BoatUS.com: Trailering Club

Regal Boats was founded more than 30 years ago by Paul Kuck, who remains Chairman of the Company. Today, Regal President Duane Kuck hasn't forgotten his father's long range plan for the boat company: Find a need that's out there and fill it. Today, with more than 800 employees at their Orlando, Florida plant, with sales in more than 45 countries and being the recipient of the prestigious International Marine Trades Exhibit and Conference Award for the Fastrac Hull design, Regal founder Paul Kuck looks at his son today and says "Wow, it's gotten bigger than anything we ever thought."

How has the boat-buying customer changed over the years?

The customer wants to do more and get more with their boat. Some are luxury-oriented and that's what they expect. Others want to fish and that's what they expect. I see the customer buying a boat, and using a boat, as being similar to the person buying and using a car. After all, it's a form of transportation. In terms of expectations, what happens in cars is what happens in boats.

You build boats from 17 feet to 41 feet, in models ranging from cuddy cabins to jetskis to bowriders to midcabins to deckboats. What do you think will be the next model?

Right now it's yachts. We build the Commodore 4160. We are building boats with what is called "a sedan bridge." But I see boat models going this way: In the Regal family, a buyer will start with a small boat and move to a larger model. There's a lot of this kind of progression. And because we build a variety of models, our dealers can offer a broad range of boats to the public with a diverse interest in what they want from boating.

The 2001 models are coming to showroom floors as we speak. What should the boating public expect to see?

We have a new line of 1900 to 2150 sport boats. They feature a fiberglass floor and are gelcoat molded. These improvements give the customer a no-structural wood sport boat and this is something new. On our 2100 LSR the control panel has a new VDO Instrumentation Cluster that shows speed, tachometer, an oil gauge, engine temperature, fuel gauge, trim gauge and voltmeter. It also shows outside water temperature, low fuel warning and a digital depth sounder with an alarm.

Regal Boats has an owner's advisory board and a woman's advisory board. What changes in design do we see today as a result of this kind of input.

We have advisory boards because despite how good our engineers are, they don't use their boats every weekend, as do owners. Women are more safety-oriented than men. And they have contributed a number of ideas that we have put into practice. Our sportboats now have built-in trailering lights high on the transom. We have made rear view mirrors bigger and docking lights are standard on our boats. In addition, the yachts we build all have carbon monoxide detectors.

The owners advisory groups, and I might add we use focus groups as well, have told us to change the way we originally design the cabin. They want a smaller galley and a larger area for salon seating. They told us we do cook but it's not as important to us as having living space. We have made the swim platforms off the stern larger as a result of the advisory board. These folks are using their boat everyday and, as a result, have a perspective that we don't see as to where improvements can be made.

What is the biggest issue facing the boating industry right now?

It's the environmental issue. We all want clean air and we all want clean water and this makes our job all the more challenging. Now, that said, I don't see any drastic changes coming but it's an issue we have to stay ahead of.

Tell me what a Regal Boat in the future is going to be able to do that the 2001 model you are sending out right now won't be able to do.

I think a lot of the advancement will be in the electronics. We are five years away from being able to steer by wire, which means there will no longer be any cables. It will, instead, be done electronically. The same will happen with shifting. I see this as being a huge improvement for the customer. Earlier I talked about how we in the boat business have a parallel with what the automakers offer. Well, GM has the Onstar system. I see boats having their positions uplifted to a satellite so the skipper will always know his or her location as will be accessible. And the VHF radio will provide the Coast Guard with your exact position as well in the event you are in need of assistance on the water.

In interviews done with trailer manufacturers, there is concern boat builders come out with new hull designs that require a few years of work to provide an adequate trailer. Don't boat builders talk to trailer builders?

We've always tried to provide the trailer manufacturer with enough information about upcoming designs so they will be ready but I think it's pretty clear we are going to have to do better on this point.