It was a sight to behold. The entire lineup of Pro Runabout Stock class was filled with Yamaha WaveRunners. No, that’s not hyperbole. Every. Single. Watercraft. That’s a heck of a thing to see at the IJSBA World Finals, and no one was happier to see it than the brass at Yamaha Motor Corp.
One brand being preferred by all competitors is staggering, but given the SVHO’s track record, understandable.
Now, with the lake still churning from the weekend’s World Finals’ racing, the tally of World Championships for Yamaha is substantive: Pro Runabout Stock; Pro Runabout Limited; Pro-Am Women’s Runabout; and Pro Runabout Limited 1100.
Here’s Yamaha’s official press release:
Yamaha, the premier brand on the water, dominated the premier pro classes at the 2019 IJSBA World Finals held in Lake Havasu City, Arizona; winning World Championships in the Pro Runabout Stock, Pro Runabout Limited, Pro-Am Womens Runabout and Pro Runabout Limited 1100 classes.
In the Pro Runabout Stock class, also known as the Manufacturers’ Cup because the racing machines in the class are the best representation of out-of-the box performance, Yamaha GP1800R rider Brian Baldwin won the world title followed by Yamaha GP1800R racer Abdullah Alfadhel and FX SVHO rider Eric Francis, who finished second and third respectively.
In Pro Runabout Limited racing action, Yamaha FX SVHO racer Troy Snyder won the world championship followed by fellow FX SVHO racer Eric Francis, who rounded out the podium with a gutsy performance and Moto 2 win.
In Pro-Am Women’s Runabout racing, Thailand’s Oraphan Teerapatpanich won the world title aboard her Yamaha GP1800R followed closely by Yamaha FX SVHO racer Sophie Francis who finished third overall with an exciting 3-2 performance.
In the Pro Runabout Limited 1100 class, Yamaha EXR rider BJ Ang from the Philippines won the world title, dominating the field of Sea-Doo Sparks.
“I couldn’t be more excited for our world champions and the awesome showing by the Yamaha GP1800R, FX SVHO, and EXR that have dominated pro racing all year long, and especially this weekend at the World Finals,” said Yamaha WaveRunner Racing Manager Bryce Parker.
“Yamaha is the premier performance brand on the water and we continue to prove ourselves on the closed course and in ocean endurance racing. And what’s exciting for Yamaha as a manufacturer is that our wins are translating to big sales with the Yamaha GP1800R being the best-selling performance model and the second best-selling model in the industry for the past several years.”
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.
