We know, we know. This sounds like a prank, and trust us, we know all about pulling off the perfect “electric PWC” prank (we’ve done it before). But, as irony would have it, this appears to be the real deal…to a degree. As partners Bell Marine and ID Technology announced first via a YouTube video in 2012, and shortly thereafter in a press release:

“Bell Marine / ID Technology Zeewolde developed their first prototype electric personal watercraft. Following Steve Jobs’ approval of this first model, he ordered the construction of two 100% Electric personal watercrafts for…his new super yacht “Venus.” Without his passion, drive and support this project would never have been realized. We are proud and grateful that we have this project on behalf of him and his wife are allowed to perform and after his death to finish.”

Of course, this announcement came after October 5, 2011, when Jobs succumbed to respiratory arrest following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Prior to his passing, the software and hardware mogol changed the way many of us communicate (and bring The Watercraft Journal to its quarter million annual readers), and potentially impacted the future of the PWC industry.

The “Electric Water Scooter GT E 45kW” as it was known by the engineers involved in the project, the electric PWC is based off a 2012 Sea-Doo GTR 215 and touts a range 30 minutes at full power plus an additional 30 minutes set in ECO mode. In reality, this equates to an average of 1.5 hours of normal operation, with a total 2.5 hour recharge time.

And true to Jobs’ requirements, the GT E 45kw produces zero emissions, runs completely silent and carries no fuel on board, and therefore be stored aboard a ship/yacht. Some very cool items included on the build are the complete retention of all original Sea-Doo iTC features including, iBR (Intelligent Brake System), VTS (Variable Trim System), GPS positioning, Compass, Speed, Lap timer, etc., and the inclusion of an automatic “Limp Mode” when the batteries descend 20-percent capacity. It all adds up to a total weight of 959 pounds.

Specifications:
Based On: ’12 Sea-Doo GTR 215
Engine: Liquid-cooled 45 kW AC 120V
Controller: Liquid-cooled AC 144V 500 Amp
Batteries: Lithium Polymer HP (High Performance)
120 Volt 160Ah (20 kWh) Forced Air Cooled zoals
Specially designed BMS (Battery Management System)
Battery Charger 120 Volt 60 Ah

PWCOffshore.com’s Mark Gerner has announced that he will sponsor both the first place “Best Pit Crew” trophy and second best Crew Award for pit crews participating in the 2016 Hot Products Mark Hahn Memorial 300 Mile PWC Race this upcoming February 27th, 2016, at the Crazy Horse Campground in Lake Havasu City, AZ.

The Hot Products Mark Hahn 300-mile PWC race is a test of pilot, technicians, craft and PWC Pit Crew. Pit Crews are challenged to recover, fuel and launch PWCs in less than a minute, this is no easy task. This process requires planning, process evaluation and improvement, practice and perfect execution on race day.

Mark Gerner said, “We are happy to sponsor the ‘Best Pit Crew’ award, the pit crews work exceptionally hard prior to and on race day and deserve all of the recognition they receive. Many of the fuelers train year round to have the necessary strength to throw around 80 pounds of fuel.” 

Mike Follmer said, “Pit crews are a big part of winning this event, getting their rider in and out and not spilling any fuel can make or break a team’s success in this event. This race race is the 12th annual Hot Products Mark Hahn Havasu 300 Presented by Yamaha.”

Pit crews make it all happen at this event, we are glad to recognize their efforts. Race officials will make the top two Pit Crew selection based on their observations of the Crews throughout the race. For more information regarding the Mark Hahn Memorial Race go HERE.

The highly competitive world of PWC drag racing has taken a page from “The Fast & The Furious” with the level of underground, winner-takes-all racing happening in private and municipal waterways around South Florida. One such high stakes drag race took place within the past week, and MVP Productions’ Manuel Valdes was able to not only provide The Watercraft Journal some insight to the race, but video to boot:

“The race began by a call out from Joaquin Lara, the owner of a blue turbocharged FZR from JV Performance calling out Darian Rodriguez, owner of a white #99 FZR (equipped with a supercharger) from UJET team. Joaquin didn’t know the #99 was supercharged and still Rodriguez didn’t back out of the offer of racing a turbo FZR, even though Lara told him he was pushing close to 100mph.

“The race took place in a canal near Broward County, FL. The bet was set at $1,400, winner takes it all. The driver of the white FZR was Mike Valdes, winner of the Super Stock class at this past Hydrodrags World Finals. Lara decided to experience the rush by being behind the controls of his turbo FZR on his very first race.

“The white FZR is supercharged, and uses a RIVA/Vi-Pec and is fed on E85. Rodriguez wished to keep the speed a secret until the next Hydrodrags where he will reveal it in a speed alley pass. The blue turbo FZR also uses a RIVA/Vi-Pec ECU and also is running on E85, with the owner claiming it to be close to 100 mph. It’s built by JV Performance and tuned by Albert Turbo.”

As the video shows, Lara’s blue FZR can’t keep hooked, with Valdes driving the white #99 FZR to a win with every pass. In fact, after three passes, Valdes looked noticeably frustrated with Lara, waving him on and looking to give him the starting nod. Regardless, the supercharged Yamaha pulls far ahead of the turbo machine all three times.

“The white #99 was put together by UVA, who owns a shop called UJET and owns the world’s fastest turbocharged FZR (seen in blue and yellow with a custom bracket for a nitrous bottle on the side) with a top speed of 109mph and counting. The white FZR is custom built to match the looks of the blue-and-yellow FZR but still run a supercharger, built with the help of one of the best tuners, Brian Kirchberger, also with the help of Ernesto Calas, Mandy’s Performance and Daylon Rodriguez.”

All images, video and information provided Manuel Valdes of MVP Productions.

Although I’m a racer at heart, growing up riding and racing motorcycles bred into me the need to jump almost anything and everything! If it resembles a ramp or it can be made to resemble a ramp, I’m in! When the Sea-Doo Spark debuted in 2014 it seemed to me like the perfect watercraft for both my girlfriend to get out on the water and have some recreational fun and me to go jump in the surf. So, I bought one. She named it “(Storm) Trooper.”

The standing rule at the Daytona Freeride has always been standups, X2s and WaveBlasters only on the water. Since the Sea-Doo Spark’s weight is about the same and it is only slightly larger than a WaveBlaster, I made the call. Freeride’s mastermind Nicholas Foederer, allowed me to take part aboard my newly purchased Sea-Doo. Nick took some heat for allowing what is considered a runabout to participate, and a Spark at the Freeride looks to be a one-time deal.

With my new Sea-Doo Spark in tow, fitted with GoPros and some awesome custom BlackTip Jetsports Elite mats from Watercraft Superstore, I hit the surf with some of the best Freestyle riders in the United Sates. In 2014 the surf was about head height up until Sunday and it was a cold January in Florida terms. However, that did not stop the riders.

Aside from being out there and getting to “jump stuff,” a highlight for me was watching one of my favorite freestyle riders Mark Gomez up close. He was ripping and putting on a clinic in smooth, seemingly effortless riding! Here is a video I put together of my time at the 2014 Daytona Freeride on my Sea-Doo Spark, putting it through its paces and seeing how ‘Trooper flew!

Mark your calendars and come see first-hand what the best Freestyle and Freeride guys have in store for you this year at the 2016 Daytona Freeride, presented by BlackTip Jetsports. Stop by and say hello to your favorite vendors in person. Stay late and see what antics ensue January 14-17 Daytona Beach, Florida.

[Editor’s Note – Yes, it’s Tuesday and not Monday, so today’s “Case of The Mondays” is technically a day late. We went and saw “Star Wars” that afternoon, so our scheduling was a little screwed up. Sorry. Oh, and go see it. It’s really good. – Ed.]

Becoming a celebrity these days is a lot different from the long ago days of tinsel town “Hollywood” of the 1930s and 40s. Back then, to “truly make it” you needed to be a triple threat, meaning you had to be able to act, sing and dance. For many more rugged men, being able to shoot, ride a horse or swing a sword replaced tap dancing or belting out a tune on key. Today, all you need is a YouTube channel, an Instagram feed and a selfie stick. Not exactly discriminating, isn’t it?

One group of internet celebrities are the “Dude Perfect” crew, who surprisingly enough, illustrate a bit of talent in their blend of silly, over-the-top YouTube videos. The group of pseudo frat boys excel in executing impressive trick shots, be it with basketballs, Frisbees or other projectiles. In a recent collaboration with air soft weapons manufacturer Nerf, Dude Perfect rented out a Florida lakehouse for some aquatic Nerf trickshot action – including some pretty impressive shots from the back of a Yamaha WaveRunner.

The result is a good, ol’ fashioned waste of time and productivity killer. But given that many of you are simply counting down the hours until you get your 4-day weekend off, we figure you’re finding ways to waste as much time as possible anyhow. Enjoy!

Australian couple, Lorraine and Glenn Keating plan to leave Sydney on Yamaha FX Cruiser HO WaveRunners this upcoming April 1, 2016 to complete a three part mission to circumnavigate all of Australia. The couple plans to travel 11,800 miles during an 8 month period in an attempt at a world record for the longest distance traveled by personal watercraft.

The WaveRunners will use almost 5,000 gallons of fuel and the will have only minor modifications such as long range fuel tanks, GPS units, and an auxiliary batteries. A support crew will accompany them along the coast during most of the trek. However, there will be long stretches when it’s just the Keatings and their watercraft because of the distance from the coastline in some areas.

The ride was planned during afternoon cocktails while the two mused about all the exciting things that other people do and they thought “why not us?” After all, they had recently returned from Vietnam and had a blast riding jet skis during their holiday. The brainstorming soon commenced and now they’re going big which brings us to the second part of the mission: the addition of a YouTube travel channel, and their website, Terra Australia-Girt by Sea.

The YouTube channel will contain features highlighting their journey, adventures along the way, people they meet, and the things they see along the coast. The Keatings are stoked about recording their travels and planned meetings of fellow jet skiers. The channel will also feature a real time GPS map so we can follow along. Quite a bit information is provided on their travel channel, including their sponsors products, blogs, and articles. Currently, both sites host videos of the Keatings and their task at hand.

This ride is also a fundraiser for the Cancer Council, which is very important to the Keatings because they have each lost a parent to cancer. Many of their friends and family have been affected by the disease as well. Some of them have beaten it while others are still battling. Donations are accepted through their website. The couple and crew will head north from Sydney in an anti-clockwise direction and plan to return in November. We wish them the best!

Santa didn’t need any reindeer to pull the sleek 2016 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300. He had a shiny new red and black machine with a 300 horsepower engine. Recently, Sea-Doo posted a video on Facebook showing Santa unlocking the door to his stable where his new sled was located. He stared at it in amazement, rubbing his gloved hands over it as it underwent detailing by a couple of frantic Sea-Doo elves. Next thing you know, the two elves pulled the trailered craft to the dock where Santa promptly mounted it and got underway with a big red bag of goodies, reindeer completely out of his mind. He went nuts on that machine, doing cutbacks, throwing huge spray, and opening that baby up, only slowing down to drop presents on all the docks.

The red hot 3-seater with the new and improved Rotax 1630 ACE engine was built for a big man like Santa. The ergonomic steering allowed him to handle the beast in comfort and the machine was built for someone in a race who needed their feet comfortably wedged in the angled footwells. It was if this ski was built for Santa Claus to fly to all the docks along the waterway, no matter how rough the waters were. This personal watercraft was built to get Santa where he needed to go. The machine weighs in at just over 900 pounds (without all the goodies Santa was packing). And yes, Santa wears a PFD while pushing the limits on the new Sea-Doo RXT-X 300.

This model year welcomed many machines that were both radical improvements on previous vehicles, as well as completely new designs. That, and carry-overs from previous model years had us weighing lasting impact, appeal and longevity against the new and untested units. Thankfully, the industry hasn’t been stronger in nearly a decade, with domestic and international sales up into the double digits.

This has not only benefited the OEMs, but dealers and the performance aftermarket as well. In fact, we deferred much to the impact of two of the units listed – our Watercraft of The Year and our two runners-up – in making this year’s decision, as both craft played heavily on both new vehicle sales as well as in the aftermarket. You can see the runners-up here.

2015 Watercraft of The Year Winner: 2015 Yamaha FX Super Vortex High Output WaveRunner

Although it worked out to have all-three manufacturers represented on the podium this year, that was not our original intent. But, awarding the 2015 Yamaha FX SVHO WaveRunner the honor of The Watercraft Journal’s Watercraft of The Year award was almost a foregone conclusion the minute that Yamaha introduced the model with its new-for-2015 RiDE dual throttle system. The addition of the new brake and reverse system to its (near) entire lineup not only elevated the manufacturer to a whole new class of safety and rider input, but also gratefully replaced the right-hand reverse lever that we had beleaguered Yamaha over for years.

The current FX is a few years old, but the inclusion of both the new NanXcel2 lightweight bonding material and the Super Vortech High Output (SVHO) 1,812cc centrifugally supercharged 4-stroke to the three-seater in 2014 dramatically unveiled what many already knew: the FX hull is truly a fast and responsive design. But it wasn’t until Yamaha introduced us (and its 2015 lineup) to its new RiDE technology that it could ever be considered as Watercraft of The Year. Although additional features are found on the Cruiser edition, most of us found the high-backed stadium-style seating too restrictive for taller riders, and preferred the low-slung, stepped bench instead.

One of the biggest factors for the 2015 FX SVHO taking home this year’s Watercraft of The Year has been its recent surging presence in the racing scene, particularly in the realm of offshore and endurance competition. Although not near the rough water machine as the Ultra 310X, between the large diameter 160mm pump and sure-fire SVHO powerplant producing an unofficial 265 horsepower, the FX has proven itself as a true, full-tilt open class contender that can also be one of the most reliable long distance cruisers when equipped properly (ie. FX HO). There’s not a lot of hull designs that can boast such versatility.

And it’s that versatility that made the FX SVHO the choice over the closed-course darling FZR and FZS. It takes a level of athleticism to full engage the FZ models, and cruising such an aggressive hull is counter to its design. We recently documented the incredible numbers of the all but unchanged 2016 Yamaha FX SVHO WaveRunner when given the ideal conditions, and although very unlikely that most riders could replicate such speeds with a bone stock unit, the potential within this craft is seemingly limitless. Already, the aftermarket is awash in performance parts to maximize this 3-seater’s abilities, and we’re sure to only see more in the coming months. So with that, we want to congratulate Yamaha for earning this year’s The Watercraft Journal’s 2015 Watercraft of The Year!