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ABPE has announced an intensified focus on promoting ‘Performance
Boating’, with an agenda of powerboating action set
to happen in 2007.
We will be running a ‘Promotion Boat
Programme’ using a Mercruiser powered, Sunsation Dominator
32, in events around the country. The awesome 9.75mtr boat,
powered by twin 320hp Mercruiser MX 6.2 MPI engines with Bravo
One drives, has a top speed in excess of 70mph.
The as yet un-named boat is the ‘Official
Start-Boat’ for the 2007 AOPC, Australian Offshore Racing
Series. So look out for it during the six 30 minute ‘Speed
Week’ episodes dedicated to the series. While promoting
performance boating at all levels, an objective of this engagement
is to promote the ‘Production Class’ in the series.
Beyond the six race, offshore series, the boat, hauled by
an equally awesome ‘Corvette Queensland’ GMC truck,
will be seen at Rallies, Poker-Run events and many of the
major Boat Shows during the season.
This is as much about promoting performance boating as it
is about Sunsation boats. There are now several world-class
Australian performance boat manufacturers, as well as a swell
in the number of importers of the very top ‘hot boat’
brands. There is a momentum of interest, more events being
staged and a realisation that this is a great alternative
sport for those who are not into fishing. It’s a huge
commitment for me, but there is no bigger motivation than
doing what I love.
ABPE will extend this commitment to supporting
the buyer of the present Sunsation demo boat – if it
is entered in the 2007 Australian Offshore Challenge! This
event, also called the ‘Bass Strait Rally’ is
a social navigation event of five legs, over eleven days from
Hobart to Melbourne. I really wanted to run in this event
myself but the start clashes with one of the races. I may
join for the run home along the Victoria coast, but I really
would like a Sunsation to start in Hobart. If the buyer of
the Sunsation 288 demo boat – which is powered by a
single 496HO Mercruiser with a Bravo One X drive and reaches
65mph – will commit to entering the event, I will drop
the price substantially and pay the entry fee.
News Update
The last few weeks (months!) have seen me
trying to tie-up the outstanding jobs and recruit the right
person to take over the service and repair business of ABPE.
The problem is that some of the jobs never end!
The evenings and weekends have been taken
up with the planning and organising of the 2007 Promotion
Boat Programme. It has been an exceptionally hard slog writing
endless letters and e-mails, to accompany the proposals, inviting
commercial partners (sponsors) to consider an involvement.
Anyone who has tried to recruit sponsors for a race team knows
what this is all about!
I am receiving fantastic support from Corvette
Queensland but you know how things never go according to plan!
The new dark blue GMC 2500 diesel crew-cab got held up in
some investigation in the US and while it actually came to
Brisbane on the ship, the permits to unload were refused (along
with 23 other vehicles) and it went back to the US!! Undeterred
we have settled on a white extended-cab that is currently
being up-graded. It has the 496 (8.1ltr) big-block petrol
and will have 20” wheels, Hella rally lamps, Denali
headlamps, Corsa exhaust, polished alloy side-steps and a
few more show and go tricks.
I still have the 288 Sunsation and it may
be that I will use it for the Victoria events before the 32
Dominator is ready. I would love to sell the 288 in Victoria
rather than bring it back to Qld – any takers ??
Check here regularly for more news and comment.
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