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For Immediate Release

Friday, September 27, 2002

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FOUR PRODUCTS WIN INNOVATION AWARDS AT BOATBUILDING 2002

Chicago, IL

Four new products have been honored with NMMA Innovation Awards. Michael Verdon, president of Boating Writers International (BWI), presented the awards at a special ceremony held Wednesday at BoatBuilding 2002 in Atlanta, GA.

The Innovation Awards program, organized by NMMA and administered by Boating Writers International (BWI) awards those products that best meet the following criteria:

· Innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured

· Benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer

· Practicality

· Cost-effectiveness

BWI provides the judges for the program, each having particular expertise in the award categories.

The following are this year’s winners and the category they were recognized for:

Boatbuilding Materials ITW’s Spraycore 4000

Exterior Fittings Barrett Bonded Windows

OEM Systems Volvo Penta’s Sea Key Program

Propulsion Equipment & Parts Pulse Drive System’s Propulsion

BWI also recognized Stealth Charging Systems’ Stealth 1 Charger with an honorable mention in the OEM Systems category. The charger monitors the input and output of every battery—gel or acid—and delivers a charge to the battery that needs it. Verdon says the charger could double the life of a battery.

Volvo Penta’s Sea Key communicates important boat data and emergency informational messages via satellite. It can be integrated into any size boat. “This is one of the most exciting innovations to hit the marine industry in years,” says Verdon. “Using GPS technology, Volvo Penta will be able to monitor the position of every vessel in the Sea Key program. It gives peace of mind and will help grow boating by making the experience safer and more attractive for anyone who has considered buying a boat.”

The Innovation Award judges said that ITW’s Spraycore hasn’t reached its full potential in the marine industry, but three of its current applications warrant recognition. It serves as a barrier against the gelcoat to prevent print-through, as a core material and as an alternative to plywood. Spraycore also reduces cost by decreasing labor time, and meets current MACT standards for styrene emissions.

Barrett Bonded Windows are glass-coated panels of flexible polycarbonate. They offer UV protection for people inside the boat, are as clear as glass, and will stay clear for years. “We felt this offers the next best thing to the protection of tinted safety glass, but still allows boaters to remove the panels on a nice day to enjoy the great outdoors,” says Verdon.

Pulse Drive Systems propulsion drives bolts on a boat like a traditional sterndrive, but the whole stern area, swim platform and all, trims up and down, making the boat run more efficiently, with a shallower draft.

More detail on all the Innovation Award winners and other products submitted for consideration can be found on the MAATS website at www.nmma.org/boatbuilding. For more information contact NMMA assistant director of Communications Dan Green at (312) 946-6269; dgreen@nmma.org.