8-K

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):
                       October 13, 2000 (October 11, 2000)


                           OUTBOARD MARINE CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)



       Delaware                      1-2883                     36-1589715
(State of incorporation       (Commission File Number)      (I.R.S. Employer
   or organization)                                         Identification No.)


                               100 Sea Horse Drive
                            Waukegan, Illinois 60085
    (Address, including zip code of Registrant's principal executive offices)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (847) 689-6200


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Item 5.   Other Events

     On October 11, 2000, Outboard Marine Corporation (the "Registrant") issued
a press release, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by
reference herein.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

Exhibit No.         Description

    99.1            Press Release dated October 11, 2000


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                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                          OUTBOARD MARINE CORPORATION


                                          By:  /s/  Robert S. Romano
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                                             Name:  Robert S. Romano
                                             Title: Vice President, General
                                                      Counsel and Secretary

Date:  October 13, 2000


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EX-99.1

        OMC(R)                                          NEWS RELEASE
        Outboard Marine Corporation
        100 Sea Horse Dr.
        Waukegan, IL  60085


Contact:
Gary Beckett

Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations
(847) 689-7019;gbeckett@omc.com

October 11, 2000
                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                  OMC RECEIVES $45 MILLION IN INVESTOR SUPPORT

         Waukegan, Illinois - Outboard Marine Corporation has completed an
amendment to the credit agreement with its senior lenders, which provides
additional liquidity to the company to fund ongoing operations.

         Under the amendment, an additional $45 million in liquidity was
provided by OMC's principal investor, an investment affiliate of Soros Fund
Management. Also as part of the amendment, certain financial covenants were
eliminated from the agreement through December 2000. With this arrangement,
Soros Fund Management and Greenway Partners together have provided $165 million
in support of the Company in fiscal 2000.

        The Company also announced that it had been informed by an investment
affiliate of Soros Fund Management and its other investors that from time to
time they may consider purchasing the Company's outstanding publicly traded
10-3/4 percent Senior Notes and its 9-1/8 percent sinking fund debentures
through market purchases and/or privately negotiated transactions if the price
of such securities is deemed to be advantageous.

        Outboard Marine Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of
internationally-known boat brands, including Chris-Craft(R), Four Winns(R),
Seaswirl(R), Javelin(R), Stratos(R), Lowe(R), Hydra-Sports(R), and
Princecraft(R); marine accessories and marine engines, under the brand names of
Johnson(R)and Evinrude(R); and Ficht Ram Injection(R) - the world's premier
low-emission two-stroke outboard engine technology.

        Visit our web site at: www.omc.com.
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