Omc And Volvo Penta Join Forces Bilge
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday January 28, 1995
TWO of the world's leading marine engine manufacturers, Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) and Volvo Penta, have signed a joint venture agreement to produce and market stern-drive engines.
The engines resulting from the agreement will be marketed under the Swedish Volvo Penta name, but OMC's stern drive name, Cobra, is not entirely forgotten.
In future, all OMC manufactured boats will be powered by either Volvo Penta SX Cobra or Volvo Penta Duoprop stern drives.
The joint venture company has been named Volvo Penta Marine Products (VPMP) and all products, even those carrying the Volvo Penta Cobra SX name plate, will be distributed in Australia by Volvo Penta dealers.
OMC (Australia) will continue to provide technical support and spare parts service for its previous OMC Cobra and King Cobra engines.
For information on the new company, contact Mr Bob Ryan, product manager, OMC (Australia), Bankstown, telephone (02) 794 6600.
IF you're out on a boat on Sydney Harbour tomorrow don't forget what should be a spectacular sight when the BOC Challenge yachts head out for the next leg of their perilous and arduous journey.
The fleet will leave their Pyrmont Bay Marina berths at 9.30 am to make their way to Sydney Heads for a noon start.
A 10-minute and five-minute warning cannon before the start gun will be fired from the magnificent bark Endeavour to send the fleet on its way to Punta del Este.
Tonight the skippers of the BOC yachts and their support staff will be at a BOC Challenge function being staged at the Harbourside Room, Darling Harbour Convention Centre.
It's open to the public and tickets are a mere snip at $20.
SYDNEY has been chosen as one of five stopovers for the BT Global Challenge, described as the world's toughest yacht race. The race will start on September 29, 1996, when 15 identical 20.42-metre (67-feet) yachts set sail from Southampton on a 30,000-mile voyage against prevailing wind and current.
BT, formerly British Telecommunications, is one of the world's largest companies of its type and has its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in Sydney. Other stopover ports are Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Boston and Wellington.
The race comprises six legs - Southampton to Rio de Janeiro; Rio, around the feared Cape Horn to Wellington; Wellington to Sydney; Sydney across the Southern Ocean to Cape Town; Cape Town to Boston and the final 300-mile leg, Boston to Southampton.
The fleet is expected to be in Sydney in February, 1997.
For information on the race, contact BT Australasia, telephone (02) 269 1000.
THIS year's Sydney Boat Show looks like being a "boomer", according to the Boating Industry Association of NSW's general manager, Roy Privett.
Although it is still six months away, Privett is already predicting the show will be as big as 1989, the industry's record attendance for a boat show (nearly 90,000) and the first year at Darling Harbour.
Schedule for this year's show is July 27 to August 1.
The floating marina segment in Cockle Bay will trade from 10 am to 8 pm daily, the displays in the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre will be open 11 am to 9 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 9 pm on the Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm on the Sunday.
For the first time this year the show will incorporate Dive Australia's Dive, Scuba and Travel Show, which will occupy half of Hall 1 in the centre.
Organisers are still negotiating with the Australian Fishing Tackle Association with a view to its involvement.
© 1995 Sydney Morning Herald