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The Official Newsletter of Bertram Yacht // Winter 2010 Volume 2 Issue 2
Captain’s Corner As we gear up for the holidays, we are excited to let you know about all of the upcoming events and activities surrounding Bertram Yacht, which you will read more about within this newsletter. This has been an eventful year for us at Bertram. We eagerly approach 2011, looking forward to an exciting future for the company, while reflecting on the rich history of its iconic past. As we reach the company’s 50 year mark, we will remember Bertram’s heritage and share memories with our devoted associates, customers and partners. We look forward to receiving your feedback and creating more spectacular moments on the high seas in Bertram country. I would like also to take the opportunity to thank all of those who came out and supported us at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. Attendance was double what we experienced last year with a solid crowd of visitors consisting primarily of boat owners looking to purchase a new boat in the near future. We sold boats at the show and are continuing negotiations with several potential buyers. Our location at the show was perfect for the display of our products, but most impressive was the introduction of the largest Bertram ever built, the new Bertram 800. This big, bold, brawny Bertram quickly became the talk of the docks. With multiple layout options, bountiful interior space and a massive cockpit for a full range of activities on board, this superior vessel is outfitted with all of the amenities one might need while out at sea for a season. Whether sport-fishing or cruising, we have incorporated new design features in several of our models to meet your latest requests.
Also, fresh out of the Ft. Lauderdale show, was the new version of the Bertram 540, which was designed with full forward fiberglass brow and new interior layout with serious sport-fishing in mind. With all of the superior qualities that Bertram is known for, the new 540 sport-fish is loaded with everything an angler desires. This incredibly sea worthy model reaches over 40 knots comfortably and maintains its clean, sleek sheer line of its predecessor that was launched last year. The new design features of this battlewagon are made for the hard core sport fisherman with optimum performance and ample storage space for tackle and rods galore. With 40 years of experience in the sport-fishing industry, I am excited about the future of Bertram and the events planned for 2011. We will continue to rely heavily upon our basic principles of building hard-core sport-fishing platforms with the incredible sea worthy ride of their signature deep-V hulls. We have not only introduced some new models, but we are also tooling and designing some great new models to be introduced in 2011 and 2012. We will introduce different features and innovations, but I personally refuse to veer from Bertram’s deeply rooted principles of design. Some of which, rely heavily upon solid construction, high-performance and innovative technology that do not compromise the smooth and dry ride of a luxury sport fish yacht. Going forward, our models will have a sleeker appearance and will continue to be designed specifically for their intended use. The new models under development will unquestionably be BERTRAM, in appearance, accommodations and performance. Stay tuned to all of our activities surrounding Bertram’s 50th Anniversary in 2011 as it will be a memorable celebration for everyone involved.
Sincerely, Alton Herndon
Wishing you the brightest Holiday Season!
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www.bertram.com
President of Bertram Yacht
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Bertram’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations We are approaching Bertram’s big 50th Anniversary beginning in 2011, in which we will be creating several unforgettable experiences to celebrate the company’s history and honor its owners and partners from the present and past. We begin our celebratory year at the Miami International Boat Show where we will be collecting stories, photos and taking videos of our Bertram friends to preserve the memories that have made Bertram a legend. Mark your calendars for Friday, February 18th for our first get together at the show. Invitations are on the way! All your stories and mementos collected by the end of February will BER T RAM Y AC be used at our big anniversary celebration, Bertram’s Blast to the 50 TH A nn iv er sa ry H T Past, on April 29th and 30th, 2011 at the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami. Save the date FE B . 18 th 20 11 as owners will be invited to bring their Bertram boats for a huge display show with plenty of photo opportunities, awards, dinner and dancing. Many more celebration events will continue in various locations so stay tuned for more details as they develop.
Make Your Mark in Bertram’s 50 Years of History and Win a Fishing Trip of a Lifetime! Visit the Bertram display during the Miami Boat Show this February 1721, 2011 to record your Bertram story and win a fishing trip of a lifetime. We are calling all Bertram owners, friends, partners, and past employees to join us at the Miami Boat Show to record your Bertram story for our archives. Video interviews will be held on site at the show in addition to taking written stories, photographs and mementos, which can be sent to history@bertram.com.
by-side with Marlin University instructors for an exhilarating and educational experience. All entrees must be submitted no later than March 1st. The winner will be selected by a team of Bertram historians on April 1st, 2011 based on accurate representation of historic facts and compelling story telling. For more information visit the Bertram web site www.bertram. com and click on the link on our home page.
All those participating in the archive process will be put into the drawing for the Marlin University Fishing Trip to Guatemala taking place on May 10-15, 2011. Guatemala is known for some of the world’s best sailfish fishing. With up to 20 bites a day, these Pacific waters provide the perfect backdrop to learn the intricacies of sport-fishing. You will have the chance to fish side-
New Bertram 540 • Photo by Forest Johnson
Editor: Brett Keating • Contact: 305-633-8011 • e-mail: brett.keating@bertram.com
We are geared up for this year’s tournament season.
Get ready to bring it! Bertram Fishing League 2011 Bertram owners, get your teams geared up and ready to fish hard in 2011! There is nothing more important than walking the talk when it comes to sport fishing and Bertram boats. You know what your Bertram can do and we want to see you out there winning it. Sign up on our leader board and make some extra cash no matter which tournament you sign up for. If you don’t see a tournament on the list that should be included, just let us know and we’ll check them out. All approved tournament committees must confirm your tag and release or catch so be prepared to be legitimate.
• Bertram owners planning to fish in qualified USA and Caribbean registered tournaments* can sign up their Bertram boat and team for the league on the Bertram web site. • All registered owners must join by March 1, 2011 to get on the leader board site. Tournament season ends November 1st, 2011. • No entry fee required. • Winners will be reviewed across the following categories: • Largest overall registered weight: Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin • Number of total tag and release: White Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sail fish • There will be prizes for the top winning Bertram boat in each category: • Biggest registered total weight: $1,000 per species • Total # of tag and release Blue Marlin: $7,000 • Total # of tag and release White Marlin: $5,000 • Total # of tag and release Sail Fish: $2,000
* Qualified tournaments can be found on the Bertram web site. All Bertram boats participating in the league must have officially registered with each approved tournament and the results can be validated by each tournament committee.
48 Nautical Miles Away: Paradise Awaits The new Bertram 540 Heads to Bimini By: Cristian Hernandez • Official Bertram Marketing Intern It was around 9 AM, when we untied our lines and headed out on the brand new Bertram 540 sport fisherman for a photo shoot with renowned photographer Forest Johnson. Our destination: North Bimini. But before I get into the details, I need to give you the back story. There was a point at which we almost didn’t go. We received a multitude of warnings from captains and colleagues alarming us about the bad weather ahead, including the possibility of 10 ft. swells. But as the storm front was coming in, we only had a small window to get the photos we needed of the clear blue water before the sand got muddy. As many Bertrams before us, we weren’t going to allow a measly storm to get in the way of making it to paradise. After clearing the last bridge, we headed out into open sea at a cool 34 knots. The Florida stream’s actual 6-8 waves were no match for the 540 who marched solidly through them. Not one flinch as we made the crossing in an hour.
Bimini Big Game Club’s hay day, we docked for a quick and necessary stop for the local conch salad, a classic Bahamian dish laced with bird peppers, as they are called. After the first day of suffering in paradise, the crew headed out on the Bertram 540 to the coastline for the photo shoot. The Bertram 540 awaited the radio call from the helicopter and within minutes we were zipping through the crystal clear coastline. Watching the powerful helicopter try to catch up to the 540 is impressive itself. Flying up, down and sideways, Forest Johnson and Bertram’s Director of Marketing, Brett Keating made sure that Bertram was shot from all angles. Part two: showing off the fishing capabilities. We opened up the outriggers and dropped 6 lines into the water and trolled as the helicopter performed miraculous flybys to capture every aspect of this new Bertram legend. In the spirit of the Bertram fishing culture, as the shoot wrapped, we left the lines out for a good 45 minutes as we started to return to Miami. This time the Florida stream did not impose conditions worthy of a Bertram so it was a smooth run back to the Bertram factory up the Miami River where we cleared customs and high-fived to another “normal” day at the office.
Upon our arrival at Bimini, we docked at the newly renovated Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost. Notably appropriate, the exclusive Guy Harvey design inked on the transom of the new 540 was also a key reason for the photo shoot. Very excited about the return of the
Photo by Forest Johnson
Built to inspire legendary tales. Not tall ones. Epic fishing stories never end with the words “rough seas made us head back early.” If you want tales worth telling, you need a sportfishing yacht that won’t fall apart when the weather pounds it. Or when you push it. You need a Bertram. After nearly 30 years, we reintroduced our legend-maker—the Bertram 54’. It still maintains many classic features like the 54’s famous deep-V hull. But we’ve added a sleeker shear line and other innovations specifically for sport fishing. Tricked out for hard-core fishing fanatics, the new 540 is a full-on hard core fishing machine. It comes equipped with massive in-floor fish boxes, a bait well, starboard-side freezer or tackle drawers and, of course, tons of rod storage. Yet none of that would mean jack if the 540 didn’t have the guts to go with it. Powered by ocean-taming twin CAT C-32 engines, this Twin 1676-horsepower hauler cruises easily at 36 knots and has seen 42, making a jaunt to the Bahamas nothing more than a beer run. Despite all its brawn, the 540’s no bruiser. Bertram’s swell-slicing hull helps keep your keel even and your lunch down. Below deck, its top-of-
the-line amenities, premium cabinetry and quiet underwater exhaust can almost make you forget the 10-foot chop outside. In short, the Bertram 540 combines ultimate performance and seaworthiness with extreme luxury and comfort. And when you buy one in our 50th anniversary year of 2011, you have the exceedingly rare opportunity to take your maiden voyage on us. We’ll meet you in Miami where Bertram president, Alton Herndon, will be waiting to personally hand over the keys to your brand new 540. On board your magnificent Bertram, you’ll find a licensed captain and mate, a full tank of fuel, and our welcome package of Dom Perignon, stone crabs, and other niceties. Then we’ll set you off to the Bahamas, destined for a week’s stay at the legendary Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort. As a VIP guest of the Club, your slip charges will be pre-paid and you’ll enjoy special Club privileges. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime offer for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Bertram Yacht, Inc. 3663 N.W. 21st Street, Miami, Florida 33142 • Phone (305) 633-8011 Fax (305) 635-1388
Bertram Yacht, Inc. reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in design, materials, colors, equipment, models and prices, and to discontinue models. Photographs are shown for illustrative purposes only, and may show items that are optional equipment, special decor or custom items. ©2010 Bertram Yacht, Inc. All Rights Reserved.