KENNESAW, Ga., Jan. 25, 2006 - Yamaha Marine Group announced today it has signed a comprehensive three-year agreement with FLW Outdoors to sponsor a variety of salt and fresh water tournaments and activities designed to raise awareness for the Yamaha brand, expand opportunities for Yamaha tournament competitors and bring additional value to its customers.
"This agreement is the biggest single sponsorship we have, and we are pleased with the potential it brings to Yamaha Marine and its customers. With FLW Outdoors, competitors can fish for bass, walleye, redfish and kingfish and know they will have a quality experience," said Dale Barnes, Yamaha Marine Group Marketing Division Manager. "We came onboard in 2001 and our experience with the people of FLW Outdoors has been just outstanding. They deliver what they promise, and then some."
Under the agreement, Yamaha will be the exclusive engine sponsor in the three saltwater circuits, the FLW Redfish Series, FLW Kingfish Tour and the new FLW Kingfish Series. Boat sponsors will be Ranger, Hydra-Sports, Seaswirl and Wellcraft.
Yamaha will be co-engine sponsor in the walleye circuits. These include the FLW Walleye Tour and the FLW Walleye League with boat sponsors Ranger, Polar Kraft and G3.
Yamaha will also be co-engine sponsor in five bass tournament circuits, which include FLW Tour, the new FLW Series, Stren Series, Bass Fishing League and Texas Tournament Trail.
Contingency bonus money awaits Yamaha owners who fish these tournament circuits. Barnes estimates more than $1 million in owner bonus money could be paid out to Yamaha owners across the board this season. There are opportunities for contingency bonuses with boat sponsors, but also for being a Yamaha outboard owner, regardless of the boat owned and fished. For more information, see your Yamaha Outboard dealer or visit www.flwoutdoors.com.
"As FLW Outdoors continues to grow, Yamaha continues to step up its support and help us grow the sport of professional angling" said Irwin L. Jacobs, FLW Outdoors Chairman. "We couldn't continue to offer these opportunities without the help of partners like Yamaha. And that help goes beyond providing the most reliable outboard motors and prize money. There's a spirit among the Yamaha anglers and owners, not to mention the support crews that's just not found anywhere else. I think it's their pride in how well their engines run so flawlessly. If you run a Yamaha, you know you're part of a special group and it shows."
"Yamaha's continued sponsorship and involvement in FLW Outdoors have been some of our most important marketing tools in promoting professional angling," said Phil Dyskow, Yamaha Marine Group President. "FLW Outdoors once again answered and responded to America's professional angling community by announcing the additional FLW Series. Our continued support for the professional anglers through FLW Outdoors' tournaments is our way of saying to the professional angling community and the general fishing public that Yamaha believes FLW Outdoors provides one of the single best ways to grow the sport of fishing. Yamaha has been and will continue to be a major supporter of professional angling through its platinum sponsorship of the FLW Outdoors."
Yamaha-sponsored anglers have long been high-profile competitors on various FLW Outdoors tournament trails. In fact, Team Yamaha pros Clark Wendlandt and Jay Yelas have both earned the FLW Tour's coveted Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year title. Yelas, a Tyler, Texas, native, won the title in 2002 while Wendlandt, a Leander, Texas pro, won the title in both 1997 and 2000. Both anglers were featured on the cover of a special-edition Kellogg's cereal box.