Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/467551
LAUNCH 10 | Boating Industry | March 2015 www.BoatingIndustry.com SEARCH SCORECARD Dominion Marine Media collects data via its Boat Trader, boats.com and YachtWorld websites, which average more than 4 million unique visitors per month. In this issue, we provide a look at the top- viewed brands over the last two fourth quarters, 2013 and 2014. For more information, visit dominionmarinemedia.com. SAME-STORE SALES REPORT Brand Views* Sea Ray 481,000 Boston Whaler 258,000 Chris-Craft 219,000 Grady-White 216,000 Bayliner 198,000 Carver 132,000 Wellcraft 120,000 Formula 105,000 Regal 85,000 Tracker 82,000 TOP VIEWED BRANDS IN Q4 January same-store sales retracted 1.5 percent from the previous year. Service contributed heavily to the decrease, down 13.5 percent from January 2014. Sales decreased marginally at 1.1 percent. Parts saw the only increase, now up 7.0 percent year-over-year. Parts Service Department Department Major Units Overall 13.5% For more information on this report and other industry data, go to cdkglobalrecreation.com/dataservices 1.5% *Combined totals for Q4 2013 and Q4 2014 7.0% 1.1% The expansion comes as part of a $10 million investment by the company into new products, technologies and capabilities. Additionally, Whaler has created more than 120 jobs in the last 12 months, said Bower. WEST MARINE CFO RESIGNS West Marine announced in January that the company's board of directors had ac- cepted the resignation of Thomas R. Moran from his position as executive vice presi- dent, chief financial officer and assistant secretary. His departure does not result from any disagreement with the company's Board of Directors or management on any matter relating to its operations, policies or account- ing practices, the company said. "On behalf of the management team and our Board of Directors, I thank Tom for his hard work and many contributions over his 8 years of service to the company. Tom has helped position us to continue to execute on our growth strategies, and he leaves a strong finance team that can oversee and steward West Marine. We all wish the best for Tom," said CEO Matt Hyde. The West Marine board has appointed Deborah Ajeska, West Marine's divisional vice president and controller, as the company's principal financial officer to perform Moran's duties until a new CFO is appointed. YAMAHA MARINE GROUP UNVEILS SIX NEW OUTBOARDS Yamaha Marine Group announced the introduction of six new outboards during the Minneapolis Boat Show to support the company's continued emphasis on further expansion into the freshwater market and Midwest region. Headlining the new product release are four additions to the V MAX SHO out- board family, all of which are compact, light weight and capable of performance typi- cally associated with two strokes, but with the convenience, fuel efficiency and quiet operation of a four stroke, the company said. The new V MAX SHO 115, aimed at smaller freshwater boats, and the new V MAX SHO 175, aimed at midsize freshwater boats, round out the horsepower offer- ings of the V MAX SHO family, which already includes V MAX SHO 150, 200, 225 and 250 models. The new V MAX SHO 150 X-Shaft and V MAX SHO 250 X-Shaft are the first members of the V MAX SHO family to feature a 25-inch shaft length, making them ideal for pontoons, multispecies fish boats, and larger bay boats. Each of the new outboards allows Yamaha's V MAX SHO family to integrate with more boat types, and meet the needs of more freshwater boaters. Yamaha Marine also unveiled an updated version of its most popular outboard model, the 2.7-liter F150. The outboard gets a new pan and cowl styling with an eight-tooth clutch dog that shifts smoother than the previous six-tooth design. The updated F150 will be available in models with a 20- or 25-inch shaft, as well as a 25- inch left-hand-rotating model and a jet model. Yamaha also introduced a refreshed version of its F8 portable outboard with a shortened tiller handle and updated look. The new F8 will be available in models with a 15-inch shaft and a 20-inch shaft. INDUSTRY NEWS Continued from page 9