Hey Zoom !!

Everthing is a lot better now that I am back on the water.

Lovin' Life ;)

and boy this is just terrible rigging too :D :D

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Anytime your up my way buddy!

Your right Fever Mike
http://www.cigaretteracing.com/image...cs/Ocean_4.jpg

Oh, you mean there are other brands besides Cigarette??? Hmm.... I wanted and offshore boat and went looking for a Cigarette. Seriously, I am glad that the company is marketing products to support the brand. I own a 2001 Top Gun t/s and although I am around faster boats, I never have regretted the purchase. I will say that the company does need to be mindful of warranty issues if they ever come up. High end boats are assumed to have a certain level of customer service built in. As far as racing goes....."what wins on sunday, sells on monday" is not really applicable to offshore boats.

I did cash

Isn't every boat a Cigarette at heart?

I like Cig's as much as the next guy but would not buy a new one. I would not buy a product from a company that is so arrogant that they advertise that there number one priority is T-shirt sales and product recognition.
If you are going to tell me to my face that you are more concerned with a profit than providing a quality product and stand behind that product, I say let some other sucker had you their cash. I will spend my money where I will get the most for my money. I'll spend my money with a company that has built a reputation over time because of the quality of their product and will not pay extra to have a logo. If either the quality is not there or there are other companies that offer the same quality for less money, that's where I'm going.
I have no problem with them trying to sell T-shirts and other marketing merchandise to increase the bottom line. In fact I believe there are companies out there that are missing out on profits that don't offer these items, but I believe you make money on the little things that have high profit margins because of the quality of the core product that you produce.
I know my opinion is only worth as much as the next guys, and my opinion is that the new owners of Cigarette are about to make the same mistake that I have seen many previously successful business owners make. They are putting there own instant gratification ahead of the companies best interest because they believe they have paid their dues elsewhere and want to turn a quick buck.
If the current mentality does not change there will be one of two results. The current owners will make a fast return on their investment selling enough T-shirts and over priced boats and get out, leaving the new owners to deal with the repercussions. The second is the product quality will suffer and the Cigarette name will slowly lose its appeal.
Again in my opinion, the current owners are going to take one of the best names in offshore boats and turn the faithfull away in return for the mass sales for a short period of time.
You don't continue to be one of the best names in offshore boats if you don't build one of the best damn boats out there with a price and service to back it up.

As I've always said, Cig is the Gold Standard of offshore boats. All boats sooner or later are measured against it. For instance, a boat may be:
1. Not as good as a Cig
2. Almost as good as a Cig
3. As good as a Cig
4. Better than a Cig

When's the last time you heard someone say, "it's as good as a___________ "(fill in the blank).

As far as the main plan is to sell T shirts, that's not what I think they are saying. If I had a product that I knew I could generate extra income from by selling by products of it, I'd be a fricking idiot not to take advantage of that fact. I am reasonably sure they aren't taking their top technicians off the line and making them silk screen t-shirts!

Oh, and by the way, if the legend is dying, would someone please send me one of those corpses? And if that is dying, sure looks like heaven to me!