| In
the last 10 years, Power Boating Canada has been on
the forefront of the boating industry delivering the
lifestyle to readers coast to coast.
This issue marks 20 years completed as
Canada's leading publication for boating enthusiasts.
As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, the editorial
staff reviewed the archives that hold the story of
Power Boating Canada and the evolution of family boating.
As the boating industry evolved, our coverage of the
latest in design and technology chronicled the changes.
There's no better example of the advancement in technology
than the offerings from outboard and sterndrive manufacturers.
Mercury Marine and Mercury Racing kept the hulls of
recreational and performance boats reaching top speeds
with the introduction of its 300, 350 and 496 Magnum
series of sterndrives, not to mention the many high-powered
big blocks ranging from 500 to 1075 horses! Volvo
Penta, too, gave a new meaning to diesel power with
its KAD and D 500 series. This year, the company introduced
its Inboard Propulsion System (IPS) offering even
more performance for recreational boaters.
Other significant news of course, includes four-stroke
technology. New emission standards and regulations
meant cleaner V-6 power, while not sacrificing power
and performance. Yamaha dazzled the industry at the
turn of 2001 with its F225, the world's first 225
hp V-6 four-stroke outboard. It wasn't too long, however,
before Honda Marine launched its hefty BF225 hp while
Suzuki Marine made headlines with its DF series of
V-6 four-strokes, which ranged from 200 hp to 250
hp. Other big news included Mercury Marine's Verado
four-strokes, with a 200 hp, 225 hp, 250 hp and a
275 hp plus Bombardier Recreational Products' new
line of Evinrude E-TEC outboards, which introduced
technology never seen before in the industry.
Since 1995, more poker runs have been added to the
performance roster, including Casino du Lac-Leamy
and Alexandria Bay, New York. Our power events have
also attracted many more participants. In fact, the
1000 Islands Poker Run, which is once again hosted
in Kingston, Ontario, has seen attendance soar up
to more than 140 boats! But one unforgettable event,
which was introduced in 2002 and is now in its third
year, is Power Boating Canada's live and silent auction
for the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation. To
date the event has raised more than $200,000! Power
Boating Canada has even been involved with many other
events including the ever-popular Ontario Place Offshore
Challenge and the UIM Offshore World Championship
in Toronto, Ontario, where we produced the official
show program.
The Canadian marine industry has also seen many changes.
The biggest news in the last 20 years was the fall
of the Outboard Marine Cooperation in late 2000, causing
an alarm for dealers and manufacturers across North
America. It wasn't long however, before Genmar Industries
and Bombardier Inc. stepped up to the plate to bid
on the assets of OMC. In the end, Bombardier won the
bid for the line of Evinrude and Johnson Outboards,
while Genmar purchased the majority of such popular
lines including Four Winns, Seaswirl, Hydra-Sports,
Chris Craft, Sea Nymph and Stratos boat lines.
Just last year, the Brunswick Boat Group made headlines
after purchasing three aluminum fishing boats lines,
Crestliner, Lowe and Lund, for $191 million. The agreement
also included an additional $30 million potential
earn-out. And as we go to press in 2005, the company
has attracted the attention of the media once again
after acquiring Sea Pro Boats Inc. and Sea Boss LLC,
for approximately $51 million (USD). From what we
have heard so far, the Sea Pro, Sea Boss and Palmetto
brands will join the ranks of Brunswick's Boston Whaler
division to form a new Saltwater Boat Group. This
is certainly exciting news and be sure to read more
about this acquisition in our next issue.
Our team is constantly developing new concepts for
articles to expand your knowledge and enjoyment of
family boating. In the issues to come you will see
a new vision within our pages, with enhanced coverage
of topics of interest to Canadian boaters from coast
to coast.
So sit back, relax, and share the nostalgia as we
reprise our favourite moments from the first 20 years!
...
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