Celebration has turned back to focus after the successes of the Offshore Superboat Championships and a 15th AUS1 championship title for Maritimo Racing in 2017, as the team gears up for a demanding year of competition nationally and internationally in 2018.

Maritimo 12 crewed by Tom Barry-Cotter and Steve Jellick proved to be a formidable combination in 2017 and will enter 2018 as heavy favourites in a title defense, as their 40ft Maritimo Catamaran undergoes an upgrade program amidst its off-season overhaul.

Photo: 2017 National Superboat Championship Winners – Steve Jellick and Tom Barry-Cotter.

Maritimo 11 crewed by father and son team Ross and Andrew Willaton in the new Maritimo R36 will present a strong challenge to the title defense as they campaign the team’s new Maritimo R36, which itself is also being tested and perfected this offseason.

The team is continuing development of the R36 model ahead of making the new design available as a package for purchase, for anyone looking at getting involved in the sport.

“We have created a fairly attractive package economically for a highly competitive boat that will be available to anyone interested in getting into the sport and we have already had considerable interest from several people currently competing in the waterski area,” said Barry-Cotter

Photo: Maritimo Racing’s Ross Willaton and Tom Barry-Cotter with the new, improved XCAT being raced in 2018.

Barry-Cotter also announced the team will be competing internationally in the UIM XCAT World Championship which begins early in the new year, with events to be staged in China, Middle East and Europe.

The team has totally rebuilt and refitted the Gold Coast Australia XCAT it campaigned in the 2016 XCAT World Championship, after a horrific crash in the final round which saw the team’s boat nearly destroyed after a 200kmh collision with the Swedish team ‘Swecat’. The boat has also undergone major modifications after the accident.

Photo: Damage caused to the Maritimo boat during the 2016 series.

“Aside from repairs Maritimo has upgraded the safety cell which was integral in protecting us during the collision,” said Barry-Cotter. “The team has always been proactive in updating to the most current safety standards in respect to the cockpit and protective components surrounding the crew.”

The team has also made numerous modifications to the boat with the aim of improving handling and acceleration.

“We have modified the running surface and made a concentrated effort in lowering the boat’s centre of gravity, as well as developing a number of other components that will benefit the boats aerodynamics.”

The team has only a number of testing weeks remaining before the boat and pit equipment is scheduled to be shipped to the United Arab Emirates.

Barry-Cotter said Maritimo was the only Australian luxury cruiser manufacturer which had its own race team and the experience and knowledge gained on the international race circuit was inbuilt into the company’s range of production vessels.