LEFT The replacement price for a modern 37' sports cruiser with this
level of fit out would normally be quadruple the asking price. TOP
This sporty looking helm has dual binnacle controls.the entire boating industry.
David was taken from us far
too young and will be sadly
missed by all. However, he
has left us his library of
nautical wisdom to ensure
his memory lives on.
A STAR IS BORN
1959 was a mighty fine year!
Cornelius Nathaniel "Connie"
Ray III founded Sea Ray
boats in Oxford, Michigan,
and I was born. Sea Ray
quickly expanded to become
the world's largest boat
company with 40 models
from 17 feet to 60 feet.
Connie Ray was a
charismatic former WWII
pilot who impressed his
targeted dealers by flying
in with his personal Lear Jet
and treating the principles
to a ride, lunch or dinner
in yet another impressive
location, while luring them
with the promise of unfound
riches, as part of a Sea Ray
partnership. And grow it did.
These were the heady
days of panache and style,
hence Ray modelled his
boats in line with fashionsintroduced through his
home town Detroit’s,
automotive industry. He was
also smart enough to realise
that a strong dealership
base was essential. Sea
Ray thrived throughout
the 60s and 70s, opening
a large a plant at Merrit
Island, Florida, in 1972. It
eventually grew to three
plants at that location.
At that time, it produced
about 20 sports yachts
weekly, each retailing from
$200,000 to $500,000. Sea
Ray boomed throughout
the early years of the
roaring 1980s where their
luxury oferings journeyed
to dealers throughout the
world, including Australia.
Sea Ray was eventually
bought by Brunswick for
$350 million, in 1986. At
the same time, Brunswick
purchased the Bayliner
brand, making Brunswick
Corporation the largest
pleasure boat producer
in the world. In peak
production, the company
boasted around 4800
employees producing
28,000 boats annually
from manufacturing plants
in Michigan, Tennessee,
Florida, Arizona, Ireland andeventually New Zealand.
Sea Ray has continued
to develop successfully
through economic rises
and falls, and now produce
a wide range of models
including sports bowriders;
runabouts and cruisers;
deck boats; cruisers; and
motor yachts from 19 to 65’,
while the strong tradition
of premium boat building
hasn’t waned.EURO FLARE
The Sea Ray design team
was charged to make the
”dancers” bigger inside
and sleeker outside. They
achieved their goal by
incorporating the transverse
bunk into the Sundancer
range; an east/west
stateroom in the mid-section
of the hull under the helm.
They streamlined aesthetics
with a European flare but
still retained the feeling of
the good ol' USA know how.
The 375 evolved from
the 350 model with the
designation truly reflecting
the overall width. It is
an ideal size for a sports
cruiser, still providing
some excellent seagoing
capabilities but with sleek
sporty lines on a hull thattradeboats.com.au 111