Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/231507
/// Market Trends /// s ales of jet-powered boats fell steadily throughout the last year, partially due to Bombardier Recreational Products' [BRP] surprising decision in late 2012 to abandon production of its Sea-Doo jet boats. Almost a year later, this past September, Sea Ray announced it would no longer enter the jet boat market after going so far as showing off prototype models to dealers and consumers. With this recent history, reasonable market observers might think this is the end of the marine industry's nearly 60-year foray into jet technology. Logical as it may seem, they would be wrong. Starting this year, a new wave of jet models are coming out from major manufacturers that marks a significant reinvestment into the alternative, high-performance power source that is set to shake up the entire marine industry once again. Welcome back to the jet age. Growing ranks Jet-powered boats have been around since the 1950s, but didn't go mainstream until the big manufacturers jumped in and sales of personal watercraft and jet boats took off in the 1990s. Their allure remains the same as it always has been: thrilling acceleration, a more compact powertrain and the lack of a spinning propeller off the stern. Yamaha and Sea-Doo were the primary players in the jet boat market until Sea-Doo's exit in 2012. Even before Sea-Doo left the category ahead of its parent company's initial public offering last spring, jet-powered boats have comprised a small fraction of the marine market. Combined with personal watercraft, however, jet propulsion accounts for nearly 45 per- cent of the American powerboat market. According to data provided by Info-Link, annual jet boat sales have hovered between 3,300 and 4,000 since 2009. Sales declined 15.6 percent over 2012 through June of 2013 with a total of 3,396 units sold. Even without sales growth, the last 12 months have seen an explosion in interest in the technology from major boat builders including Rec Boat Holdings, Marine Products Corporation and Sea Ray, which ultimately decided against entering the market after much speculation. Following its departure, BRP agreed to license its jet powertrains to both Rec Boat Holdings and Marine Products Corporation, and it's possible BRP may sell the technology to even more companies in the future. However it plays out, the marine industry is set up for an unprecedented introduction of jet-powered boats that will shake up the market and, according to experts, will likely spur innovation to further advance the industry's latest jet revolution. Rec Boat Holdings leading the pack Roch Lambert, group president at Rec Boat Holdings, has had a wild eight months since his company announced that it was entering the jet boat market with the re-launch of the Scarab brand last May. RBH showed off its products to consumers for the first time at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show in October. Three jet-powered Scarabs, as well as the Glastron GT187 had already begun rolling down the assembly line a few weeks earlier, and the first models were delivered to dealerships shortly thereafter. Three entirely new Scarab models are all variants of the initial 195: Standard, HO and Impulse. Standard, the base model, will be powered by a 200-horsepower Rotax engine, while the HO and Impulse, the sportiest model, will be powered by 250 hp engines — all licensed from BRP. The Impulse will include a tower and be dressed in bolder, more energetic color schemes to appeal to a young or young-at-heart demographic with names like Laser Red, Sunburst Orange and Vivid Green. The Standard and HO will both be available in black or blue colorations. Glastron's GT187 model is a spinoff of an existing runabout design, sporting a redesigned hull to accommodate the jet propulsion system. Lambert is particularly excited about the styling of the Scarab models. The bright colors and sharp angles take a cue from the company's recent move toward sportier designs, as evidenced by the latest SS and RS from Four Winns and the Glastron GTS series. Speaking about the accelerated timeline from announcement to production, he said the company "didn't have any time for Yamaha has been building jet boats since the 1990s, and will now face a range of energized competitors that it expects will advance innovation in the category. www.BoatingIndustry.com P32x38-BI14JAN-MarketTrends.indd 33 January 2014 | Boating Industry | 33 12/18/13 10:06 AM