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Yamaha’s WaterCraft unit is launching its biggest campaign ever, a $6 million effort for its WaveRunner water bikes and sport boat, with the spotlight on its WaveRunner FX140, its first four stroke personal watercraft (PWC).

Based in Atlanta, the Yamaha unit is counting on FX140 one of three recent entrants in the PWC market to add buoyancy to sales. The four stroke engine is quieter, more powerful and doesn’t pollute as much as two stroke models. But the market for new PWCs, which peaked in 1995, has been floundering thanks to a cyclical slump, the advent of a used PWC market and 1998 EPA regulations targeting air quality.

The campaign, via VitroRobertson, San Diego, includes two TV spots one for WaveRunner PWCs and one for the LX2000 sport boat breaking April 22 on ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT. Six print ads will run in Car & Driver, Popular Mechanics, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health and others.

With an adventure theme, the WaveRunner TV spot features aspects of all four WaveRunner nameplates, with special attention given to the FX140. Touting the waterbikes as tickets to adventure, the spot shows the largest Yamaha PWC, the SUV 1200 parked above the Shark Wall, off Nassau, Bahamas. Divers surface after feeding sharks, dump their gear in the storage compartment and scoot away

Bryan Seti, national marketing manager, said the campaign spend reflects four stroke’s importance in Yamaha’s $6,999 – 9,499 lineup.

“The FX140 is quieter, cleaner and provides more power out of the gate,” he said.

Sales of new PWCs in the U.S. peaked at 200,000 units in 1995, per the Personal Watercraft Industry Association. That fell about 60% to 83,000 units in 2001, per the Washington based advocacy group.

“Still, the health of the industry is strong,” said a rep from Bombardier unit Sea-Doo, a rival maker of PWCs.

“If you include new and used, the industry has remained between 220,000 and 230,000 units,” he said.

Last summer, Sea-Doo bowed its own four stroke water rocket, the 155 hp GTX 4-Tec, while Honda bowed its AquaTrax F-12 four stroke PWC last week.

In the waters once plied by the warships and merchants of ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt, there is a new breed of seafarers whose only aim is recreation.

Port Ghalib, on Egypt’s Red Sea, is being promoted as the latest answer to the dreams of cruising sailors; a marina is the main feature of a tourist development that will occupy many miles of coast. And several other places are jostling to become the haven of choice for a rich boating set which has been everywhere else. Montenegro, which gained independence in May, has signed a privatisation deal with a Canadian entrepreneur who plans to convert a naval shipyard into a berth for big yachts. Even Libya is piling in: it plans a new resort with 150 boat slips.

The world’s marinas are booming, driven by a surge in yacht sales. Boat builders are floating on a tide of orders, with luxury super yachts showing the biggest rises. Sales of these giants — some now stretch to 400 feet (120 metres) — are up 80% in the past six years, with Russian buyers especially visible, according to the magazine Boat International. New Zealand, a country known for bespoke luxurious vessels, predicts that its boat sales will double by 2020, to $3.2 billion. In Finland, another boat making hub, sales rose 35% last year.

More boats create demand for more places to park them. But waterfront is in short supply, particularly in rich countries where ecologists and surfers fight to protect the coast. And it can take more than a decade to develop a new marina. So even in parts of America, which has more than 12,000 marinas, queues are growing. Congestion is especially acute in Florida, although it has more than 70,000 slips. In parts of the Mediterranean, meanwhile, “unless you’re at the marina by 2 o’clock, you get no berth,” says Ian Barker of Britain’s Cruising Association.

This premium on space makes for a feverish and volatile market. Marina owners are charging higher fees and offering a broader range of facilities. But boat owners, unlike the owners of holiday villas, can instantly take off for cheaper places.

It now costs about ?6,900 ($13,115) a year to keep a 33 foot boat in a popular marina in the south of England, up from ?4,000 a couple of years ago. This hike in fees has driven some cost conscious boat owners to cheaper spots in northern France. Inevitably, governments see yachting enthusiasts as a tantalising source of income. In America, recreational sailors spent about $37.3 billion last year, up 13% from 2004. In Europe, the market looks juicier still: annual spending by amateur boat owners is about $47 billion.

Among the baits governments are trying out are free moorings (the Netherlands), tax breaks for crew (New Zealand) and tax free boat registration (Gibraltar). A few places have tripped up in their haste to take advantage of rich seafarers: Sardinia imposed a luxury tax earlier this year, but the move drove some big boats away.

As the craze for yachting spreads round the world, a new pack of countries will soon be providing talented mariners as well as attractive havens. Dubai, China and India have all seen a surge in the popularity of boating. South Africa has also seen a jump in sailing interest thanks to Shosholoza, its entry for the forthcoming America’s Cup yacht race. With its mixed race crew, this spectacular (but fairly low budget) vessel will be seen by some people as a welcome reminder that in the harsh school of the sea, wealth and rank are not the only things that count.

There’s a boat for every wallet and fishin’ mission in the 2005 fleet. Whether you can afford $40 a month or $400, you can find a way to get on the water this year.

For true boating economy, consider a kayak. Or, for a couple grand, step up to a johnboat rigged with a kicker or electric troller. If your bank account can handle the strain, take home a slick basser. Thanks to four stroke outboards, they bum less gas than ever and contribute near zero pollution to the environment.

Pungo 120 Angler
The Pungo 120 Angler from Wilderness Systems includes seating with adjustable thigh supports and backrests designed to cut fatigue during long hauls. The 12 foot long kayak weighs just 49 pounds and is rated to carry 400 pounds, including gear. (About $825; www.wildernesssystems.com)

Waterfowler 15
The Waterfowler 15 from Alumacraft includes an enclosed gun or rod box, all aluminum floors and decks and space for a swivel seat up front. Priced at $3,295, it’s more expensive than many johnboats but made of heavier stock that promises greater durability. (About $5,500 with a 25 hp motor; www.alumacraft.com)

Lund Pro Angler 17
The Lund Pro Angler 17 is a to the max tiller control walleye rig that’s broad, deep and super tough, thanks to a twin plate hull and I-beam stringers. Seven foot in floor rod lockers keep your gear secure, and reversed chines keep spray down. (About $19,700 with a four stroke Merc 75; www.lundboats.com)

Triton TR-21
Triton’s TR-21 is a Mercedes class bass boat. Powered by the new Mercury four stroke Verado 250, the first supercharged outboard, it’s a formidable package in both performance and fuel economy. It may be a lot of money to spend to chase around bass, but you’ll be going in style. (About $52,000, including matching trailer; www.tritonboats.com)