Dedicated melanoma campaigner, Jeremy Burfoot, has set two new world records in his quest to raise awareness about the prolific disease.

Burfoot, an experienced PWC (Personal Water Craft) rider and a melanoma survivor, spent almost a whole day on Lake Karapiro (New Zealand) on his new Yamaha VX18R Wave Runner.

In doing so he set a new world record for the fastest 1000km on a PWC. Using all of the VX18R’s remarkable 1.8-litre power, Burfoot travelled the 1000km in just 9 hours and 48 minutes, smashing the existing record by 21 minutes and averaging more than 100km/hr.

Burfoot also rode his powerful VX18R to a new world record for the longest distance travelled on a PWC in six hours. Burfoot covered an incredible 618km in the time, an astonishing 106km more than the previous record.

Burfoot, who is now waiting for his two new world records to be ratified by the Guinness World Record authorities, says his main aim in setting the records is raise awareness about the deadly effects of melanoma, especially on middle-aged men.

“Around 70% of the melanoma diagnosed is over 50-year-olds and mostly in men,” he says. “Men think they are invincible but I can assure them they are not.”

Burfoot urged the wives, partners and children of males over 50 to keep a close eye out for any skin changes and, if they see any, to get them promptly checked out by a skin specialist.
Burfoot was also full of praise for his new VX18R WaveRunner and for the support he received from Yamaha Motor.

“Yamaha’s new VX18R is the very best PWC package. It was magnificent to ride, with no bad traits at all.

“The VX18R was not only very reliable, it was also incredibly economical. We used just 50 litres of fuel per hour – and that was at WOT (Wide Open Throttle) the whole time!”

The record demonstrates the amazing reliability of Yamaha’s 1.8 litre powerplant. Designed specifically for the demanding conditions of PWC application where engines are often subjected to long periods at full throttle, this engine continues to prove itself in harsh challenges such as this as well as in the general market. More and more PWC riders are acknowledging the reliability advantages Yamaha WaveRunners can deliver.

Yamaha WaveRunners are available through a nation wide network of authorised dealers. The Yamaha range encompasses models to suit beginners to the more experienced riders and racers. Full specifications and features can be found on the Yamaha website: http://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/products/watercraft/all

For further information contact:

Yamaha Motor Australia
P: 1300 593 600
F: (07) 3906 7099
W: www.yamaha-motor.com.au