Interesting reading, regardless of individual opinions about JD Power


The following news release was issued today by J.D. Power and
Associates. The release and accompanying ranking charts are also
available on our Web site:
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases...asp?ID=2006026



J.D. Power and Associates Reports:

Bass Cat, Correct Craft, Cobalt, Grady-White, Manitou, Regal and Sea
Ray
Rank Highest in Satisfying New-Boat Owners



Dealer Performance Improves while Customer Product Satisfaction
Declines



WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 16 February 2006 - Bass Cat, Correct Craft,
Cobalt, Grady-White, Manitou, Regal and Sea Ray rank highest in
customer satisfaction in seven boat segments included in the J.D. Power
and Associates 2006 Boat Competitive Information StudySM released
today.



The study, now in its fifth year, measures owner satisfaction with new
boats among 78 boat brands in seven segments: ski/wakeboard, fiberglass
bass boats, small runabouts (16 to 19 feet), large runabouts (20 to 29
feet), coastal fishing (17 to 28 feet), pontoons and express cruisers
(24 to 33 feet). Overall customer satisfaction index scores are based
on performance in nine categories: cabin; engine; ride/handling;
helm/instrument panel; design/styling; sound system; maintenance; water
sports; and fishing.[i]



The study finds that as expectations among new-boat owners increase,
overall customer satisfaction has declined in five of seven boat
segments. All of the boat segments decline in product satisfaction,
with the exception of large runabouts and express cruisers, which
improve slightly from 2005. However, a positive trend with dealer
performance continues as customers rate their experiences higher than
in past years.



"This is the first dip in product satisfaction that we've seen in
five years," said Eric Sorensen, director of the marine practice.
"This drop is driven in part by an increase in the number of reported
problems per boat. In particular, we see a substantial decline in
quality in the pontoon and bass boat segments. On a positive note, it
appears some of the industry initiatives to improve dealer satisfaction
are working, with trending continuously improving over the past four
years. The dealership is a crucial component of the boat
manufacturer's success. However, fewer than one-half of the dealers
are offering their customers a test ride, which is a simple way to
improve overall sales and product satisfaction."



While marine sales and service is improving, it still lags
substantially behind other industries, including automotive. One of the
reasons is a frequent inability to fix the boat right the first time it
is brought to the dealer for service. The study finds that service is
done correctly just 77 percent of the time. Customers who get their
boats fixed right the first time are 60 percent more satisfied with
their dealers and boats overall.



While the industry is making efforts to grow boating, there has
actually been a decline in the percentage of first-time buyers, falling
from 28 percent of all respondents in 2003 to 26 percent in 2006.



"We are seeing a lot of success in the ski/wakeboard segment in
attracting new boaters, while pontoons have declined substantially in
this area," said Sorensen.



Six boat brands have been added to the study for 2006: Sailfish, Parker
and Sea Boss are included in the coastal fishing segment; Champion in
the bass boat segment; and Sunchaser and Bentley in the pontoon
segment.



Bass boat segment

For a second consecutive year, Bass Cat ranks highest in the bass boat
segment. Bass Cat also receives the highest index score in the study.
Ranger, Champion and Triton, respectively, follow Bass Cat in the
segment rankings. Bass Cat, Ranger and Champion all receive a boost
from using high-technology, high-horsepower engines.



Coastal fishing segment (17 to 28 feet)

Grady-White ranks highest in the coastal fishing segment for a fifth
consecutive time, receiving the highest segment ratings in the areas of
engine and ride/handling, as well as sales satisfaction. Following
Grady-White in the rankings are Triton, Parker, Scout and Sailfish,
respectively.



Express cruiser segment (24 to 33 feet)

With particularly high ratings in product quality, owner loyalty and
dealer sales and service, Sea Ray ranks highest among express cruiser
boats for a fourth consecutive time. Regal, with substantial gains from
2005, and Rinker follow Sea Ray in the rankings, respectively.



Pontoon segment

With significant year-over-year gains in customer satisfaction, Manitou
receives its first award, ranking highest in the pontoon boat segment.
Bennington, Premier, Harris FloteBote and Aqua Patio, respectively,
follow Manitou in the rankings.



Small runabout segment (16 to 19 feet)

Regal ranks highest in the small runabout boat segment with the
strongest performance yet seen in this segment, improving substantially
in satisfaction and quality from 2005. Four Winns, Crownline, Sea Ray
and Glastron, respectively, follow Regal in the segment rankings.



Large runabout segment (20 to 29 feet)

Cobalt ranks highest in the large runabout segment for a fifth
consecutive time. Cobalt leads the segment by a wide margin, receiving
the highest ratings in all seven feature categories. Regal, Crownline,
Sea Ray and Chaparral, respectively, follow Cobalt.



Ski/wakeboard segment

Correct Craft ranks highest in the ski/wakeboard segment for a fourth
consecutive time, receiving the highest ratings in five of seven
feature categories. Correct Craft is followed in the segment rankings
by MasterCraft, which records considerable improvements in overall
satisfaction from 2005.



The 2006 Boat Competitive Information Study is based on responses from
12,255 owners who registered a new boat between June 2004 and May 2005.




About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is
an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm
operating in key business sectors including market research,
forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The
firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses
from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a
business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.



About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global
information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial
services, education and business information markets through leading
brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek
and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290
offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional
information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.



J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews
Peter Dadlani
Director, Media Relations
Supervisor, Media Relations
Troy, Mich.
Westlake Village, Calif.
(248) 312-4119
(805) 418-8103






No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information
in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power
and Associates. www.jdpower.com



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NOTE: Seven ranking charts accompany this release. To view them, click
he

http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases...asp?ID=2006026