Renowned outdoorsman, fisherman and fishing show host, Matt Watson has been announced as Yamaha’s latest outdoor ambassador.
Watson’s Stabicraft 2750 Centrecab will be powered by twin Yamaha F200 XCA outboards, while his smaller Stabicraft 1450 Frontier will be powered by a Yamaha F50 – both boats with their new Yamaha power plants to be showcased on the iconic ITM Fishing Show, and to the millions of viewers that watch Matt’s content online.
Yamaha will also power him on land, utilising Yamaha’s off road ROV products for his on-land adventures.
Matt Watson is a household name in New Zealand – part stuntman – part conservationist and self confessed ‘mad fisherman’, Watson captures the attention of his audience by pulling off impossible catches – unbelievably big fish from ridiculously small boats.
Having had a long lasting relationship with another outboard motor manufacturer, and with that brand no longer in production, the opportunity for Watson and Yamaha to partner presented itself.
“I’m loyal by nature, and that goes for brands and products too, if it’s good to me I’ll stay with it for the long haul. How can someone trust you if you chop and change brands. Integrity is important to me,” says Watson.
“I’ve been with most of my partners since day one, almost 20 years now. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the partnership I have had with my previous engine partner, but that abruptly ended when they ceased production.”
“I have really taken my time in looking for new outboards, I did my homework and weighed up the things that are most important to me in an outboard motor.”
“I asked around trusted and experienced mates, inside and outside the marine industry, and I did some sea trials. When asking around,
Yamaha owners raved about reliability, and that’s important to me, but what really stood out is the technology they’ve integrated, it’s tech that I’ll use every day when I’m fishing. So the reliability is reassuring, but the technology is bloody exciting, and that was the kicker for me.”
“At first the thought of changing outboard brands was daunting, now I’ve made my choice, and I know what the Yamaha product can do, I just can’t wait to get out there and show off the tech, it’s going to revolutionise the way I can fish. And I’ll be ripping around in the hills hunting in the Yamaha side by side too, so watch this space!”
National Marine Manager for Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Richard Shaw, says he’s excited to welcome Watson into the Yamaha family.
“I’ve known Matt for a long time, and the conversation about forming a partnership between himself and Yamaha came about by accident when we bumped into each other a little while ago.”
“We’ve always appreciated and respected his approach to his relationships with his sponsors and partners. We’re excited to work with him and to see our product continue helping him on his adventures on and off the water.”
