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2004 Sea Doo Adventure PWC Product Launch: Sea Doo 3D |
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And their disappearance is a mystery, leading some to believe the myth of the Bermuda triangle lives on. We hope you can join our small group traveling into the heart of this legendary maritime area to solve this mystery and discover a new way of seeing personal water craft."
Sounded to me, like an adventure in a warm destination away from paper work, and I wasted no time in signing on to the trip. I have attended a number of Bombardier product launches in the past, and some great Sea-Doo adventures, like crossing the Bering Straight from Alaska to Russia, to deep-sea fishing in the Bahamas. But this one intrigued me. Tim would not reveal our final destination. All we were told was to meet at the Fort Lauderdale airport, and to bring our passports.
We then boarded a chartered turbine Grumman Mallard, heading towards an island destination. Leaving the coast of Florida for the open ocean, the chalk's Grumman entered the infamous Bermuda triangle, an area of many strange maritime occurrences.
Aboard the seaplane were the usual suspects, journalists from all around the world, and our hosts, Tim McKercher and Dave Martise from Bombardier recreational. It was not too long before a spit of land appeared on the horizon, and part of the mystery was solved. Our final destination, Bimini, Bahamas. Soon our airplane turned into a boat, and as we taxied up the ramp, my thoughts turned to those missing watercraft. Soon, the mysteries of the Bermuda triangle, and how cold the beer would be at the hotel bar popped into my mind.
Tim McKercher: All right, I guess we did not lose anybody out in the triangle yet -- that's good. Well, here you are, in Bimini. How was the seaplane ride? Was that not pretty cool? Yeah, that was something different. Anyway, today's a big, big day for us. We are very excited to have all of you here.
Man: You have got to get out here?
Tim McKercher: Can you not wait a couple of minutes?
Man: No, you have got to get out here; you have got to take a look at this. We spotted something out here; I think we found what we wanted.
Tim McKercher: let's go take a look.
Man: There is only one.
Tim McKercher: We lost three watercrafts. So somehow through this vortex of time and the Bermuda triangle, three watercrafts turned into one. This is the Sea-Doo 3D. 3D is not just three machines in one but is also multi- dimensional. That's not a stand up. That's the Sea-Doo 3D in Vert mode. The rider stands in a vertical position.
Ted Rankine: No matter what language they spoke, every journalist on that dock had the same thought -- I've got to try that machine. Ferrying over to the beach to test the 3D, I marveled at how the Bombardier recreational products people knew how to keep a secret, and more importantly, knew how to reveal it in style. Launching the 3D in Bimini with the Bermuda triangle as the backdrop.
Dave Martise: The real reason for the launch here in Bimini, is really for a couple of reasons. It's a 3D machine and we are at the Bermuda triangle, we are inside of it, which has three legs, so that was a nice hook to get people here.
But really, the mid season launch is to really try to set us apart from the rest of the industry because it is different, it is the reinvention. For us, the key was to not launch it at a typical time period, and appeal to a much wider audience. It's great to see these out on the water.
We are glad that we can put everybody on them, and let them experience it for themselves. Really in marketing, we are doing things a lot different. This is a younger target that we are going after. We need to get some more youth in the industry, and I think we all agree to that.
Bryan Elmore: The engineering technicians and the design technicians started building a garage project, and it started there with a small idea that really grew fast, as more hands got involved with it. And then at that point, we figured out the viability of it by testing the marketing trends, and saw there was a huge opportunity here for us.
Tim McKercher: The Sea-Doo 3D has three dimensions, or different experiences, one being the Vert mode. The vert mode is where the rider stands up in a vertical position, with a moving handle pull.
Then the second experience is the Moto experience. We have a switchblade seat that is hidden in the handle pull that a rider can change while he's out in the middle of the lake, or the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It just folds out under the handle pull, attaches to some specific points, locks down, and now he has a motorcycle on the water.
But the third one is really probably the most unique to watercraft, and it is the 3D Cart mode, which is just like a go-cart on the water. You have a bucket seat on the rear platform where you are sitting, and you truly feel like you are an F1 driver. I mean the water is going by you so fast, and you can turn the thing at full throttle and feel totally secure in your actions.
Ted Rankine: You know this seat may look kind of comfortable, and lay back, but believe me, this boat is no lay back experience. You know, that's about as much fun as you can have with a pair of goggles on.
Thanks, guys.
Dave Martise: It is multiple experiences in one watercraft, and that is really the primary message that we want to get across. Three boats in one at this point, with maybe more to come.
Ted Rankine: Beyond the three operating modes of the 3D, other features included, a variable trim system. It is powered by the 792cc, 110 hp RFI Rotex engine, which is designed to run on one cylinder at idle, to dramatically reduce emissions.
The 3D also has off throttle assisted steering for safety and added maneuverability at idle speeds. The handle pull has a multi- function info centre, and adjustable triple point tilt steering.
The 3D also features a dry exhaust system that allows the machine to be rolled back over in either direction when it's inverted, and prevents water damage to the engine.
The final day in Bimini was race day. The race was a relay against the clock, with the fastest three-person team to navigate the buoy course in all three modes claiming bragging rights.
My team members included Kevin Cullen from PWC TV, and Marshal Brodie from the Miami Herald. We quickly decided that smooth transitions between the three modes would be a winning strategy.
Kevin Cullen: I am going to be up first. I will go out in the Moto mode, because that is the one I think that is probably most difficult to transition, in terms of handle pull and movement.
Ted Rankine: Yeah, Marshall and I are already working on it, so we are pretty good with that. And then who's up next? You are going to go next?
Kevin Cullen: I am going to go next, as soon as you come in. If you transition the pole up, I will just ride it out in the vert mode, and when I'll finish my lap. If you can be staged with the seat, I will basically come in, put the handle down, lock it off, disconnect my lanyard and you clip on the seat. You just worry about clipping in your lanyard, getting in the seat, and smiling a whole bunch.
Man: 2:38 -- wow! That is the time to beat there.
Ted Rankine: As it turned out, no one could beat it. A couple of the teams decided to see if the 3D's dry exhaust system really worked, but it didn't help their times much. Other teams lost some valuable time in the pit area, with the transition to different modes.
Our team ruled victorious, and it certainly ended this Sea-Doo adventure on a high note. As they have already hinted, expect a number of additional dimensions to appear on the horizon, as Bombardier recreational products continues to reinvent personal watercraft.
* taken from a transcript of our Power Profile on PowerBoat TV 2004 Episode 13- Order a Copy of the Show
