Big Bertie debuts

Australian Bertram importer, Eagle Yachts, has landed its biggest Bertie yet. The 670E enclosed flybridge boat was the star of the Mandurah Boat Show in Perth, WA in early October, and the boat will likely stay in the west with its new owner, local business identity, Ralph Sarich.

According to Eagle Yachts' Steve Hill, negotiations are underway to source another $4.2m-plus 670E for a keen, east-coast buyer.

With the 570, 510 and the above-mentioned 670E on the water Down Under already, Eagle has confirmed it will land a 670 Open, a 630E Open, another 570, and the yet-to-be-released 360 Open before March 2006.

The 630 Open due to arrive Down Under in January will stay with the company as its official tournament boat. Fully-cocked with a Pipewelders Tower and an engineroom crammed full of horsepower, the boat will spend much of 2006 traversing the east coast fishing tournaments and boat shows.

And Eagle's commitment to the local scene will go beyond a Team Bertram entry - the company has announced that it will sponsor three of the premier gamefishing tournaments in Australia in 2006. See Tournament News on page 98 for the full story.