The single biggest piece of “no duh” news coming from this weekend’s 37th annual IJSBA World Finals – maybe besides Lee Stone flooring the crowd with the world’s first double barrel roll achieved on flat water – was 43-year-old Chris MacClugage dominating the Pro Stock Runabout class, earning him his 24th IJSBA World Championship. Other major wins for Yamaha include Sophie Francis taking the championship in Pro Women’s Runabout, Troy Snyder grabbing the Veteran’s Runabout Limited title, as well as five other top wins for the event.
To celebrate the heroic week, Yamaha issued a announcement; here’s the complete press release:
Lake Havasu City, AZ – The top personal watercraft racers in the world went toe-to-toe in Lake Havasu City, AZ this weekend for the 37th running of the IJSBA World Finals, and Yamaha WaveRunner racers dominated the championships winning eight world titles including the coveted Pro Runabout Stock title.
Leading the Yamaha contingent was 24-time World Champion Chris MacClugage who finished third in Moto 1 and first in Moto 2 to win the Pro Runabout Stock world championship aboard a Broward Motorsports Monster Energy Dean’s Team Yamaha GP1800R. Yamaha swept the podium with fellow GP1800R riders Eric Francis finishing second, Aero Aswar finishing third.
“We had a slow start, but in the end the surf came up and I was able to live up to my reputation. When I go to the line and conditions are rough, people expect me to do what I did,” said MacClugage, who has now won the class three years in a row.
Also called the Manufacturers’ Class, these watercraft are very close to the PWC that high-performance enthusiasts can buy from their local watercraft dealer, which proves the GP1800R is the best performance watercraft on the market today.
In Pro Runabout Women’s action, Broward Motorsports Dean’s Team Yamaha GP1800R rider Sophie Francis wins her first professional title.
In Pro Runabout 1100 Superstock racing, Yamaha racer Eric Lagopoulos sank an armada of modified Sea-Doo Sparks to win the championship on a Riva Racing VX WaveRunner.
“The GP1800R remains the boat of choice for professional racers who once again demonstrated its capability on the closed course at this year’s World Finals,” said Bryce Parker, Yamaha Factory Race Manager. “It’s also great to see other models take World Titles including the VX in the 1100 Superstock and the EX made an appearance on the course this year. We are setting the stage for the new FX model to make its debut next year. While most manufacturers hope for one run away race model, we are fortunate to have an entire line represented, paying homage to Yamaha’s legendary race history.”
Congratulations to all the Yamaha WaveRunner racers who competed at the IJSBA World Finals this year, and special thanks to Broward Motorsports, Riva Racing, Dean’s Team, Kommander Industries, and to the families and friends who support personal watercraft racing.
2018 Yamaha World Titles:
- Pro Runabout Stock
- Women’s Runabout
- 1100 Superstock
- Novice Runabout Stock
- Amateur Ski Lites
- Expert Vets Runabout
- Junior Ski 10-12 Lites
- Expert Runabout Super Stock
