New Rescue Equipment on Australia's beaches

BRP Australia, manufacturer of Sea-Doo® personal watercraft and Evinrude Outboard Motors, and Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) have announced a long-term partnership that will see a new generation of rescue equipment on Australia's beaches.

The news comes after the recent withdrawal by Yamaha Motors Australia from well-advanced contract negotiations with SLSA, which Yamaha blamed on the global economic crisis.

SLSA Group General Manager, Michael Hornby, said the partnership with BRP involves support for the Whereis® Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in 2009 and beyond, as well as the Australian IRB (inflatable rescue boat) Championships.

As Hornby explained "another feature will be a new rescue gear program, which will see BRP products available to surf life saving clubs at highly subsidised prices.

"We are particularly pleased the Evinrude E-Tec Outboard motors are more fuel efficient and produce much less emissions than conventional motor designs, once again demonstrating SLSA's commitment to environmentally friendly practices around the Australian coastline."

Gregoire Dupont, General Manager for BRP Asia Pacific, said the new partnership would be forged in trust, stating "Sea-Doo are the world's number one choice for personal water craft and we are happy to lend a hand to 'Aussie' surf lifesavers, and be the watercraft of choice when it comes to protecting lives on our beaches - no matter the conditions."

The 2009 Whereis® Australian Surf Life Saving Championships will be held from 17th to 22nd March at Scarborough Beach, Western Australia.

The 2009 Australian IRB Championships will be held from 24th to 26th July at Kawana Waters, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.