Bayliner update -- Exclusive interview

Entry-level focus, bigger Element, more Deck Boats

It’s not every day you get talk with the President of one of the world’s biggest boat builders. But in our capacity at boatsales and BoatPoint, at the forefront of breaking boat news and emerging trends, we leapt at the chance for a one-on-one with Keith Yunger. He’s been the President of Bayliner since January, after eight years with the company in other roles, and was visiting the recent Sydney International Boat Show.

While a reasonable entourage of compatriots had winged it to Australia to spread the good oil about one American boat brand or another, Bayliner needs no introduction. Need we remind you, the marque has a long history here. Importer Berowra Waters Wholesale (BWW), headed by industry stalwart David Hazlett, has imported some 6000 Bayliners in 24 years of business.

In 1989, Hazlett’s first shipment of Bayliners featured a 2655 or 2855 Cruiser. Just three years ago, the Bayliner range went from 16-33ft. But there’s been a significant post-GFC shift in focus. Except for the Brazilian market, Bayliner has dropped the Cruiser range and set it sights squarely on the entry-level market.

BIGGER ELEMENT

We were always following the progress of Bayliner’s new entry-level concept boat, The Element, before getting aboard earlier this year in Sydney for our three-day first test. A 16ft bowrider with modest 60hp Mercury outboard, the Element is a low-maintenance, low-stress boating solution. With abundant seating, dry storage, deck space and freeboard, it’s an especially family friendly boat.

The local price of $24,990 drive-away adds to the Element’s appeal. In the US, the rig sells for $150 a month over 10 years’ financing, which is roughly the same cost as a typical cell-phone bill. Conceptually, Americans get that. Ditch the daughter’s mobile phone and get a boat instead.

Yunger told us that Bayliner received more interest in its online Element marketing, presumably from young-generation boaters who inhabit that space, than other Brunswick boat brands looking to excite Gen Yers with new concepts like jet boats.

Inspired by the response, Bayliner is now working on a bigger Element platform with bigger outboard but based on the same just-add-water turnkey concept. Watch this space.

DECK BOATS ARE GO?

Meantime, the Deck Boat (DB) market in America has been going from strength to strength while other traditional designs mark time or languish. The DB’s appeal is its larger load capacity than a traditional veed bowrider -- therefore more boat for your buck even though they may cost a slight premium -- and often greater amenities for day boating.

To this end, Bayliner is introducing a new 190 and 210 outboard-powered DB, plus a 215 inboard-powered DB (same hull as the 210) to the American market. Because some people still prefer the look of a pointy-nosed bowrider, the new wide-bow deck boats should extend Bayliner’s customer base.

"We’re looking at how to bring these [DBs] to the Australian market and the 190 (last photo above) seems a good fit,” Yunger told us. “In the North American market, the deck boats are really coming into play as an alternative to a traditional bowrider. They’re people heading out with another family, who need the space."

"The typical things on our deck boats are an extra-long bimini top for shade and a changing room that, on our 19-footer, is a portable changing room that drops down from the bimini. On the 21-footer it’s in the passenger console," Yunger explains.

Todd Kay, Distribution Manager at BWW, adds that the DBs also have optional portable toilets and transom showers that make them even more applicable to local boaters who tend to head out all day. There’s also a bit of a trend to flat-water boating that fits with the DB concept, we will add.

But Yunger is quick to point out that the way Bayliner designed its DBs there’s still a nice vee for slicing the water and handling bigger water. In fact, the deadrise is the same at the transom, only the bow flares out to create more room for socialising. The flare in the bow also leads to more buoyancy and freeboard at rest.

"Typically our DBs will have a bow and a stern ladder for good access to the beach," adds Yunger.

OUTBOARD V INBOARD

While the American market has seen steady improvements with outboard- over inboard-engine sales, the local market isn’t reacting that way. Kay says BWW has built its business on sterndrives and getting recognition for them. Besides, all is not what it seems.

In the US, there’s been a lot of talk that sterndrives sales have slowed. But Yunger says it’s still 8:1 or 10:1 in favour of inboards in new boats. Outboard sales are coming off a low base, hence the apparent growth.

"We’ve placed a lot of bets with outboard-powered models in addition to sterndrives," Yunger proferrs. "And part of that is not only in response to the way people use their boats but EPA regulations and what that does to the overall price point of the package. We have to be cognisant about keeping the price down."

Of course, with the slow cruiser market, inboard sales have suffered. Business owners and senior management people are going through a time when they’re trying to be a little less showy, explains Yunger, and so they haven’t had reason to trade up.

"Timing is also a challenge. People can grab a couple of hours with a runabout or deck boat but it’s tough to capture a whole weekend with a cruiser and the family.

"You think of people today… they’ve got iPads, laptops and smartphones, all the electronics devices and leashes, as I refer to them, but they still need that break. They can still find a couple of hours," says Yunger, backing the trend to his just-add-water bowriders and deck boats for that "little escape".

JET BOATS

There’s a buzz around jet boats since Sea-Doo announced it was exiting the market last year. Brunswick Corporation's sister brand Sea Ray has jet boats, as will Chaparral, Glastron, Regal and Scarab once plans are realised. But Yunger’s not sold on the idea for Bayliner…

"We have definitely looked at it with Sea-Doo’s exit from the market. We’ve had a few brands go into it. As we’ve looked at it, they aren’t finding new space as much as cannibalising their traditional runabout base. We believe we’ve got the tiger by the tail with the Element concept. Instead of being another me-too in the jetboat world, we’re the only people out there in that Element space.

"So we’ll look at where we take the Element from here and if it’s a bigger platform with a bigger base motor and go down that path. From our reading in the initial six months in the market place, it’s generating more energy and excitement than the typical jet-boat side of things," Yunger says, referring to the high level of inquiry through Bayliner websites.

"We’re already seeing that younger family or the younger couple that are saying: ‘Hey I grew up around it and am ready to get back involved,’ and new boaters as well. Because when you look at it, jet boats… their big thing is horsepower. To the new to boating, the challenge with that is intimidating. When you look at the concept of the Element there are no intimidating factors," he explains.

FLAGSHIP & FUTURE

Yunger says Bayliner will continue to evaluate the Cruiser market. But for now, the big global boat builder is backing The Element, Deck Boats in 190 (video below) and 210 outboard-powered configurations and a 215 inboard version, which is now the Bayliner flagship in terms of size and price.

"Bayliner also introduced a 642 in Europe -- I call it a big-water day boat -- and that’s something we’re looking at with Todd and Berowra (BWW) to bring into the Australian market," Yunger says, as Kay passes the comment that: "It’s a really nice boat with a bit of European flavour, a more traditional cuddy-cabin layout, but still a day-boat with convertible seating and an extendable platform."

"Bayliner pushed the cockpit space well aft and added the extended platform for ‘coving’… place the electronic leashes in the cabin and hang out," Yunger quips, underscoring the ethos behind his expanding day-boat fleet and doubtless that soon bound for Australia.

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Bayliner update -- Exclusive interview

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