Algonac, MI, based Sunsation Powerboats have announced the delivery of the first 34CCX to the Offshore Agency Prettin of Germany.
Shortly after the Miami Boat Show, I got a call from Wilhelm Prettin,” says Sunsation Vice President, Joe Schaldenbrand. “Wilhelm was looking for a twin outboard, sport center console for one of his clients in Spain. While at the show, he checked out several other manufacturer’s boats, then took a test ride in our 32CCX with twin 400R’s with Performance Boat Center.”
“There are very few center consoles in Europe at this time – with most of them being old-style fishing type boats. My client in Mallorca wanted something stylish, fast and dependable for his family, with a preference for an American made boat,” explained Prettin.
Prettin says he has been around boats since he was a child, and has developed an affinity for high horsepower machines.
”In the 80’s & 90’s, I was exposed to the V8 American powerboats and was smitten by big power. My professional background is somewhat varied, from Project Manager for customized offshore powerboats and fast yachts to facilitating the requirements for high-performance European engines and drives for Fabio Buzzi’s various operations.”
Wilhelm flew to Detroit from Germany and drove an hour northeast to the Sunsation factory in Algonac, where he met with Kyle Miller, Joe Schaldenbrand and Wayne Schaldenbrand for a tour of the factory.
“I’ve got to tell you, Wilhelm was one of the most knowledgeable customers we’ve ever had at the shop,” says Schaldenbrand. “He thoroughly inspected the boat and had a professional knowledge of virtually every component. He laid out specific elements that his customer wanted in our 34CCX model and we went to work.”
There are some key regulatory differences when manufacturing boats for the North American market versus the European market. This is something that Sunsation had to take into account when considering expanding into the European market.
“The most difficult part of the build for us was making sure that the boat met all the technical and structural requirements for CE Certification. We configured the boat with twin Mercury 400R’s, which met the emission requirements in the EU and the boat was certified compliant,” explains Schaldenbrand.
“I was extremely impressed with the operations at Sunsation and the customer attention provided by Joe, Wayne, and their team,” says Prettin. “Every specification of my client was met, the boat was completed by our due date, and shipped to Brunswick, GA for transatlantic shipment to Bremerhaven. We expect delivery of the Sunsation 34CCX in mid-June, where we will overland it to our office in Mallorca, Spain and make delivery to our customer.”
The company will market their boats under the name Sunsationboats Europe, and Prettin believes the market is ready for the 32CCX and 34CCX.
For more information, visit www.sunsationboats-europe.com
