Hinkley Yachts to Open New Great Lakes Sales Office; Eric Roos Appointed Sales Director for Region

Southwest Harbor, Maine, September 13, 2001. The Hinckley Company announced today that it is opening a new sales office on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and has appointed Eric Roos as Sales Director for the Great Lakes region.

One of only four locations worldwide where Hinckleys are sold, the office will sell the company's complete line of semi-custom Sou'wester® sailboats and Talaria® jet boats, including the 36-foot Picnic Boat®. In addition, the office will sell Little Harbor WhisperJet® yachts.

"Hinckley has long recognized teh Great Lakes as one of the largest boating areas in the country,"said Ralph Willard, President and CEO of The Hinckley Company. "While we already have several jet boats and sailboats there, we think that the market is right for many more yachts of our caliber. We are delighted to have someone with Eric's experience and enthusiasm to lead our sales efforts in the region."

Mr. Roos will relocate to Michigan from Maine, where he previously served as captain of a Hinckley Sou'wester 70. Before joining Hinckley last eyar as a Sales Director, Mr. Roos also served for several years as the harbormaster and marine manager for the town of Mount Desert at Northwest Harbor, Maine.

Expected to prove especially popular in the Great Lakes is the Hinckley Picnic Boat. The 36-foot yacht combines the nostalgic Down East lines of a lobster boat with a water jet propulsion system that eliminates the need for a propeller. With an 18-inch draft and no appendages to get tangled in underwater obstructions, teh jet boat can cruise in unusually shallow waters. Hinckley also pioneered and patented JetStick®, a joystick-like device that makes the yacht intuitive to maneuver.

The success of teh Picnic Boat spurred Hinckley to introduce three additional jet boats ranging in length from 29 to 44 feet, including the Talaria 29 C "Center Console", Talaria 40 and Talaria 44. Sou'wester sailboats range from 42 to 70 feet in length.

The Hinckley Company of Southwest Harbor, Maine was founded in 1928 and is recognized as one of the world's premier builders of semi-custom sailboats and jet boats. In addition to its boat-building operations, the Company provides maintenance, repair and storage services, as well as operates yacht brokerage and charter services in Maine, Rhode Island and Florida.

For more information please call The Hinckley Company at 866-446-2553, or visit hinckleyyachts.com.