Miss Budweiser team was presented with the first Bernie Little World High Points Championship Trophy, which was renamed in 2001 in Little's honor.  In addition to Little's unprecedented racing accomplishments, he had received several honors both in and out of the sport of Unlimited hydroplane racing. For those who knew Bernie Little, he'll always be remembered as a hard charging, dedicated individual.
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8) FREE Powerboat e-book

Obtain your FREE Powerboat e-book, by author Jim Russell, at AeroMarine Research's website:

http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/popup.htm
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9) 'Family & Performance Boating' magazine - Save 25%!

We have obtained great deals on Powerboat magazine subscriptions.  This month we have a great deal on the popular 'Family & Performance Boating ' magazine. 
 
'Family & Performance Boating' magazine - Showcases sport and performance boats in ways never before seen, and provides performance enhancement solutions to better meet the power and handling demand of today's more knowledgeable enthusiast.  9 issues Published:  Seasonal  
Cover Rate: $35.91 Our Rate: $26.99 (25% savings!)

Get yours now at: http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/boating%20magazines%20discounts.html
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See you next time!

/Jimboat