All I have to say is that Baja and its local dealer did a poor job of supporting the brand. I did see Wyatt Fountain at the Fountain booth and I'm sure somebody from Cigarette was in there booth. I guess Baja is not interested in really attracting new customers. I guess they are putting their faith in repeat buyers, but that will only go so far. As far as how much it costs to be in the show, I would look at how many people were there over the length of the show. Just for your info, direct mail at most only gets you a 1-2 % return. And lets be real. I personally will never be able to afford a Cig or Fountain. That's why I am on my 3rd Baja.

Smart A$$!
I'd love to work for Baja. My problem would be having to "work". I really like not really doing anything. That & I'm sure Baja isn't interested in putting a 1075SCi in a 25 Outlaw a pair of them in a 35 Outlaw. I'm interested in doing that & if I had the chance to buy a Baja dealership I'd do it in a blink of an eye. Then you would see stuff like that & it would be for sale!
Who wouldn't want to see Baja back in factory racing? Who wouldn't want to go to a boat show & hear everyone talking about the Baja with the wild paint, killer interior & big friggin' motors that is FOR SALE? Unlike the 40 Outlaw that is just a show "piece".
Who wouldn't want to see a little more pride pumped back into the brand?

Vote for Pedro! All your wildest dreams will come true.

I 'm not knocking the return on investment for the money that goes into boat shows I am simply saying they are extremly expensive. As for fountain and the other "real" offshore boat builders maybe the sticker is reflective of the money the spend in shows.......and black hair dye and gold chains .........I couldn't resist.

OK. At the expense of getting slammed here, I think Baja would be better served to invest their money in their quality control department. There is ROI in QC. I was in the market for a 30 OL and looked at three. ALL three had significant quality issues in the fit and finish of the upholestry. Mainly liner issues in the cabin. Just my .02... - No offense to you other Baja owners who have not seen QC issues.

Do you think you could make a really small OUTLAW happen? Im talking Scat Cat size? A 12 or 14 OUTLAW would kick @$$ !!

Right after they let me put a 1075SCi in a 25 Outlaw.
Seriously, rember the Blast? Just what you are talking about, only really ugly and under-powered. I'd still take one. I think that thing would go pretty good with a 300 Hp powerhead in it.

No, nothing like the Blast or Splash! Something small with the current body lines of the 20, 23, 30, and 35 Outlaw! Priced like a Jet Ski, with important features like a CD Player and Cupholders!

This is my second year in a row going to the show and last year was disappointing but at least they had a custom 40 there to grab some attention. This year was a total joke. There was nothing that stood out. The Cig, Foutain, OL, Donzi, Nor-tech booths had people waiting to get in and see the boats. I saw Reggie and the owner of Cig working there booths. These shows are certainly expensive but when people are traveling from all over the states to see what is there I think a huge presence needs to be made not a small area with weak representation. If Baja wants to continue to grow there customer base and switch buyers from other brands it is a lot easier to do at a show then in the showroom. When a customer comes to a boat dealership to see a Donzi then that is what the salesman is going to show them and push them on. They will only switch products as a last result. I think the Baja Marine needs to be behind the largest boat show in the country not just the dealers in the area. I'm from the mid-west those dealers are never going to see me when I'm ready to buy again so why show me boats, explain the new haul and the testing that went into it. They need company people and company money. I guarantee the other manufacturers did.

One thing that I have NEVER went to a boat show to do is buy a boat. I like to go and look at all the fiberglass & hang with my friends. I can't recall ever buying anything from a boat show other than beer & hot dogs. I couldn't even keep those.

Here is some copy from the GD area. Like I said Baja missed the boat at Miami.


From: todays Tradeonly online

Issue Date: 2/28/2006, Posted On: 2/28/2006

Fountain Powerboat touts its backlog of orders


Fountain Powerboat Industries landed record orders of nearly $17 million at the 65th annual Miami International Boat Show, the company said today.



This year’s sales eclipsed last year’s record by nearly 40 percent. The company reports a backlog of orders approaching $54 million, with sales on target for fiscal 2006, ending June 30.



CEO Reggie Fountain attributes the sales growth to the brand image the company has cultivated in its 26 years of offshore racing, tournament fishing and aggressive marketing.



The North Carolina-based company had three displays at the show, held Feb. 16 to 20. Three 2006 models made their debut: the Fountain 38 open center console, the 38 Lightning offshore high-performance sportboat and the 42 Lightning, featuring a redesigned cockpit.



In addition to the new orders, the company said it has more than 4,500 leads


Maybe better luck for Baja next year????