New Sponsors for B1 Tournament

Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine and Thomas Marine Group Start New Association with the Berkley B1 as Official Sponsors

The Berkley B1 Canadian Bass Open announced today that Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine and Thomas Marine Group have all become official sponsors. Both Ranger Boats and Mercury Marine, longtime supporters of competitive fishing worldwide, will make their Ranger Boats and Mercury Marine brands the official boat and outboard motor of the Berkley B1 respectively. As one of the largest Mercury dealers in Canada and currently the sole retailer of Ranger Boats in Quebec, Thomas Marine Group will become the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of the event as the official Marine Services provider. The agreement is a three year deal that involves posting a brand new Ranger Z118 twin-console bass boat powered by a Mercury Marine 150HP four-stroke outboard motor as a grand prize.

"Ranger Boats recognizes that the Berkley B1 is truly the most highly regarded bass fishing event in Canada and we are proud to become the official boat of this annual showdown," said Bart Schad, Vice-President of Marketing, Ranger Boats. "We are dedicated to supporting and growing the Canadian bass fishing market so partnering up with an event as influential as the Berkley B1 is a natural step for us."

Mercury Marine is enjoying a marquee season in the professional bass fishing arena with AOY titles in both the FLW and Bassmaster circuits. In keeping with this winning pattern, Eric Nelson, Senior Director of Sales, Mercury Marine states, “Mercury is dedicated to competitive bass fishing at the highest level so partnering with the Berkley B1 in the quest to identify the #1 anglers on the water only makes sense.” At the 2012 Berkley B1, over 60% of competitor boats were powered by a Mercury outboard motor making it the motor of choice for Canada’s top bass anglers.

With five locations throughout Quebec, Thomas Marine Group has been servicing fishing and boating enthusiasts since 1984. As one of the largest Mercury dealers in Canada and the only Ranger Boats dealer in Quebec, Thomas Marine Group is truly the authority on fishing boats, accessories and equipment. “Thomas Marine is extremely excited and enthusiastic about becoming the presenting sponsor of the Berkley B1.” states Marc-André Thomas, Vice-President, Thomas Marine Group. “Joining forces with the Berkley B1 further demonstrates our deep-rooted commitment to sports fishing in Quebec. Anglers can always count on Thomas Marine for our support for all things fishing.” adds Jean-Simon Thomas, also Vice-President, Thomas Marine Group.

The 2013 edition of the Berkley B1 is scheduled for September 21-22 on Lake St-Francis out of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada. For more information, visit the official event website at www.BerkleyB1.com

For more information on Ranger Boats, visit www.RangerBoats.com

For more information on Mercury Marine, visit www.MercuryMarine.com

For more information on ThomasMarineGroup, visit www.ThomasMarine.qc.ca