Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit earned multiple top honors during the 2026 Miami International Boat Show^®, reinforcing the company’s leadership in innovation, design and customer satisfaction across the marine industry.

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Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit earned multiple top honors during the 2026 Miami International Boat Show® including Boat of the Year from Boating Magazine for the new CrossWave. The accolades reinforce the company’s leadership in innovation, design and customer satisfaction across the marine industry.

“These awards reflect the passion and precision our teams bring to every product we design and build,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “From redefining entire categories with the CrossWave to delivering customer satisfaction year after year, these recognitions underscore our commitment to innovation that delivers real value on the water. We remain focused on pushing boundaries, listening to our customers and setting the standard for quality, performance and reliability across the marine industry.”

Boating Magazine Boat of the Year

Boating^® magazine named the Yamaha CrossWave WaveRunner “Boat of the Year,” the publication’s most prestigious annual honor. Boating Editor-in-Chief Kevin Falvey presented the award at the Miami International Boat Show^®.

Boat of the Year represents the highest distinction in recreational boating. Each year, Boating^® conducts extensive on-water testing of nearly 100 boats across multiple categories before selecting a single model that excels in design, performance, innovation and real-world usability. The CrossWave earned top honors for breaking free from traditional sit-down or stand-up conventions and for blending Yamaha maneuverability with genuine fishing and utility capability. The award underscores Yamaha’s commitment to expanding versatility and redefining expectations on the water.

The Yamaha CrossWave is available for order now at authorized Yamaha WaveRunner dealers nationwide, with deliveries expected in Spring 2026. For more information, visit yamahawaverunners.com.

NMMA^® Innovation Awards

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) honored Yamaha Marine with an Innovation Award for the CrossWave™ WaveRunner^® in the personal watercraft category.

The CrossWave earned Innovation Award recognition for redefining personal watercraft through a purpose-built blend of performance, utility and fishability. Measuring 12 feet 11 inches long and 5 feet 7 inches wide, the CrossWave features a centrally located command station and a full walkaround deck with uninterrupted padded decking for true 360-degree mobility. Powered by Yamaha’s 1.9-liter HO marine engine, it is designed to deliver strong acceleration, a top speed of approximately 55 mph and a cruising range of more than 100 miles with reserve. Shallow draft and no exposed running gear allow confident operation in shallow water, tight creeks and rocky shorelines. Standard features include dual 7-inch touchscreen displays integrating Yamaha Connext^® controls with a Simrad^®NSX^® chartplotter and fish finder, integrated waterproof audio, ample storage and integrated T-Track mounting. Delivered in a single, fully equipped configuration with a custom trailer, the CrossWave establishes an entirely new category of personal watercraft.

Neptune Awards

Marine Marketers of America (MMA) announced the 2025 Neptune Award winners during the Discover Miami International Boat Show^® at the Neptune Awards Ceremony, recognizing excellence in marine marketing across the industry. Yamaha earned Neptune Awards for its Outboard and WaterCraft marketing initiatives, with Outboard earning the Email Marketing award for its Abandon Browse campaign and WaterCraft earning the Integrated Marketing Campaign award for its CrossWave Integrated Marketing campaign.

The Neptune Awards spotlight the best in marine marketing and bring together industry leaders, decision-makers and marketing trailblazers to celebrate creativity, strategy and execution. The event serves as a forum for connection and collaboration among professionals shaping the future of the marine industry.

A committee of more than 80 marketing professionals from across the industry judged entries in 22 categories spanning a wide range of marketing content and collateral. Judges evaluated initiatives developed and executed between January and December 2025.

NMMA CSI Awards for Customer Satisfaction

Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit also accepted the NMMA CSI Award for excellence in customer satisfaction at the Miami International Boat Show^®. NMMA recognized Yamaha in five categories including Outboard Engine, Sport Boats, and Personal Watercraft, as well as Yamaha’s boat companies Skeeter^® and G3 Boats. Skeeter is recognized in the Fiberglass Outboard Boat category and the Fiberglass Bass Boat category and G3 is recognized in the Aluminum Outboard Boat category and the Pontoon category.

Yamaha is a CSI award recipient in the Outboard Engine category every year since its inception in 2001, an achievement no other outboard manufacturer can claim. NMMA launched its Marine Industry CSI Award Program in 2001 to provide boat and engine manufacturers with an independently measured, cost-effective tool to help improve customer satisfaction in the boating industry. The program allows participating manufacturer companies to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis and to create benchmarks in the industry.

The NMMA is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters in the United States. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.

Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.

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Performance figures are estimates based on internal testing and typical operating conditions. Actual acceleration, top speed, and cruising range may vary depending on vessel configuration, load, sea state, weather, operator behavior, and maintenance.

This document contains many of Yamaha's valuable trademarks. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. Any references to other companies or their products are for identification purposes only and are not intended to be an endorsement. NMMA is a registered trademark of National Marine Manufacturers Association, Inc.

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.

© 2026 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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