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LAUNCH 12 | Boating Industry | March 2014 www.BoatingIndustry.com www.BoatingIndustry.com INDUSTRY NEWS just more than 4 hours. Torqeedo provides a 9-year, 80 percent capacity battery guarantee. The KONA 17 is available in two- and four-seat mod- els. The sport boat is a high-performance runabout with two bucket seats. The SportRIB is a 2+2 configuration with a rear bench seat, and incorporates the patent-pend- ing SCARIB Stability System (S3), inflatable collars that increase buoyancy to allow seating for four. Ruckmarine will market the system to green boaters and technology enthusiasts on the West Coast. TORQEEDO ENTERING YACHT MARKET In other Torqeedo news, the German-based company also announced the acquisition of Moonwave Systems GmbH. Torqeedo is expanding its product portfolio by entering the electric hybrid drive sector for yachts. The acquisition was announced at the Düsseldorf boat show in January. The newly developed systems will provide hybrid elec- tric propulsion and power all AC and DC house loads, in- cluding air conditioning and large, home-style appliances. Green energy from regeneration and solar panels will be fully integrated into the vessel's energy management sys- tem. Yachts equipped with the new hybrid drive system can travel silently, offer joystick docking and take advan- tage of noiseless, environmentally friendly energy sources while at anchor. The hybrid drive system integrates components from Torqeedo's Deep Blue product line and Moon- wave Systems. "This is a really significant step for marine hybrid sys- tems," said Dr. Christoph Ballin, CEO of Torqeedo GmbH. "Combining Moonwave's state-of-the-art system develop- ments with our high-tech propulsion systems, we can pro- vide a fully integrated solution for propulsion and energy management. All components have been designed to work together and have been tested in a complete system-setup. For complex hybrid systems, this is extremely important." Stephan Schambach, managing director of Moonwave Systems GmbH, on the merger with the market leader in electric propulsion said, "We founded Moonwave Sys- tems to offer the most advanced hybrid drive concept for yachts on the market. In recent months, we recognized that the best way of accomplishing that is through work- ing with Torqeedo. We're delighted to be realizing our concept and bringing it to market together with the team from Torqeedo." ROBALO LAUNCHES NEW 226 CAYMAN Sporting a retail price of $36,995 that includes a 150 hp Yamaha and a trailer, the 226 is the second in a three-boat Cayman Series that marks Robalo's entry into the increasingly popular bay boat fishing arena. The 206 Cayman was introduced last year and the flagship 246 Cayman is slated to hit the water in early spring. Sporting a 22-foot 6-inch centerline with a trailer-able 8-foot 6-inch beam, the 226 Cayman with its dry-riding freeboard and 15-degree variable deadrise bottom design is well suited for a wide variety of water conditions. Engine options up to a 250 hp Yamaha are available. The 226's distinct style lines, fit and finish and extensive fishing features are designed to appeal to tournament anglers and recreational fishermen. Other fishing features include twin 30-gallon live wells, lockable rod storage, wide walk-able gunwales and dual casting decks. Additionally, the 226 is one of the few boats in this size range with a fully-enclosed walk-down compartment that serves as a privacy head with the addition of an optional Porta-Pottie. Rigged to meet the rigors of saltwater environments, the 226 has Kevlar reinforced construction, stainless steel hardware and a ceramic cored transom for added strength and durability. MARINE BANKERS CHANGES NAME TO NATIONAL MARINE LENDERS ASSOCIATION Based on member feedback from the 2012 annual conference, the National Marine Bankers Association board of directors recommended the association changes its name and members recently approved the name change at the association's annual meeting. "The new name, National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA), more ac- curately describes the entire U.S. marine lending community. We are very ex- cited about the change as it better reflects our current marine lending member base," said NMLA president Michael Bryant, "and should assist with expand- ing the NMLA to a broader group of lenders that provide credit to boaters, dealers, and manufacturers of recreational boats." NMLA was founded in 1979 as the National Marine Bankers Association. It is a dynamic group of marine industry leaders whose main goal is to edu- cate current and prospective lenders in marine financing procedures. Marine financing today is widely available throughout the United States due to the efforts of the NMBA. Marine lenders offer a variety of loans and loan products including retail Continued from page 11 P08x13-BI14MAR-Launch.indd 12 2/7/14 10:38 AM