New Team Simrad Fishing Boat
January 2006 | www.simradyachtingusa.com
press release
New Team Simrad Fishing Boat Makes U.S. Debut at Miami International Boat Show, Will Hit SKA/Bluewater Tournament Circuit During 2006 Season
State-of-the-art Simrad marine electronics may have been one secret to the success of leading Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) tournament pros Mark Maus, Tripp Fletcher, Glen Keifer and Larry Parker—but it’s not likely to remain secret for long. Once they hit the water in their flashy new Team Simrad boat—a 38 Donzi ZF with three high-performance Mercury outboards—the whole world is going to know what brand of marine electronics they rely on.
This 900-horsepower offshore rocket is bristling with the latest in Simrad navigation, fishfinding, autosteering and communications electronics. Her electronics suite—tailored for the specific requirements and challenges of offshore tournament fishing—includes a 15” CX54 NavStation System with C-MAP MAX-compatible GPS/chart/plotter, powerful dual-frequency echosounder and 12kW radar, along with a secondary 7” CX34 NavStation, AP26 autopilot and two RD68 VHF radios. However, it’s the eye-popping graphics and SIMRAD name in three-foot-tall letters that will probably give it away. The entire hull is ”wrapped” on both sides with bold custom graphics (created by Sarasota, Florida-based SignZoo) featuring billfish, tuna, navigation screens and other nautical design elements.
These new members of the Donzi/Mercury Racing Fishing Team have used and trusted Simrad marine electronics on previous boats. Years of fishing and winning with Simrad solidified their opinions that no other company offered the robust construction, performance and unique features to meet the demands of this high-impact, high-speed sport. ”Other electronics weren’t able to keep up with us—literally,” said team leader Maus. ”One one hand, I’m referring to the punishment these high-speed boats inflict on gear as we fly over the waves. But I also mean the ability to keep up by providing radar and navigation data updates quickly enough when our boat is running at eye-watering speeds,” explained Maus.
Simrad radars are the only ones to offer selectable high-speed antenna rotation for quicker, more precise updating of targets. This feature is an important safety advtange for high speed boats, allowing tournament anglers to race out to the fishing grounds in the most challenging conditions.” We can trust every piece of our Simrad electronics to provide the information and precise control we need to operate safely and effectively at high speeds—and that gives us an edge over the competition,” added Maus.”
We’re very excited about sponsoring Team Simrad and their awesome new Donzi/Mercury tournament boat,” said Simrad, Inc. Marketing Director Paul Comyns. ”We want to bring the advantages of our full line of marine electronics to the attention of serious offshore anglers everywhere—and I can hardly think of a better way to do it. The eye- catching graphics on this boat are so big and bold, you can’t miss the Sirmad message—even when it’s flying past at 70 mph,” added Comyns.
The new Team Simrad 38 Donzi will be competing in SKA tournaments around the country, as well as selected offshore billfish tournaments during 2006. It will also make appearances at major boating and fishing industry events, beginning with the 2006 Miami International Boat Show. For learn more about this new Simrad-sponsored boat or the entire line of professional quality Simrad marine electronics for fishermen, powerboaters and sailors, contact Simrad, Inc. at at 19210 33rd Avenue West, Suite A, Lynnwood, WA 98036. Telephone: (425) 778-8821. Or visit online at www.simradusa.com.