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Summer Fever Pandemic To Follow Frigid Winter

Posted: 3/31/2011

The 2011 Yamaha VX Cruiser is the industry’s top-selling personal watercraft.

(NAPSI)- For most of the United States, it has been a long, cold winter. Many cities, in fact, reported their coldest, wettest winters in history, which experts say is the source of a “Summer Fever” pandemic not seen in decades.

Summer Fever symptoms include a sudden urge to indulge in new experiences and find new sources of fun. It’s akin to the feeling of freedom after the last day of school.

Although Summer Fever is not great news for employers in terms of productivity, it’s a boon for boat dealers who provide the means to indulge in all that summer fun. And interest is already starting to take hold, as evidenced by winter boat shows around the country reporting attendance jumps upwards of 14 percent compared to previous years.

This trend could benefit companies that make products focused on making it easy for first-time buyers to enter the boating market. One such company is Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, which sells personal watercraft under the WaveRunner brand and runabout boats 21 and 24 feet in length. Yamaha’s focus on value and cost control has helped the brand become the best-selling personal watercraft in the industry today as well as the best-selling boats in the 20- to 25-foot category.

According to Bryan Seti, national marketing manager for Yamaha Watercraft, WaveRunner and boat sales are exceeding 2010−2011 projections, with most boat show markets reporting double-digit sales increases.

“Following this brutal winter, all eyes are already on the summer months. And this comes as consumer savings are at a high not seen in many years and interest rates remain very low,” said Seti. “Visitor traffic on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels is buzzing with activity, which we see as a clear indication that people are ready for summer, and they are excited to get outdoors and recreate with the family.”

Erin Shaughnessy, producer for the recreational boating website Best of Boating, concurs with Seti. “Our visitor traffic is at an all- time high, which is a good sign for the boating industry, which has been beaten up during the last few years. Boat buyers are still looking for a great value and low cost of ownership, which are areas where companies like Yamaha have a distinct advantage.”

A recent survey of Best of Boating visitors shows that boat and personal watercraft buyers are thinking with their left brain when it comes to a pending boat purchase.

“Our visitors have become more rational when it comes to paying for unnecessary features and more analytical when it comes to comparing brand reliability, fuel efficiency and the daily cost of operation,” said Shaughnessy. “For 2011, less is more.”

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