Collection Gift Guide: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!
12/02/2003
Sea-Doo Speedster 200Over the last few decades, personal watercraft have become an increasingly important element of vacation time spent at the ocean, the lake, or the river. During summer holidays, for example, the roads around Lake Tahoe and Lake Havasu become clogged with family-laden SUVs towing Jet Skis. And if you have never experienced the sensation of flying across the top of the water at high speed, you might not appreciate why these families seem to go to all this trouble. But take just one ride on a high-performance Jet Ski, and you will understand exactly why.
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A 310 hp motor powers the Sea-Doo Speedster 200, giving it a higher horsepower
rating than the Mercedes-Benz SL500. (Click image to enlarge)In their original form, Jet Skis were
somewhat unwieldy and not user-friendly unless you knew what you were doing. As
with windsurfing, balance was key, and most new learners spent more time falling
over than slicing through the surf. Intervening decades brought vast
improvements, and Jet Skis became larger, more powerful, and easier to handle.
Most now feature a seated riding position with room for two or
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Manufacturers like Bombardier (the maker of Sea-Doo) have for the last
decade featured watercraft called sport-boats that can be seen either as the
ultimate development of the Jet Ski or as a small, hot-rodding version of a
speedboat. They provide the agile, responsive performance of a Jet Ski with
dimensions that allow for the seating of four or more. (Click image to enlarge)
One of the newest
Sea-Doo offerings in this category is the Speedster 200, which features a twin
Rotax 4-TEC, four-stroke engine producing 310 hp. (For comparison’s sake, this
is a higher horsepower rating than the Mercedes-Benz SL500.) It is the most
powerful engine on the market and gives the Speedster 200 the best acceleration
in its class.
“Innovation is our tradition,” says Jay Wadzinski, director of
Sea-Doo’s North American sales. “Production focus was put into delivering a
superb sport performance product in an eye-catching style that consumers have never seen before.
Sport-boat owners want the best performance, top speed, and overall
responsiveness while looking good on the water. The Sea-Doo Speedster 200 offers
a unique proposition in the smaller boat category.” While compact at under 20
feet in length, the Speedster can nevertheless accommodate up to seven
passengers.
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Although it measures less than 20 feet in length, the Sea-Doo Speedster 200
can accommodate up to seven passengers. (Click image to enlarge)The Speedster’s features include a windscreen with pop-up wind
deflector, a built-in ice chest, a stereo and CD player, a 12-volt jack, ski
storage, a ski pylon, a sun deck pad, and a swim platform with a ladder. An
inlet clearance system helps remove weeds at the touch of a button. The
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The addition of the
Speedster 200 brings to 10 the number of sport-boats offered by Sea-Doo. They
range in length from 14 to 22 feet, with horsepower ratings starting at 130 and
topping out at the Speedster 200’s 310. “No one offers a more complete lineup,
from laid-back family deck boats to high-performance twin-engine runabouts,”
says Roch Lambert, Vice President and General Manager of Sea-Doo. With that
level of flexibility in choosing a sport-boat that is ideal for your family,
there is no reason not to take one out for a spin and see just how exhilarating
an experience it can be. (Click image to enlarge)
Sea-Doo
800.882.2900
www.sea-doo.com