Boats, marine and boating trends

Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 14, 2006 -- Siemens VDO will be offering boat builders, marine outfitters and engine manufacturers even greater flexibility in future. As successor to the Ocean Line series, the company is presenting its new generation of instruments, the Viewline series, at Mets (Marine Equipment Trade Show) in Amsterdam (November 14 -16, 2006). Conceived for all analogue engine monitoring and navigation sensor systems for motorboats and yachts, it is based on a completely new, standardized platform. In addition to the portfolio of standard engine monitoring and navigation instruments, this platform will, in future, offer boat builders and engine manufacturers a range of space-saving clusters and multi-function instruments. All Viewline instruments are easy to install and are available in a wide range of designs.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Mo., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xtreme Companies, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: XTME) today announced that it will be exhibiting at the 29th Annual St. Petersburg Boat Show from November 16 - 19. With over 600 boats on display, the St. Petersburg Boat Show is the largest on Florida's Gulf Coast. The City of St. Petersburg operates the state's largest marina with 610 slips.

Xtreme CEO Laurie Phillips added, "Exhibiting at the major shows is a critical component of our marketing strategy. Coming off the heels of a successful showing in Ft. Lauderdale, we wanted to continue with our momentum in positioning ourselves within the geographically important Florida market which represents approximately 10% of the total U.S. boat market"; According to online boat publication sailmiami.com , "Florida has overtaken long-time leader Michigan as the state with the nation's most registered boats. Boating's growth is attributed to the Sunshine State's growing population, especially in coastal areas like its long-time boating-sailing capital, the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area."

About Xtreme Companies, Inc.    » read more »

Garmin also announces two-year warranty on all marine radar units

OLATHE, Kan., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , today announced the new 4kW Garmin(R) GMR(TM) 18 - a space-saving 18-inch radar that is twice as powerful as most other radars in its price and size range. The product was introduced today at the 2006 Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam."Garmin's latest radome is a breakthrough in marine radar design," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "With four thousand watts of transmit power and an unsurpassed range for its class, the GMR 18 represents the pinnacle of innovation. And with a small 18-inch footprint, it's easy to mount on almost any boat."

The GMR 18 features a 5-degree horizontal and 25-degree vertical beamwidth, which allow for accurate target acquisition and separation. The GMR 18 has a best-in-class range of 36 nautical miles (nm).

With the GMR 18 all radar data is digitally processed within the radome via a digital signal processor, and is dynamically presented on a Garmin Marine Network(TM) compatible chartplotter/multifunction display (MFDs). Digital processing allows for more precise recognition, enhancement, and filtering of radar echoes - making the finished display easier to read and interpret.    » read more »

State-of-the-art chartplotters, sonar, and cartography

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , today announced a new and completely redesigned line of chartplotters, sonar, and charting that offers powerful features, state-of-the-art satellite photo-generated cartography, and a sleek user interface and design. The products were introduced today at the 2006 Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam.

"Garmin's 2007 marine lineup will have the world talking," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "Our new chartplotters feature a streamlined user interface that makes it simple to access important data as well as an eye-popping worldwide satellite imagery basemap. With our new optional BlueChart(R) g2 Vision(TM) data, boaters now have access to high- res aerial photomapping, 3D views above and below the waterline, and auto guidance technology to suggest the best routes for passage."    » read more »

CHICAGO, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NAVTEQ (NYSE:NVT) , a leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, announced today from the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show it has been selected by Lowrance Electronics, a leading brand in marine electronics and GPS navigational systems, to provide NAVTEQ(R) map data for the United States and Canada in its new iWAY 600c and iWAY 250c personal navigation devices (PNDs).

Expanding on its SEMA awarding winning iWAY line of mobile navigation products, Lowrance's new iWAY 600c and iWAY 250c models combine the essentials of an in-dash system with the convenience of a portable device. Dual routing capability allows consumers to navigate both streets and waterways. Turn-by- turn voice guidance accompanies visual cues to enhance the user experience. Each iWAY boasts a high resolution color touch-screen display for optimal viewing of NAVTEQ map data. In addition, both PNDs feature built-in MP3 players and JPEG picture viewers.    » read more »

The Sony Xplod(R) Sound Expression Showcase Features Sony's New 2007 Xplod In-car Entertainment and Marine Products

LAS VEGAS, SEMA Booth #11066, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Start your engines -- Sony's mobile electronics showroom at the Specialty Equipment Market Association's annual tradeshow features spankin' new 2007 Xplod and Marine products, plus PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system where attendees can view a demo of Gran Turismo(TM) HD, inside a fully-laced Scion xA. Sony's centerpiece Scion is one of 24 customized rides parked near 14 new Xplod products on display. Sony Xplod equipment is featured in 59 vehicles at the show.

In It to Win It

"This year, we added two outdoor sections," said Brennan Mullin, general manager for mobile electronics at Sony Electronics. "Combined with our indoor showroom, we have the largest square footage in the North Hall. We've got something for everyone -- from the SPEED Channel's "Street Tuner Challenge" Mustang to a vintage low rider."

All My Friends Know the Low Rider    » read more »

Navman Hits $379 Price Point With Full-Featured Navigator

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Navman, a leading designer and manufacturer of world-class Global Positioning System (GPS), communication and marine products, announced today a new entry-level addition to its award-winning line of in-vehicle navigation products, the Navman F20. Preloaded with detailed street maps of the U.S. and packed with all of the features necessary for reliable navigation, the F20 breaks new ground with sub-$400 pricing. Designed with the latest in GPS technology, a sleek new form factor and a colorful new user interface, the Navman F20 is the perfect way for anyone who travels to experience the powerful benefits of GPS navigation.

"It is important for first time users to have a navigation product they can easily understand and completely trust," said Kent Dickerson, director of sales, Navman USA. "Right out of the box, the F20 is ready to use, providing drivers with all of the features they need, in a simple product -- at an affordable price."    » read more »

KENNESAW, Ga., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Yamaha Marine Group today launched a promotion designed to help authorized participating Yamaha outboard dealers continue sales momentum into the fall by offering customers Yamaha Extended Service contracts when they buy certain eligible new two- and four-stroke Yamaha outboards.

Yamaha's "Why Wait?" Y.E.S. Promotion, which runs from Sept. 15 through Nov. 21, 2006, offers a three-year Yamaha Extended Service contract benefit (choice offered in Florida is a 36-month Yamaha Limited Warranty), worth up to $2,600, at no additional cost to the buyer of Yamaha's most popular models. They include new and eligible 75-250 hp four-stroke outboards and new and eligible150-300 hp two-stroke VMAX TM HPDI outboards. The outboards must be sold by the authorized participating dealer between the dates of September 15, 2006 and November 21, 2006. Eligible models must also have been manufactured with a model year of 2004, 2005 or have been manufactured since April 2005.

"The extended warranty promotion offers even more peace of mind to the boater, and it adds a great deal of season-end value to the purchase," said Dale Barnes, division manager for marketing at Yamaha Marine Group. "We think our dealers can use this selling tool to their advantage as we approach cooler weather."    » read more »

Honda Introduces the All-New BF90 and BF75 4-Stroke Marine Outboard Engines

TOKYO, Japan, September 13, 2006 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. introduced the all-new BF90 and BF75 medium-sized 1 4-stroke marine outboard engines. The two new models will go on sale through Honda’s outboard dealers in Japan on November 1, 2006.

The new BF90 and BF75 achieve outstanding clean exhaust performance that exceeds US California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions regulations for 2008 – the most stringent emissions standards in the world – while delivering superb performance, fuel efficiency and reliability. They are also the lightest, most compact models in their output category2 (90 to 100 PS).    » read more »

Honda BF90 4-stroke marine outboard engine

Date: Sept. 7, 2006 (***PREPARED FOR DELIVERY***), WASHINGTON – Good morning Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee. It is a pleasure to appear before you today to discuss the preparedness of the Coast Guard today compared to one year ago.

Introduction    » read more »