Fisherman from Rhode Island Wins NorthCoast Boat at StriperFest
Congratulations to Jim Zito who won a brand new NorthCoast 210 Center Console fitted with SIMRAD Electronics and powered by Yamaha Outboards.
![](https://www.onthewater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/striper-fest-edits-boat-shot-scaled-e1632919777579-750x605.jpg)
Jim Zito of Warren, Rhode Island was buried deep in a large crowd on the field at Marine Park in Falmouth when On The Water Publisher Chris Megan began announcing StriperFest prize winners. Off to Megan’s right sat the grand prize, a NorthCoast 210 Center Console fitted with SIMRAD Electronics and powered by a Yamaha Outboard.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Zito had been checking out the Yamaha Demo Ride boats in Falmouth Harbor and said to himself, “Boy it would be nice to win a center console boat.” Even though he owned a walkaround boat, it hadn’t seen much use, he explained, because lingering effects from a motorcycle accident had made it difficult to navigate from the helm to the bow.
![StriperFest Golden Ticket](https://www.onthewater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Striper-Fest-Edits-17-scaled.jpg)
As an adult entrant in the 2021 Striper Cup, Zito had received a Golden Ticket in the mail, which he brought to StriperFest and entered in the boat drawing. Golden Tickets are mailed to all Striper Cup participants and cannot be purchased at StriperFest.
As it started to rain and umbrellas began popping up in the crowd, all attention was on the band shell, where Roxanne Flores of Yamaha spun the golden ticket drum, opened the latch, and pulled a ticket. Flores handed the ticket to Megan, who announced that the winner of the NorthCoast boat was a fisherman who resides in Warren, Rhode Island.
![2021 StriperFest](https://www.onthewater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Striper-Fest-Edits-32-scaled.jpg)
“I heard that and thought, ‘I’m glad it’s someone local’, not even allowing myself to think that I had a shot at it,” Zito said.
Megan’s next words were, “And the winner is… Jim Zito!”
Zito walked to the stage to claim his brand-new NorthCoast boat and to celebrate as the crowd cheered him on. He is recently retired and says the NorthCoast boat, SIMRAD unit, and Yamaha outboard will be a major upgrade.
“I’m going to be using the boat every weekend with my wife, son, and our new 11-month-old granddaughter.”
![2021 StriperFest](https://www.onthewater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Striper-Fest-Edits-46-scaled.jpg)
2 on “Fisherman from Rhode Island Wins NorthCoast Boat at StriperFest”
-
Daniel G. daSilveira Congratulations Jim on your prize. I know all to well how you must have felt with the difficult managing the walkaround boat. I am in the market now for a center console boat. I just sold me walk around after owning it for 30 years but unable to use it for the last thee years. I pinched and bruised my spinal cord four years ago and had major surgery to try and correct the damage but I was left afraid to manage the trip around the cabin on my way to the bow of the boat. I hope to one day get back on my own boat, a center console I hope.
Best of luck and happy Fishin, Danny
-
Jim Zito Thanks for your well wishes Daniel, And good luck next year- I hope you win!!
Leave a Reply