MasterCraft, exclusive official tow boats of the World Waterski and World Wakeboard Championships announce today the official tow boats of the 2011 Championships.

 

At the London International Boat Show 2009, MasterCraft signed an exclusive agreement with the IWWF to become the exclusive official tow boat of the World Championships, providing boats and on site support and logistics to the World Title events including the Open, Junior, Senior, Under 21, Wakeboard and Disabled World Championships in addition to the World Cup invitational series.

 

Vice President of International Business - Ian Birdsall - comments "Signing this agreement at a time when the industry as a whole is cutting back can only show the firm commitment that MasterCraft has to it's heritage in towed sports. We have proven through action our dedication to the support of the competitive side of our sport, even when others are turning their back on the individuals and organisations that have played a major role in the success of their business over the years. At MasterCraft we never forget our roots.


In recent years we have been progressively diversifying into new markets, building a highly successful range of luxury powerboats and the remarkable MasterCraft 300 day yacht. However, a significant piece of our heart and soul will always drive us to build the best Waterski and Wakeboard boats money can buy. From the recreational family through to aspiring World Champions, there is a MasterCraft to suit every towed water sport enthusiast, so no matter what your boating activities involve there is no reason to ever settle for second best.  In fact, we are excelling in every market segment we enter; and our long term investment to product development will result in our continuing to lead the way in innovation, efficiency, quality and performance. Something, we believe, no other brand in the industry can claim."

 

 

The 13^th to the 17^th July will see Milano – Italy host the 2011 IWSF World Wakeboard Championships at the renowned site of Idroscalo and MasterCraft are delighted to announce that the newly launched Park’s edition X-Star will be providing the world famous wakes for the competition that have been voted “Riders Choice” for eight consecutive years.

 

Featuring custom interior and detailing, the incredible new ZFT5p tower and striking graphics, the Parks Bonifay limited edition X-Star is guaranteed to turn heads and cause a stir in Milano when the world’s best athletes arrive to compete for the coveted world title.

 

Powered by MasterCraft’s new and exclusive engine supplier – Ilmor, each boat will be fitted with the Ilmor 6.0 litre performance engine to ensure rapid time up to speed even when fully loaded with MasterCraft’s new Plug n Play Ballast system.

 

The official tow boat of the biggest competitions on the planet and the beneficiary of more award nominations and prizes than any other boat in wakeboarding history, the MasterCraft X-Star is the natural tow boat of choice for the 2011 World Wakeboard Championships.

 

As the World Wakeboard Championships draw to a close, the World Waterski Championships will open some 1400 miles away in Dubna – Russia at the site of the MasterCraft World Cup in the famous Waterski Stadium, known for attracting tens of thousands of appreciative spectators.

 

Immediately after becoming the official tow boat of the World Championships, MasterCraft launched the World Tournament Team edition ProStar, an edition offered exclusively to World Federations, Clubs and Athletes.

 

This hull has pulled more world records than any other brand today and is favoured by the World’s elite athletes.

 

 

For the 2011 Championships, the World Tournament Team ProStar 190 will be the official tow boat for the Trick, Slalom and Jump events, all powered by MasterCraft’s new exclusive engine partner – Ilmor, with the 6.0 litre high performance powertrain.

 

 

Zero Off is the official speed control running on Revision Q Software.

 

 

 

 

Like MasterCraft, Ilmor’s history of success is nothing but exceptional. Founded in 1984 by Mario Illien, Paul Morgan and Roger Penske, Ilmor has become a world leader in high-performance engineering. Legendary drivers like Andretti, Unser, and Castroneves have all driven cars powered by Ilmor engines, now with over 225 IndyCar race wins, 16 Indianapolis 500 victories, and two Formula One World Championships.

 

In 2003, Ilmor applied its expertise to the marine industry, and created a completely unique engine for high performance powerboats based on the 8.3L Dodge Viper V-10. By 2007, Ilmor had expanded its competitive tradition into powerboat racing, winning three consecutive World Championships in Powerboat P1 racing and capturing an APBA / SBI (USA) Championship in the P1 class.

 

Positive response to Ilmor’s products and customer service paved the way for product expansion. In 2010, Ilmor opened its state-of-the-art 50,000 square foot marine engine assembly and test facility in Mooresville, NC, committed to developing and building a new series of inboard GM-based V8 engines for its first manufacturing partner, MasterCraft Boat Company.

 

“From the beginning, our goal was to provide MasterCraft with a superior product that would enhance their brand,” says Paul Ray, President of Ilmor Engineering, Inc. “Since that time, our engineering staff has worked non-stop to design the new range of Ilmor MV8 engines, which are built to the same exacting engineering standards as our high-performance racing and powerboat engines. As a result, our companies have agreed to a multi-year exclusive agreement for inboard luxury performance towboats, signalling our commitment to each other and ultimately the customer

 

 

 

For more information and images – Please contact Will Furze –

MasterCraft International Marketing Manager – will.furze@mastercraft.com