In 1992, after GILFLITE began manufacturing the “Rush” sports jet boat under contract for Mercury Marine, Mercury Marine chose to also use the GILFLITE Esprit hull, which they branded and sold as the Bermuda.
GILFLITE Boats: Pioneers of Australian Powerboat Design. From the early days in the 1960’s, designing and building race boats, the GILFLITE range of models, like the Esprit, the Integra and the Shortline, set new benchmarks in performance and craftsmanship. These boats, built with precision at the GILFLITE Headquarters, became icons on the water – each model with its own story, its own legacy, and its own place in Australian boating history.
Here’s a chapter of the the GILFLITE Esprit – A.W.S.A. Tournament approved Ski Boat.
The Bermuda
In 1989, GILFLITE began building the hull used for the Bermuda range. (Originally designed, built and marketed by GILFLITE as the Esprit).
The Bermuda was developed as a versatile family and recreational boat, offered in Bowrider, Ski Tournament and Skier configurations. Designed for both socialising and water-sports, the range combined practical layouts and quality craftmanship with the performance and handling characteristics for which GILFLITE boats had become known.
The Bermuda model, developed by GILFLITE, found a significant audience through Mercury Marine, who adopted the GILFLITE Esprit hull due to its outstanding performance and handling. Impressed by its agility and design, Mercury Marine chose the hull for their distribution, bringing the Bermuda’s blend of style and performance to a broader, international market.
Recently, we were contacted by an international boat owner based in France who has acquired a Bermuda model. He reached out with the intention of fully restoring and refurbishing the boat. We appreciate his passion for preserving the classic GILFLITE designs and we welcome him to share his restoration journey with the global boating community. We look forward to seeing his progress and will be happy to assist where we can.
The original brochure provides a snapshot of the Bermuda range and its specifications from the period.
Below: The GILFLITE Esprit / Bermuda Bowrider, Bermuda Ski Tournament & Bermuda Skier – also available with Mercruiser Sterndrive.
GILFLITE began building the hull used for the Bermuda in 1989, though the specific “Bermuda” branding was established in 1992.
The boat was originally designed and developed by David Gill in 1989 as the GILFLITE Esprit.
In 1992, after GILFLITE began manufacturing the “Rush” sports jet boat under contract for Mercury Marine, Mercury Marine chose to also use the Esprit hull, which they branded and sold as the Bermuda.
Below: is the full range of Bermuda Boats as per Mercury Marine marketing material circa: 1992 – Note: only the Esprit Bermuda Bowrider, Ski Tournament & Skier where GILFLITE Esprit design/builds. GILFLITE also manufactured the Rush under contract for Mercury.
Below: The extended Burmuda Range (circa: ealy 1990’s – not current – not built by GILFLITE)
Original advertising material: Mercury Marine (circa 1992)