In Oct. 2-8 IssueBy Derek AaronTimes Journal ReporterUnlimited Marine is bringing the popular Tres Martin Performance Boat School to Russell County next week, according to John Stivers, owner of Unlimited Marine, Inc.
Unlimited Marine, in conjunction with Tres Martin and Nordic Boats USA will hold the performance boat training course for fast boats on October 5-6 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Unlimited Marine in Russell Springs.
Stivers said the course came about in light of some recent local and nationally publicized incidents in the performance boating world, including the death of an experienced boat operator who was killed last month when his high performance boat rolled over at more than 100 miles per hour during the annual Lake Cumberland Poker Run.
"I feel like its our duty, if we're going to sell performance oriented boats that we need to try and bring those boaters to a different awareness of safety and that there is some driving skills that are beneficial to have," Stivers said.
He said the performance boat industry is changing and that as a seller of these fast machines it is his obligation to be proactive in educating his customers and to raise the awareness in the local performance boating community for more specialized training.
"We're getting more and more people in these types of boats and they need the specialized training," he said.
Stivers said Tres Martin, of Ocala, Fla., who has offshore racing credentials and real world performance boating experience would be in attendance at the six person boating school.
He said he has known about Martin for several years and while Martin has never been to Russell Springs, he has frequented Lake Cumberland several times for training and such.
"We'd like to have him come up at least twice a year and put on one of these classes," he said. Martin has also held similar classes this year in Dallas, Long Beach, Calif., Oakland and Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.
A lot of the top boat manufacturers, including Nordic, which Stivers sells, have stepped up and said when someone purchases a boat from 34 ft to 42 ft, it is inclusive with the price of the boat that you must take this training class.
Stivers, who will take the class along with one other person from Unlimited Marine, said this gives owners more of an incentive to get this type of training done.
"We've actually put together a class of five for this first class, and we're trying to find one more person, to take this class," he said. "And it is just to heighten the awareness and need for safety."
Stivers said performance boating was fun and exciting and that there are a lot of events around the country that one could take their boat to, but that it was his job, and others like him, to make sure that everyone is boating as safe as possible.
He compared the class to that of a Driver's Education class for an automobile and that much of the class would be basic boating information.
"We feel like we're obligated to the local public to offer these," he said.
Stivers said that this first class was open for six and if more wanted to partake in the two-day course they would schedule another, later course date.
Stivers said anyone wanting to register for a boating safety course to go to the Tres Martin Web site, www.performanceboatschool.com, and use a downloadable pdf file to sign up.
"If we're going to sell these types of boats, it is our duty to offer this type of training," he said. Stivers said many people that have these fast boats may think they know all there is to know about their safety but often they are sadly mistaken.
"We're trying to be proactive in this area and do our part," he said. Stivers said those that operate these boats are really a safety conscious people and not just out on the water to cause a hazard.
According to Martin's Web site, tuition for one of these classes is $2,500 per student.
For more information about the course or future courses contact Unlimited Marine, Inc. at 270-858-6911, Tres Martin Performance Boat School at 352-620-8737 or http://www.performanceboatschool.com
