Yamaha racers are leading the charge after competing and winning Rounds two and three of the P1 AquaX Tour Series, according to a piece on the Yamaha website.
Eric Francis, Brian Baldwin, and Nicolas Rius won motos in Round 2, which was held in St. Petersburg,FL June 17th and 18th. The three of them rode Yamaha GP1800s. However, the Yamaha FX SVHO rider, Chris MacClugage grabbed second place in all three motos and took first overall in the competition. MacClugage’s first place finish catapulted him into the number one slot in world rankings.
Round 3 was held July 1st and 2cd in Sarasota, Florida. Yamaha rider Brian Baldwin finished first in the overall. Only two motos were held at this event due to extenuating circumstances. Baldwin rode his Yamaha GP1800 to the win. Cyrille Lemoine finished third overall. Lemoine also rode a Yamaha GP1800.
Yamaha GP1800 team rider Mike Klippenstein helped the squad take the top 5 positions. After the completion of three rounds of the tour, Yamaha’s Chris MacClugage, Brian Baldwin, and Eric Francis have the top 3 positions wrapped up in the overall ratings.
Since the 2015 addition of the P1 AquaX Enduro Pro class, the Yamaha team has remained undefeated. It looks like the team is on track to continue its dominance. We’ll see what happens as round 4 of the series unfolds next month in Islamorada, Florida. Team Yamaha is definitely in it to win it!
The Sport Spec class has been a popular racing class dating back to the early 1990s. It has recently shown a huge resurgence of interest over the past five years. So what’s all the hype about racing these smaller older boats? Sport Spec racer Ricky Hinch will tell you that when he first saw a WaveBlaster he knew he had to have one. “The challenge of riding the smaller machines makes for a rush unlike any other,” Hinch said. He also has a 2015 turbocharged Sea-Doo RXP-X producing an estimated 400-horsepower, and an Ultra 260X, as well. He admits, “Although they are fast and fun in their own way, [my] favorite ski in the fleet is this WaveBlaster.” Oh yeah, he also has another ‘Blaster with a 1100cc triple conversion as well.
Hinch is the proud owner of this WaveBlaster that he built from the ground up. He wanted to take this 23-year-old machine and turn it into a modern iteration of what a ‘Blaster would be if it was built today. He bought the hull for $500. Seeing that these machines can be budget friendly builds was another reason that attracted Ricky to getting involved with this class. The fun-to-cost ratio is very high.
With Hinch doing most all of the work, the ‘Blaster was assembled and painted within four days. That is right, four days! So anyone with a build that is taking too long, use this as motivation. He stated that anyone can do this sort of thing if they just have a little patience and are willing to learn. In the case of Hinch’s 701 ‘Blaster, the attention to detail is phenomenal, especially considering the progress from a bare hull to full competitive race ski in the short amount of time. Believe it or not, Hinch painted the ski in his driveway with Rustoleum brand appliance epoxy paint.
Taking his time to prep and sanding the surfaces beforehand, Hinch applied the paint and gave the Yamaha a healthy buffing to bring out the shine. Toss in a set of custom IPD Graphics to set everything off real nice and Hinch had a real head-turning ski. He spent a lot of time sourcing used parts online. He went through a number of handling mods before he got it all dialed in to his liking, stating that he is happy with the set up he has now. Hinch provided a breakdown of what sort of parts he has on his ‘Blaster and what he spent to make this build come to life. Nothing in racing is cheap, but definitely a lot cheaper than other classes if you are looking to race a PWC:
Hinch admits he could only have spent $3,500 – $4,000 to be competitive, but he wanted to get the most out of it while also dressing it up to look good as well. He says all of the hard work has paid off as he took a first place overall in a race on Saturday, June 11th and a second overall on the following Sunday put on by TXH2oRacing in Texas. Hinch encourages anyone who is interested in racing to go ahead and jump in. The racers are all usually more than happy to help anyone out, while the events put on are family friendly. And if you are out racing in Region 5, look for Ricky and his ‘Blaster and come say hello.
Sunday June 25th, a 26-year-old male operating a jet ski crashed into a small boat near Liberty Island, located in Upper New York Bay. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department said the incident occurred about 11:15 a.m.
According to an article posted on the New York Daily News website, the rider was found unconscious and unresponsive when officers from a New York Police Department Harbor unit pulled him from the water. The victim suffered a massive head injury. He was transported to Brooklyn Army Terminal at 11:30 a.m. A trail of blood led from the rescue boat to where the ambulance picked the injured man up. From there, Emergency Medical Services personnel reacted with a “load and go”, meaning they loaded the rider into the ambulance and immediately rushed him to Lutheran Medical Center.
An article from The Jersey Journal states that the man was in critical condition when transported. It is our understanding that the jet ski driver was the only person injured in the wreck. That information was provided via statement from the New York Police Department. At this time, no further details are available and we have scoured the internet in search of more information related to the incident.
What does a jet skier look like? Were we to ask you to describe a hockey fan, a skateboarder, or a NASCAR enthusiast, you could very easily draw up a pretty stereotypical outline of what you’d expect to see walking the mall or a high school campus. But how about jet skiers? Back in the mid-1980s, this question was easily answered with almost singularly one – and only one – name: JetPilot. Not only was the brand synonymous with top line performance gear (in the way of life vests, wetsuits, johns, boots, gloves, etc.), but JetPilot was also the source of all your casual apparel. If you were a jet skier, you wore JetPilot. That was your brand.
The brainchild of four friends in 1986 with a passion for jet ski riding and racing, they sought out to design and manufacturer the best-looking, most innovative riding gear and apparel. JetPilot’s side-entry vests are the standard for racers and performance enthusiasts. The brand’s wetsuits are chosen by professionals over any other brand. In recent years, shifted its focus from strictly PWC racing to all watersports including surfing and wakeboarding. And while there are plenty of banners promoting the other guys at the races, the omnipresence of JetPilot on the starting line has never faded.
Headquartered out of Carson, California and distributed to North and South America, Canada, the Caribbean, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; JetPilot is making a new concerted push to put itself in front of more domestic riders than ever before. In working together with The Watercraft Journal, we’re going to bring you interviews with their biggest sponsored riders as well as reviews on their newest, most innovative products yet. Stay tuned!
There is a new video out on Vimeo featuring all-around freestyle rider Tom Aiken and capturing some intense footage of his well-rounded riding capabilities. The video is actually one of the coolest I’ve seen in a long time as it is professionally edited with High Definition footage, spectacular views, music, and wrapped up in a package that explains the young riders’ wide range of skills.
As the Intro plays with a captivating aerial shot, showing the sponsors including Jet Pilot, we immediately see the young Aiken cruising down the beach pulling a Jet Ski behind a Jeep. We can only imagine that we are in for something pretty spectacular. He then begins by showing off his skills utilizing two huge 50-foot boats that create a V-Wake. We see him get some massive air performing back flips, barrel rolls, and other stunts. You can even see one of the boat pilots smiling so you know everyone is having a good time watching Tom do his thing. Just be sure to check your local laws if you wish to copy any of these stunts as jumping boat wakes outside of closed courses can be dangerous and illegal in many jurisdictions.
The video then showcases his show riding skills as well as flat water freestyle skills where we see him showing off jumps, nose dives, and back flip after back flip. Aiken then demonstrates some of his racing capabilities. He indicates that he currently races a Kawasaki SX-R 800 but eventually has a goal to build a Pro Ski and attend Lake Havasu World Finals.
Finally we see him demonstrate his Free Ride skills at the beautiful Point P. The amazing footage, beach views, and crystal waters give the false illusion that these insane air stunts are easy. We definitely foresee this young rider going a long way considering his goals in this arena are to expand his trick variations, make more films, and just have a good time. We definitely can’t wait to see more!
Last weekend’s LB2CAT marked the official transition of longtime racer Christian D’Agostin to the Factory Yamaha Team. We heard the good news out of D’Agostin’s native land and Australian network OZPWC. This partnership will utilize the 5-time Australian Champion riding for the U.S. Factory Yamaha Team in selected upcoming U.S. and World Championship events.
The first of these events has just taken place this past weekend in the famous Long Beach to Catalina Offshore race (LB2CAT). This 56-mile round trip endurance race is an ultimate test between man, machine, and the elements. It is a balancing act of rider stamina, machine mechanical reliability, fuel conservation, and dealing with mother nature’s harsh water conditions.
Although the new Yamaha-partnered rider did not make a podium finish, D’Agostin still made a solid 4th overall continuing to push Team Kawasaki further from the podium. In fact, 2017 is Team Yamaha’s second year in a row to take a full podium finish proving that the FX SVHO platform is an undeniable endurance machine. As sponsors of The Watercraft Journal, it is always great to hear such exciting news about Yamaha Factory.
The Watercraft Journal is also no stranger to Christian D’Agostin as we have followed his fascinating journey throughout the years and featured the lifelong racer two years ago in our Seven Deadly Questions. We know that this transition is an exciting one for D’Agostin. When you combine a Champion Rider with a Champion Team, you can expect nothing but great results. We will be excited to see what this brings for the King’s Cup and World Finals as well as the 2018 Season.
The Middle Tennessee Personal Watercraft Club (MTPWC) is our local club here in Nashville, Tennessee. Last year we did our first Ironman ride, wherein we cover a great distance in a single day. In 2016, we rode the Cumberland River, making three lock-throughs, and covered 253 miles. This year we chose not go for a single day record but a weekend event – the thought was to do a multiple day ride, 3 days and 400-plus miles. Starting from and returning to the same location, we picked Paris Landing State Park located in Buchanan, TN on Kentucky Lake.
It had been raining here in Middle Tennessee for a solid week so we came prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. All of our gear, clothes, and refreshments would need to be carried with us as there would be no support crew for this ride. We carefully planned fuel stops approximately every 50 miles so all PWC’s would be able to make each leg, and we chose to pace ourselves at 45mph to conserve fuel and enjoy the journey.
Day 1: We shoved off shortly after 9am from Paris Landing. It was a very cloudy day but no rain and temperatures hung in the mid 70’s – perfect for riding. The water was extremely calm but a stronger-than-normal current due to the rainfall the past week. Still, this was no concern with the scheduled fuel stops. As we headed upstream, we passed the Old Danville Grain Elevator in operation until the 1940’s when the TVA started clearing the land for the creation of Kentucky Lake. Now partially submerged, it is a very unusual sight.
Our first fuel stop, just a short 32 miles from our starting location, was at Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, TN. There we fueled the skis and took a short break. Afterwards we continued the ride upstream towards Clifton City Marina. This would be our second fuel stop and lunch break. We fueled our skis and our bodies – and who could leave without grabbing an ice cream? Back underway, the river is much narrower here with steep banks and rolling countryside marked with many elevated homes along the bank.
Spotting a head poking through the water, we stopped as a coyote was crossing the river and watched him until he made shore on one of the many river islands we passed. Afterwards we continued to Pickwick Lock & Dam. As we approached, the water was extremely turbulent as they had several gates open dumping water downstream from Pickwick Lake. Construction of Pickwick Lock & Dam began in 1934 and was completed in 1938. The dam itself is 113 feet high and stretches nearly a mile and a half across the Tennessee River with two lock chambers and a lift of 63-feet.
We timed our arrival just perfect as two cruisers were entering the lock. We let them proceed then entered behind them. Once inside, we tied multiple skis to the floating bollards for a lift up to Pickwick Lake. It takes about 20 minutes to fill the chamber. Once we were at lake elevation, the gates opened and we proceeded once getting the “go ahead” from the lock master. After leaving the lock, we rode upstream a short distance to go swimming in a cove and reflect on the ride. Afterwards we crossed the lake to Pickwick Landing Marina for fuel before docking the skis for the night in a friend’s vacant slip then shuttled over to the adjacent hotel. Mission accomplished: our ride today was 151 miles.
Day 2: We departed Pickwick Landing at 9am, heading upstream toward Wilson Lock – that would be the entire length of Pickwick Lake. We were joined by a few other friends bringing the PWC count up to fourteen. Our first stop was “The Trail of Tears” historical marker in Waterloo, AL. This was a departure site for the Cherokee who had been evicted from their homes by then-President Andrew Jackson and forced to head west to Oklahoma in 1838. Those leaving from this location would have been traveling the Tennessee River by steamboat.
After a short break, we headed back upstream passing under the Natchez-Trace Parkway Bridge then up to Cane Creek. This side trip ran us up and behind the Colbert Steam Plant. The winding creek was narrow with many turns and three bridges. After the run up and back, we continued the ride upstream. After passing under the Highway 79 bridge, we veered left and up the Florence Canal to Wilson Dam Lock, then back to the Hwy 79 bridge up and across the Tennessee River to Wilson Dam Waterfalls in Muscle Shoals, AL.
After a few photos, we headed downstream to Florence Harbor Marina for fuel and lunch. This is a favorite stop for local boaters and residents as the food was some of the best marina food we have ever had [including a peanut butter chocolate pie that truly is reason enough to return next year – Ed]. Next, we made a nonstop run back downstream to Cooper Hollow Cove through some increasingly worsening chop. In the back of the cove is a waterfall with plenty of shade, making it a popular hangout. There, we tied all our skis together from the bank and hung out for an hour or so, swimming and cutting up.
We were joined by a couple other friends that stopped to visit. Our next jaunt was down the Tenn-Tom Waterway into Mississippi as far as fuel would allow (and still get back to the marina without another fuel stop). We were able to ride about 15 miles down the Tenn-Tom before being forced to return to Pickwick Marina. We were all beeping upon arrival, our skis begging for fuel! Today’s ride an awesome 142 miles. Saturday night was spent at Freddy T’s Restaurant & Beach Club in Counce, TN for dinner and drinks.
Day 3: We all met in the lobby at 8:30am for a ride to the marina. It was a bittersweet moment as we knew we would be returning back to Paris Landing, our weekend ride was coming to a close. We were lucky that after a week of rain, all weekend we had a dry weather with temperatures in the 90’s and we all had the burnt skin to show for it. The goal today was to hit it hard and fast as we all knew from experience that the later in the day you hit the main body of Kentucky Lake, the rougher it becomes.
We arrived at Pickwick Lock around 9:15 and contacted the lock master. He quickly got us in and locked through. The return route would be the same as Friday but in reverse, stopping for fuel at Clifton City Marina, Pebble Isle and then to Paris Landing ramp. We had an impressively smooth ride back, gliding across unbroken glass (except for the occasional barge traffic), and passing through what felt like miles of swarming gnats, peppering all of our glasses, faces and skis. We arrived at Paris Landing around 1:15pm. With that we added another 137 miles, bringing our total to 430 miles – truly an Ironman weekend!
According to an article on The West Australian’s website, a determined driver in Perth shoved his Jet Ski inside his cars’ hatchback. A passing motorist on Roe Highway captured this image of a personal watercraft partially hanging outside the rear of a the very small car.
“I thought ‘it’s legitimately a jet ski in the back of a Nissan Micra, held in by one very thin ratchet strap, 10 points for originality but zero points for being smart,” said tow-truck driver Tristan Holland La-Haye. He did a double take when he saw the odd scene. La-Haye also stated that many motorists were doing their best to avoid the car. He was both shocked and appalled for the driver’s lack of concern for other vehicles and people on the road. The situation put many people at risk.
The Road Safety Commission clearly states: A vehicle must not be driven while carrying a load which makes is unstable or if the load projects in a way that could injure or obstruct other road users.“Failure to properly secure a load is an offense that attracts a penalty of $150,” the commission said in a statement.
We do not know if the wanton driver was busted. This makes for good fodder. However, we do not condone this recklessness. We know the desperation of wanting to get our watercraft to the water. There are better ways than cramming a ski inside a hatchback. Invest in a trailer or make friends with other personal watercraft riders.
Like many of you, Steve Young regularly used his cellphone to keep updated on the weather or track his route while riding out on the water. And like cellphones are prone to do, his phone battery would quickly die, leaving Steve without communication when he needed it the most. And an exhaustive search of what phone chargers were available on the market for powersport vehicles, he soon discovered that none were as durable, weatherproof or reliable as what Steve needed. So he decided to develop his own solution.
It’s taken several years, a whole lot of experimentation, a few fried phones and a lot of determination, but Steve has come up with RidePower, a deceptively simple cable-style phone charger to be used for rugged mobile applications, be it a personal watercraft, motorcycle, golf cart, fishing boat, SxS or ATV. How? Because every RidePower system is resistant to water, snow, dust and dirt and will not short out your vehicle’s battery or your expensive devices.
Installation is as simple as attaching the tenders to your battery’s terminals and feeding the plug into the glove box or storage bin you wish to keep your phone as it charges. A fusable link ensures that your device will be protected, and unless you leave your phone plugged in while the engine is off, it won’t drain your vehicle’s battery either. Best of all, the RidePower is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Now, make sure to check out The Watercraft Journal for more information, installation tutorials and more, as RidePower has joined the world’s most popular PWC magazine for 2017.
The battle of preferences over neoprene versus nylon rages on until this day. Many bemoan neoprene for sticking to their skin or causing undue perspiration, while other rile against nylon for being itchy, coarse and chaffing against their skin. The decision which is best is all but entirely preferential and something that simply cannot be finalized with a solitary written review. Unfortunately, the low cost of producing a nylon vest is much below that of a neoprene piece that almost all child and youth sizes are made from the cheaper stuff.
This made our decision to review Slippery’s new Youth Hydro Nylon Life Vest somewhat easier. The US Coast Guard-approved type 3 PFD is designed for children between 50-90 pounds (with a 26″-to-29″ chest). As per Slippery’s own description, “It is lightweight and provides a comfortable, secure fit.” This secure fit comes via three plastic snap buckles tightening a trio of woven belts. To be expected with all Slippery products we’ve tested, the fitment is stellar, without limiting range of shoulder, arm or neck motion.
Recently, we’ve found testing children and youth products to be a bit of a guessing game. Most kids are just happy to be at the lake or riding a ski, and won’t necessarily specify unique quirks or concerns about the equipment they’re using. Certainly complaints are common as is with most children, but sifting complaints from actual instructive criticism is a different matter entirely. We found that asking incredibly specific questions made our testers slightly hesitant as they didn’t want to come off as ungrateful; so much of our takeaways have been through observation and subtle questioning.
Unlike a neoprene vest, which is typically heavily contoured and molded, with segmented stitched-in panels, a nylon vest is essentially a nylon vest-shaped bag with loose foam panels inserted and stitched closed. We discovered this fact the hard way as our 7-year-old test subject regularly used the vest as less of a traditional personal flotation device and more of a “flotation assistant” during breaks between riding – a notably common thing for kids to do. Unfortunately, the foam panels themselves had a tendency to fold and bunch up inside of the nylon liner, requiring some creative coaxing to get them back into shape.
The Youth Hydro Nylon Life Vest also includes (albeit curiously) a D-ring for clip-style lanyards, although very few parents let their 8-year-olds operate a personal watercraft without adult supervision. Thus far, our test sample vest has held up to some tremendously rigorous testing, both aboard watercraft and in just playing in the water. So far, our designated test subject has preferred this vest over the others we have still pending review. Nevertheless, we found the Slippery Youth Hydro Nylon Life Vest both an attractive unisex option, a tremendous value (priced at $29.95) and a solid “all-around” vest offering for the kids!
