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Gallery: 2017 P1 AquaX Round 1, Daytona Beach, FL

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April 2012 was the start of something special in Daytona Beach, FL. When the P1 AquaX first started their inaugural season in the United States with just a few riders who thought the concept of racing stock jet skis was a great idea. Fast forward ahead five years later and the P1 AquaX series has returned to where it all started.

Every April the jet skiing world makes the annual pilgrimage to the shores of Daytona Beach to race against each other and to kick off the racing season. With each year, the numbers have increased and the series has made tremendous gains making it one of the best racing series in the world. This year the competition was fierce with the likes of Chris MacClucage, Eric Francis, Aero Aswar, Eric Lagopoulos and Mike Klippenstein as well as numerous national and world champions who were set to race the professional enduros with the hopes of starting the series off with wins and the chase to be the 2017 AquaX champion.

The Amateur enduros saw Kevin Wassum who was one of the very first racers back in 2012 returning after a brief hiatus. Anthony Radetic, Kevin Sullivan, Sophie Francis, and Jennifer Nolan to name a few joined him in the Amateur series.

This year the P1 AquaX Series was joined by the Jetcross Series so there was going to be a lot of racing for the fans. The weather forecast had called for a lot of sunshine and 2-3 foot waves on Saturday and Sunday was forecast for partly sunny with a chance of rain. Day One kicked off with the mandatory riders’ meeting where the racers were briefed on the rules of the race course along with a review on the marine life that they might encounter while traversing through the course. Finally after getting everything set up it was time for the racing to begin. The day kicked off with the Amateur enduro. The racers were raring to get the season started and the action was pretty intense, as the winds had picked up along with the waves. Numerous racers were thrown from their skis and some sustained pretty bad injuries. Notable injuries were to Carlito del Valle who required stitches and Amanda LeCheminant.

Next up was the Junior Ski class which had Haden Skellett, Taylor Skellett and Sammie Nehme racing against each other as they have done so many times. Sammie had some issues with his ski and couldn’t make the start. After getting it worked out, he started but had some serious catching up to do. Haden Skellett took the win with the other two racers finishing out in their respective order. The Juniors were followed by the Spark class which had Eric Gabryel, Dave Goding, Jason Lester as well as a few others racing against each other. The Sport GP class was next and was a crowd favorite. It was the biggest lineup for the class, which had a total 15 riders.

The Pro Ski class was next on tap for the Jetcross series. As the riders were racing it was obvious that the seas were starting to really churn up. That and the combination of on shore winds and high tide starting caused the schedule to be changed slightly. The Pro Enduro was up next and the Amateur Enduro would be pushed to Sunday.

The Pros started their race and the great Chris MacClucage was ahead of Brian Baldwin coming around a buoy when Baldwin’s boat struck the rear of MacClugage’s causing the seat to come completely off. MacClucage finished the entire race without his seat in some really rough water, and obtained the win for Moto One. The first day of racing finally came to an end and the racers were glad to rest their bodies and work on their skis with Sunday in their sights.

Sunday kicked off with the Amateur Class, and the seas were slightly calmer than the day before. The Ski class and the Junior racers followed the Amateurs. After having issues with his ski Saturday, Sammie Nehme hoped that his ski would be able to start the race at the beginning. Needless to say it had no issues and Sammie took off from the line like a rocket and never relinquished the lead. The crowd was cheering him on as he was racing and jumping waves like a 20-year veteran.

The Sport GP class followed the Spark class. At the start, Sam Nehme took a huge wave and did some damage to his ski and he never was able to fix it knocking him out of the race. Another fan favorite Johnny Smith started in fifth place but rode super hard. He pulled out the win and the crowd went crazy with his win.

Next was the final race for the Amateurs and Carlito del Valle took the first place win in the 300 class. This was Carlito’s first win in the AquaX series showing that not only can he set world records in the HydroDrags but can also win in the rough surf and is more than a straight line rider. The Pros were up next for their final race of the season opener and Chris MacClucage made it a perfect three-for-three, sweeping all three Pro motos in first place. Chris looked extremely strong over the weekend and is now looking ahead to getting the world number one ranking.

The Pro ski class closed out the day of racing followed by the podium presentation. The weekend was a huge success and the racers along with the fans had fun. The weather held up and not a single drop of rain dampened the racing. The first race of the season was in the books and the next race is being looked forward to by the amateurs in St Cloud, Florida next month and by the pros in St. Petersburg, Florida in June.

Results for all classes from the 2017 P1 AquaX Round 1, Daytona Beach, Florida can be found HERE.

Yamaha Australia Offers 2.99% Finance Rate on Entire WaveRunner Lineup!

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For those folks down under, Yamaha WaveRunners (Australia) has a killer promotion currently on to take advantage of! If you’ve been waiting to purchase a brand new Yamaha, it’s time to make your dream a reality and take home a new Yamaha WaveRunner with a super-low 2.99%* Comparison finance rate! This crazy-low offer is available across the entire WaveRunner line-up and is available with terms over 24 and 36 months to fit whatever schedule you are more comfortable with.

As mentioned above, this offer covers the entire WaveRunner line-up including the GP1800, SuperJet, FX SVHO, FX Cruiser SVHO, FX HO, FX Cruiser HO, VXR, VX Deluxe, VX, EX Deluxe and EX models. To make this deal even sweeter, in addition to financing your new WaveRunner, the 2.99%* rate can be used for Yamaha Marine Insurance, a new trailer and any accessories you may wish to purchase with your new Yamaha. Hurry though as this sweet limited offer ends on July 20th, 2017.

Disclaimer: 2.99% comparison rate finance is available on all new Yamaha Waverunner models for approved personal applicants of Yamaha Motor Finance (YMF). Offer available while stocks last, at participating dealers on a loan term of either 24 or 36 month only with an application fee of $325.00. Annual percentage rate is 0.89% and comparison rates is based on a secure loan $10,000 over 3 years. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Promotion starts on 15/04/17 and ends on 20/07/17. Credit criteria, fees, charges and terms and conditions apply.

She Shreds Mountain Adventures’ Second Installment of “Pemby Life”; Sponsored by Truckboss Decks

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Back in late January, you may remember we announced an awesome online short series of web episodes (or “webisodes” for short) called “Pemby Life”. This new series consisting of four episodes was created from a very popular project called “She Shreds Mountain Adventures”; an all-women’s snowmobile clinic retreat based out of Pemberton, B.C Canada. Creator Julie-Ann Chapman has grown the project massively and has branched out in numerous ways including now welcoming men to their awesome clinics and guided adventures. With a strong emphasis on back country safety, “She Shreds” provides by far one of the best snowmobile adventure learning experiences out there. On top of that, “She Shreds” also provides avalanche safety courses in conjunction with the Canadian Avalanche Association.

“Pemby Life” is supported by a small group of different companies, one of them being Truckboss Decks out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Truckboss truly is the industry leader in all-weather, multi-purpose truck decks. Julie-Ann has previously said, “What I like most about this deck is its slick look, and it’s so easy to load and unload sleds on that any girl can do it. This deck is the most well-thought-out deck on the market.”

In their second episode titled “Respect Adventure: Safety & Being Prepared”, Julie-Ann explains the meaning behind the moto “Be Safe & to Play Safe”. This episode is a must watch for any snowmobiler as not only does it share some potentially life-saving information, but it also shares a ton of breath taking video footage; showing the best of what British Columbia’s mountains have to offer. Julie-Ann is very thorough with explaining everything you should carry with you on your back country snowmobiling adventures so you can ensure you and your group come home safely at the end of the day.

MacClugage Sweeps First Round of AquaX Racing in Daytona Beach, FL

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Image courtesy P1 AquaX, www.p1aquax.com

If there was one lesson to be learned this past weekend it was that it pays to ride a Yamaha. Yamaha racers completely shut out the competition sweeping the podium in all three motos of the Pro class, with Chris MacClugage dominating the weekend aboard a FX SVHO. MacClugage – who with his wife, Rachel, started the week by celebrating the birth of their son, Marco – was followed by RIVA Yamaha racer Eric Francis, and Dean’s Team pilot Aero Aswar, both riding GP1800s.

MacClugage also battled with Yamaha rider Brian Baldwin, while Aswar was challenged by lone Sea-Doo rider Erminio Iantosca. Nicholas Rius, also aboard a Yamaha GP1800, was unable to continue competing on Sunday after a back injury during Saturday’s moto.

Here’s the original press release:
Daytona Beach, Fla. — April 24, 2017 — The high winds on the Florida coast delivered brutal conditions for the watercraft racers at the P1 AquaX opener held this weekend in Daytona Beach, Fla.; as the majority struggled to keep pace with Yamaha FX SVHO rider Chris MacClugage who swept all three motos in the premier Enduro Pro class.

Joining in on the sweep were Yamaha GP1800 riders Eric Francis and Aero Aswar who finished 2-3 overall. Francis made huge news over the winter when he switched to Yamaha from his longtime sponsor Kawasaki.

MacClugage’s tactic of coming closer to shore on the home straight saw him produce the highest speeds of anyone in race three, although Francis seemed to have the edge in the corners and was certainly explosive off the start line.

Aswar, the current #1 rider in the World rankings endured a mixed weekend but his third place finish in moto three was enough to put him into third for the weekend, shutting down any chance for a Kawasaki or Sea-Doo overall podium finish.

“For the first race of the year, the new GP1800 came out in force even in the super rough conditions usually dominated by the FX SVHO,” said Yamaha’s race director Scott Watkins. “Whereas most brands hope for one model to put out a strong showing, we have two models that offer the reliability, durability and performance our racers need to sweep the podium in all conditions.”

P1 AquaX racing now heads to Florida’s St. Pete Beach on June 17-18. (Photo credit: Ronny Mac/P1 AquaX)

Sea-Doo Expands P1 AquaX Support With New Racers And Sponsorships

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This past weekend kicked off the first round of P1 AquaX racing in Daytona Beach, Florida, and with it the nation turned its eyes towards the water. Both enthusiasts and manufacturers were locked in as the racers screamed past the checkered buoys. With the weekend’s results (expect a full report here at The Watercraft Journal this week), Sea-Doo also announced big plans for the future of its Sea-Doo X-Team that is sure to stir up some excitement.

In addition to yesterday’s P1 AquaX racing (and throughout the rest of the series), Sea-Doo will be proudly represented by some of the best and most talented racers in 2017. Many of these racers include James Bushell, Erminio Ianstosca, Blaine Spooner, Guy Gee Greenland, and Anthony Radetic, who will be competing in AquaX, the Pro Watercross Tour, IJSBA World Finals and other events throughout the nation and beyond.

Here’s the original press release:
Sea-Doo Expands Support Of Watercraft Racing With New Racers And Sponsorship Of P1 AquaX

Valcourt, QC, CANADA– April 21, 2017 – BRP enters the 2017 watercraft racing season with elevated Sea-Doo X-TEAM race programs and the addition of Pro Enduro front runner Blaine Spooner who joins an an all-star roster of Pro watercraft racers led by the winningest world championship runabout racer of the past six years, James Bushell.

The Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 watercraft continues to be the model to beat claiming the 2016 Pro Watercross Pro GP and Pro Stock US championships and sixth consecutive IJSBA Pro Open and Pro GP world championships and has performance fans excited for the start of the 2017 riding season. The 2017 Sea-Doo X-TEAM Bounty program provides all Sea-Doo riders competing in the various disciplines of watercraft racing in North America the opportunity to earn contingency money throughout the season. BRP is also ensuring there are more competition-focused events through the Sea-Doo Promoter support program, sponsoring select race events across North America.

BRP will sponsor premier racing events including the P1 AquaX Series, Pro Watercross Tour, IJSBA World Finals and others and will see elite racers representing the Sea-Doo X-TEAM in 2017. These racers include James Bushell, Erminio Ianstosca, Blaine Spooner, Guy Gee Greenland, and Anthony Radetic. Radetic is a former Army Helicopter pilot and renowned, challenged athlete who has limited use of his legs and is a front runner in the P1 AquaX Amateur 300 class on his RXP-X watercraft. Spooner returns to racing after a one year hiatus after the birth of his two twin daughters and enters the 2017 for the first time as part of the X-TEAM and is considered one of the favorites to finish on the Pro Enduro podium at P1 AquaX events.

Spooner and all Sea-Doo watercraft riders will be eligible for Sea-Doo X-TEAM Bounty. The Sea-Doo X-TEAM contingency is essentially an, “open-sponsorship” that excludes no one, except those competing on other brands. To supercharge the P1 AquaX season opener in Daytona an additional $1500 bonus will be added to the $1000 Pro Enduro win bounty for a $2500 top finish incentive. In addition to the glory that comes with winning on Sea-Doo watercraft, comes the opportunity for extra prize money. In addition, the Sea-Doo X-TEAM Promoter support program provides event producers sponsorship funds to help them produce more, high-quality events. BRP works with promoters to ensure Sea-Doo performance enthusiasts have a place to ride and compete in an organized manner, providing another fun aspect of owning a Sea-Doo watercraft.

“BRP has led the performance watercraft category since the launch of the T3 and Ergolock equipped RXP-X model in 2012 and Sea-Doo X-TEAM fans around the world are ready to see the best handling model compete in 2017,” says Tim McKercher, of Sea-Doo watercraft competition management. “BRP is excited to cheer on all Sea-Doo watercraft racers and to see Blaine Spooner back on Sea-Doo watercraft, joining a team led by James Bushell that will show the world how the RXP-X 300 model is the performance model to beat.

RIVA Racing Re-Stocks SX-R 800 Wet Pipe

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RIVA Racing has just announced the re-stocking of a popular item for all you 2003-2011 Kawasaki SX-R 800 owners. This announcement is sure to make you 2-stroke die-hards giddy.

According to the release by RIVA Racing, the SX-R 800 Wet Pipe (PT# FIN800SX02) is lighter than their Dry Pipe thanks to its single wall design. Made by Factory Pipe, this Wet Pipe is based on the proven and tested “B” pipe design so you can have full confidence knowing that it’s reliable and gives you both excellent throttle response and greater power when installed on your PWC. Since it incorporates the tunable head pipe design, you can adjust the power curve to your liking with just the simple turn of an Allen wrench. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Installation is super easy and no hood modifications to your machine are required. The Wet Pipe is finished in a black, hard anodizing that provides the ultimate in salt-water corrosion resistance. You won’t find any cheap looking, soon to be crusty junk with this killer part.

Please note that RIVA Racing would like to mention that this item does not apply for their free shipping. Priced at $810 USD; grab it while you can!

Video: SBT 2017 Calendar with Kristy Garett

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If you’ve been paying attention to The Watercraft Journal this week, you will have noticed it’s been a busy week for SBT, Inc. and Watercraft Superstore coverage. And that’s great because riding season is truly in full swing across the Northern Hemisphere and these two companies are up and running keeping you and your watercraft ready to hit the water. And we thought what better way to end the week by showing youa fun behind-the-scenes look at the making of the 2017 SBT Calendar featuring Kristy Garett, Playboy’s Miss Playmate February 2016.

For those of you who didn’t already know, SBT, Inc. celebrates each new year with a new calendar featuring a very fetching young lady, who is often a recent Playboy Playmate. And as a little tidbit of publishing insider info, early last year it was widely publicized that Playboy ended its half-century of printing pictorials of nude models, turning the magazine into a more off-the-news-rack-friendly publication. Why? The idea was to open up the magazine to a far wider audience, but sadly hadn’t done much to save the publication. So guess what? They’re bringing back Playboy Classic (although we doubt they’ll call it that).

OK, so nevertheless, Playboy still has a talent for finding some very lovely ladies, and last year’s Miss February 2016, Kristy Garett is now the subject of SBT’s 12 month calendar and a full-sized double sided poster. The calendar ships free with every engine purchase, but is also available for purchase for $9.95. And below is the fun video showing how all of those images were taken. Enjoy!

Real Review: SBT Racing Hydro Shoe

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Two years ago, we published a thorough review of a product that you can’t buy anymore, the Blacktip Jetsports’ slip-on neoprene water shoes. In fact, the water shoes weren’t available at the time of publishing either, with Blacktip discontinuing their water shoe line in late 2014. (We know, it was sort of a dirty trick on our part. Sorry.) But, with SBT, Inc. launching its own “SBT Racing” line of apparel, the masterminds at Short Block Technologies, Inc. saw fit to resurrect the neoprene water shoe, just under a new name, the Hydro Shoe. Thankfully, much of the shoe has remained wholly unchanged, so now your chance to pick up the very same shoes.

Unlike our previous review, we thought it wise to photograph our new SBT Racing Hydro Shoes before thoroughly beating them to death. If you click the link to our previous review, you’ll see how the Hydro Shoes hold up after 8 months of constant use. The Hydro Shoes are made with a breathable neoprene sock that is cut low below the ankle for an easy, unrestricted range of motion. Equally, the shoe’s liner features a durable elastic band around the opening that remains taut regardless of use. The neoprene sock is glued to a two-part rubber sole that supplies a thick, cushioned sole similar to a tennis shoe more than boat shoe.

Because the Hydro Shoes are strictly slip-ons, there is no lacing required to keep them on. Unfortunately, this also means that you cannot cinch the shoe up any tighter than it already is, which might not work for persons looking for that extra bit of tightness or support. Although the neoprene drains and wicks water well, there aren’t any drains perforating the soles making for a slower drain and drying time. We noted that traction is equal to most racing boots and water shoes we’ve come across, so there’s no loss there either. We did wish that there was a little bit more padding at the toe and heel though, as those points tend to get beat up more than elsewhere.

For whose with experience, neoprene booties typically don’t age well. The soft, breathable material has a tendency to snag, tear and lose much of its springiness. This is often attributed to plenty of exposure to the elements, as well as use in salt water and being embedded with sand, silt and mud. Obviously, proper care will ensure your Hydro Shoe will last longer than those who do not, so do as your mother asked and take better care of your things! In our previous pair of water shoes, we found the glue bonding the neoprene sock to the sole began to leech out, discoloring the two parts and looking rather unsightly. Thankfully, in our two months of use, the Hydro Shoe hasn’t shown such signs, so hopefully a better glue has been employed here.

Priced an incredibly bargain-friendly $21.95, SBT Racing’s Hydro Shoes are one of the better deals we’ve encountered. Whether you’re looking for a new pair of go-to shoes, a spare pair to keep in your gear bag, or something to keep on hand for a friend, these are worth the minor investment, like having an extra rope on board or can of sunscreen.

Cayman Islands IJSBA Racing Season Begins

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According to a piece on the IJSBA website, a long time affiliate, Cayman Islands Watercraft Association (CIWA) started its 2017 season in the Caribbean with a small, yet serious competition. The first round of the CIWA National Championships Series of racing took place east of the Red Bay Dock on Sunday March 26, 2017 with Mike Young helping in race administration and in the booth as an announcer.

Four classes competed and those consisted of expert, amateur, novice, and beginner. The water was flat so it made it easy to run at top speeds and Gary “GJ” Whittaker took advantage of the glassy conditions by winning all three motos in the expert class. He was the top dog for the Nuttin 2 Lose team.

Vanjee “VJ” Ramgeet of BYP Racing grabbed two second place finishes and a third and ended his day with a second place overall. Nathan Ebanks, a rider for Tony’s Toys finished with a third place overall. Nicholas Hydes of SHO picked up fourth and Wayne Cato of Proven Performance snagged a fifth overall finish.

Matthew Panton of Nuttin 2 Lose won two motos, which put him in the number one slot in the Amateur category. Ramgeet ranked second in the amateur division. The top spot in the novice class went to Tyler Watler of Turnt Up Racing. Thase Walter, another team rider for Turnt Up Racing placed third overall.

Tiamma Ramgeet of RTP-RAM TECH Racing was the first female rider to win a race in the Cayman Islands. She jumped right in there with the guys and managed to pull off a win in the finale in the beginner class. Ramgeet’s ski suffered mechanical problems in the first two motos and once those were repaired, she was good to go and finished second in her class.

CIWA President, Vincent Ramgeet was stoked with the first event of the season and told CaymanSportsBuzz.com, “It’s been quite a day. A few crafts went down [with mechanical problems] but that’s racing for you. The top guys are putting on quite a show.”

Cycle Springs Powersports Celebrates 3 Years as World’s Largest Yamaha Dealer

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We’ve eaten at plenty of places claiming “the world’s best” what have you, be it a hamburger, ribs or BBQ. We’ve also visited plenty of touristy “world’s biggest” or “most famous” all to very little fanfare. There’s no shortage of spots on the map claiming such things but having very little actual evidence to prove (or disprove) their claim. That is why it’s so impressive when we share that Clearwater, Florida’s own Cycle Springs Powersports is not only the “world’s largest Yamaha dealer,” but it’s celebrating its third year as a Pro Yamaha Platinum level dealer.

This might not mean much to the everyday powersports enthusiasts, but for those who truly know what they’re looking for, a Pro Yamaha Platinum dealer is the highest level a dealer can achieve for Pro Yamaha. This award recognizes the dealers who are committed to providing a truly superior experience in Sales, Service and Customer Satisfaction and creating a “Customer for Life”, and Cycle Springs Powersports has been doing that with aplomb. With their exclusive “Lifetime Engine Warranty”, mobile watercraft service vehicles, special pricing and so much more, Cycle Springs Powersports is the world’s largest for a very good reason.