boating-industry.com

Watch Captain, the only Microsoft.D.

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Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information
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com, Watch Captain, SHURflo and the Marine Retailers
Association of America. Visit http://www ., Virginia Beach, Va. As a Microsoft Certified Partner,
Watch Captain can offer its customers the advantage of Microsoft's continuous
research and development as well as the ease of a true Windows -based
application. Customers who get their boats fixed right the first
time are 60 percent more satisfied with their dealers and boats overall.

Pontoon segment
With significant year -over-year gains in customer satisfaction, Manitou
receives its first award, ranking highest in the pontoon boat segment.D. Additional information is available at
http://www.

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GE Commercial Distribution Finance, Hoffman Estates, Ill.com each month to
shop more than 100,000 new and used boats by brand, boat type, dealer, region
or price. Through innovative product design, superior
service and close customer relationships, SHURflo's solutions support the
growth of the marine industry and ensure the satisfaction of boaters around
the world. Regal, with substantial gains from 2005, and
Rinker follow Sea Ray in the rankings, respectively.
Bennington, Premier, Harris FloteBote and Aqua Patio, respectively, follow
Manitou in the rankings.D.

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"
"While most industry awards are given to those dealers that sell the most
boats, our Top 100 program will be much more qualitatively focused," said Matt
Gruhn, Editor-in-Chief of Boating Industry, "thereby leveling the playing
field for all dealers and directing consumers to those dealers that can best
deliver on the dream that boat ownership promises. A commitment to quality is at the heart of SHURflo's success ,
beginning in the company's state-of-the art product testing and quality
control labs at its Cypress , Calif. In
particular, we see a substantial decline in quality in the pontoon and bass
boat segments .

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, GE Commercial
Finance, Yamaha, boats.evinrude.com

boats.watchcaptain., Bass Cat, Correct Craft,
Cobalt, Grady-White, Manitou, Regal and Sea Ray rank highest in customer
satisfaction in seven boat segments included in the J.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a )
The study, now in its fifth year, measures owner satisfaction with new
boats among 78 boat brands in seven segments: ski/wakeboard, fiberglass bass
boats, small runabouts (16 to 19 feet), large runabouts (20 to 29 feet),
coastal fishing (17 to 28 feet), pontoons and express cruisers (24 to
33 feet). The study finds that service is done correctly just
77 percent of the time.

The 2006 Boat Competitive Information Study is based on responses from
12,255 owners who registered a new boat between June 2004 and May 2005.

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To help bring the Boating Industry Top 100 to life, Ehlert Publishing
Group , the magazine's parent company, created the Leadership Alliance -- an
elite group of the marine industry 's leading suppliers., has
been delivering quality recreational experiences for people around the world
for more than six decades. In 2001 Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines
joined the Bombardier family, and in 2003 after extensive R+D, the company
released Evinrude E-TEC, which revolutionized the outboard engine industry., creates
customized financing programs to help manufacturers sell more products and
dealers stock optimal levels of inventory to drive more sales. Visit:
http://www ., has quickly become a leader in product
quality and technology by providing superior value and customer satisfaction.
Six boat brands have been added to the study for 2006: Sailfish, Parker
and Sea Boss are included in the coastal fishing segment; Champion in the bass
boat segment; and Sunchaser and Bentley in the pontoon segment. Following Grady-White in
the rankings are Triton, Parker, Scout and Sailfish, respectively. Sales in 2005 were
$6.

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MINNEAPOLIS, Buying and servicing a boat is about
to become a much easier task for consumers around the country when Boating
Industry magazine announces its inaugural Top 100 Dealers, a ranking of those
marine dealers that are unsurpassed in overall business operations, customer
service, marketing and professionalism, later this fall.
BRP also produces such innovative products and brands as Sea-Doo watercraft
and sport boats, Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Rotax karts and engines and
Bombardier ATVs and utility vehicles. Visit: http: //www."
While marine sales and service is improving, it still lags substantially
behind other industries, including automotive.

Bass boat segment
For a second consecutive year , Bass Cat ranks highest in the bass boat
segment.D.

J.

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With more than
50 years of experience serving the marine industry, CDF supports its customers
with the industry's most knowledgeable staff and provides a single point of
contact for support. CDF is a recognized leader in the marine industry
because it is dedicated to helping customers improve cash flow and grow their
business though an array of financing programs and services.com

Yamaha Marine Group, Kennesaw, Ga .
The company has built a strong brand and loyal customer base in the marine
market for its outboard engines as well as its Skeeter, Century and G3 boat
brands. As an Internet marketplace, boats.com /default.
Ranger, Champion and Triton, respectively, follow Bass Cat in the segment
rankings.dadlani@jdpa .

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These companies were
invited to participate because they possess as one of their corporate values a
true belief in and commitment to raising the bar of professionalism across all
marine industry sectors, particularly for dealers. More than 1 million people visit boats.shurflo.com

The Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA) is the leading
not-for-profit organization aimed at promoting the recreational marine
industry and the welfare of the marine retailer.asp?ID=2006026

About J.

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Visit: http://www.boats.

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Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP US, Inc.Net-based dealer management technology
built specifically for the marine industry, makes life easier for dealers by
streamlining everyday business processes. As a result, not only
are dealers better informed, they are able to better manage their resources,
serve their customers and sell more boats. The association raises the
standards of retailing within the industry, provides its members a common
source of information concerning all aspects of marine retailing and serves as
the voice within the industry and in Washington regarding issues concerning
marine dealers nationwide. Overall customer satisfaction index scores are based on performance
in nine categories: cabin; engine; ride/handling; helm/instrument panel;
design/styling; sound system; maintenance; water sports; and fishing.

Coastal fishing segment (17 to 28 feet)
Grady-White ranks highest in the coastal fishing segment for a fifth
consecutive time, receiving the highest segment ratings in the areas of engine
and ride/handling, as well as sales satisfaction.D.0 billion.com. http://www .

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SHURflo has been the marine industry's leading supplier of plumbing
products for more the 20 years. Visit:
http://www.jdpower.

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"Marine dealers are on the front line with
consumers every day, and this is one way we can help provide much needed
benchmarking information for all other dealers to measure themselves against.
Boating Industry magazine, along with the Leadership Alliance , will
announce the 2005 Top 100 at an invitation-only gala awards ceremony in Las
Vegas on November 10, 2005.com/news/releases/pressrelease., J. J. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews Peter Dadlani
Director, Media Relations Supervisor, Media Relations
Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif.

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com has distinguished itself as one of the most effective and
convenient pathways for boat dealers, builders and resellers to get in front
of boat seekers.
"We are seeing a lot of success in the ski/wakeboard segment in attracting
new boaters, while pontoons have declined substantially in this area," said
Sorensen .mcgraw-hill.

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"The Boating Industry Top 100 will, in short order, become the most
coveted award in the marine market," explained Tammy Galvin, Group Publisher
for Ehlert's trade magazines .Send2Press. On a positive note, it appears some of the industry
initiatives to improve dealer satisfaction are working, with trending
continuously improving over the past four years. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif. Power and Associates is an
ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in
key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting,
training and customer satisfaction.

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yamaha-motor.com is a 24/7 virtual showroom
for its dealers and builders. boats.html

This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by
Send2Press(TM), a unit of Neotrope(R).
"This is the first dip in product satisfaction that we've seen in five
years," said Eric Sorensen, director of the marine practice. However, fewer than one-half of
the dealers are offering their customers a test ride, which is a simple way to
improve overall sales and product satisfaction.
While the industry is making efforts to grow boating , there has actually
been a decline in the percentage of first-time buyers, falling from 28 percent
of all respondents in 2003 to 26 percent in 2006. Bass Cat, Ranger and Champion all receive a boost from using
high-technology, high-horsepower engines.

Express cruiser segment (24 to 33 feet)
With particularly high ratings in product quality, owner loyalty and
dealer sales and service, Sea Ray ranks highest among express cruiser boats
for a fourth consecutive time.com

(i) Not all segments include every factor.

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, headquarters.

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Bass Cat Correct Craft Cobalt Grady-White Manitou Regal and Sea Ray Rank Highest in Satisfying New-Boat Owners

(248) 312-4119 (805) 418-8103
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In 2000, the company introduced its High Pressure Direct Injection
technology that swept the top three industry awards for innovation, design and
engineering -- the marine equivalent of racing's Triple Crown.newscom .(i)
The study finds that as expectations among new-boat owners increase,
overall customer satisfaction has declined in five of seven boat segments. Four Winns, Crownline, Sea Ray and Glastron ,
respectively, follow Regal in the segment rankings. The firm's quality and satisfaction
measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.
Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

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http://mraa.
All of the boat segments decline in product satisfaction , with the exception
of large runabouts and express cruisers, which improve slightly from 2005. Cobalt leads the segment by a wide margin, receiving the highest
ratings in all seven feature categories . Regal, Crownline, Sea Ray and
Chaparral, respectively, follow Cobalt. Correct Craft is followed in the segment rankings by MasterCraft,
which records considerable improvements in overall satisfaction from 2005.

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That exposure results in significant numbers of
qualified leads and ultimately more boats sold.com is owned by Trader
Publishing Co. Power and Associates
2006 Boat Competitive Information Study(SM) released today.
(Logo: http://www.

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-based
Affinity Group Inc. "This drop is
driven in part by an increase in the number of reported problems per boat.jdpower.

This category is for sites offering online sales of all types of boats.

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, is the most authoritative and widely respected magazine
serving the marine industry.gecommercialfinance. A more recent
award-winning and industry-defining introduction is the F225, the world's
first V6 four-stroke outboard.

Ski/wakeboard segment
Correct Craft ranks highest in the ski/wakeboard segment for a fourth
consecutive time, receiving the highest ratings in five of seven feature
categories. Power and Associates.
The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries.D.

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Boating Industry Magazine Announces 2005 Top 100 and Leadership Alliance

"
The 2005 Leadership Alliance members include: BRP US Inc. Visit: http://www. Dealer Performance Improves While Customer Product Satisfaction Declines

WESTLAKE VILLAGE , Calif. Bass Cat also receives the highest index score in the study.

Bass Boat Segment Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Bass Cat 925
Ranger 899
Champion 880
Triton 873
Skeeter 861
Bass Boat Segment Average 861
Stratos 836
Nitro 829

Coastal Fishing Segment Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Grady-White 888
Triton 871
Parker 838
Scout 833
Sailfish 831
Century 815
Hydra -Sports 814
Boston Whaler 809
Polar 809
Cobia 802
Sea Hunt 802
Coastal Fishing Segment Average 800
Key West 798
Triumph 795
Seaswirl 793
Aquasport 788
Pro-Line 778
Wellcraft 771
Angler 761
Trophy 746
Sea Boss 741
Sea Fox 739

Express Cruiser Segment Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Sea Ray 809
Regal 807
Rinker 792
Express Cruiser Segment Average 773
Chaparral 743
Bayliner 727

Pontoon Segment Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Manitou 835
Bennington 832
Premier 829
Harris FloteBote 818
Aqua Patio 813
G3 811
Crest 808
Lowe 797
Sweetwater 796
Weeres 794
Pontoon Segment Average 790
Playbuoy 778
Starcraft 774
Bentley 768
Odyssey 763
SunTracker 720

Small Runabout Segment Ranking (16 to 19 feet)
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Regal 822
Four Winns 793
Crownline 788
Sea Ray 762
Glastron 761
Stingray 754
Larson 744
Small Runabout Segment Average 742
Chaparral 739
Maxum 714
Tahoe 714
Bayliner 710

Large Runabout Segment Ranking (20 to 29 feet)
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Cobalt 896
Regal 832
Crownline 829
Sea Ray 827
Chaparral 817
Baja 816
Four Winns 816
Large Runabout Segment Average 813
Rinker 808
Monterey 804
Stingray 799
Larson 785
Maxum 769
Bayliner 749

Ski/Wakeboard Segment Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Manufacturer Index Score
Correct Craft 911
MasterCraft 906
Ski/Wakeboard Segment Average 875
Malibu 873
Tige 862
Moomba 828

A PDF version of this ranking chart is available at:
http://www.D. Power and
Associates.

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Through lean manufacturing
and a continuous process improvement and a team-oriented culture, SHURflo's
market and customer responsiveness is unsurpassed .com

Small runabout segment (16 to 19 feet)
Regal ranks highest in the small runabout boat segment with the strongest
performance yet seen in this segment, improving substantially in satisfaction
and quality from 2005.

Large runabout segment (20 to 29 feet)
Cobalt ranks highest in the large runabout segment for a fifth consecutive
time.

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Meet the 2005 Leadership Alliance:

Boating Industry magazine, a 76-year-old business-to-business publication
owned by Ehlert Publishing Group, a subsidiary of Ventura, Calif.), Sturtevant, Wis. Visit http://www. Watch Captain, Marion, Mass.,
technology integrates every aspect of the business, from point-of-purchase and
sales functions to service and inventory management. http://www.
However, a positive trend with dealer performance continues as customers rate
their experiences higher than in past years.

The dealership is a crucial
component of the boat manufacturer's success. One of the reasons is a
frequent inability to fix the boat right the first time it is brought to the
dealer for service .com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in
this release without the express prior written consent of J.

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