Boatsales Staff•17 Dec 2012

NEWS

Best is yet to come for Maritimo

2012 brings big wins but 2013 better

After a year of major award wins, a world offshore powerboat title, the successful release of a range of new models and induction into the Boating Industry of Australia Hall of Fame, Australian boating industry stalwart Bill Barry-Cotter is finishing 2012 on a high.

The founder of Maritimo says the market has been extremely tough, but perseverance, innovation, new products and a determination to "do things smarter" has paid off.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Barry-Cotter has even bigger plans for 2013.

“We have had a very successful year in terms of the company and while sales have been very tough, we are well positioned going forward,” he said.

The legendary boat designer said the naming of the recently released M58 Cruising Motoryacht as "the best imported cruising motoryacht in the USA" by one of the country’s leading marine industry media companies was a highlight.

Another highlight was Maritimo Offshore Racing Team’s win in the World Offshore Powerboat Championships superboat category at Key West in November after a 20-year run at top honours.

“To win both the best imported cruising motoryacht title at Fort Lauderdale and then to take out the World Offshore Championships in the superboat category at Key West was a brilliant double and a credit to the whole team involved,” he said.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

- Fuel efficiency the driver in 2013

Barry-Cotter said the challenge facing the marine industry in 2013 -- and coincidentally one of the reasons for the M58’s win -- was performance and fuel efficiency; attributes for which Maritimo and now Mustang are noted.

“Fuel efficiency and performance are singularly the most important issues we face, particularly with USA and European customers and it is also an area where we excel,” he said.

“In some of our shaft drive models we are 30 percent more fuel efficient than our competitors’ comparable models and this is the way of the future.

“It is an economic imperative but, also in this environmentally-sensitive world, prospective buyers want to burn less fuel and subsequently have less impact.

“A lot of our time, energy and resources are being devoted to designs which are more fuel efficient. It’s all about going longer distances burning less fuel and we are ahead of the game.”

Barry-Cotter said one of the key drivers that saw the M58 win over the five other models being considered for the imported cruiser title in the USA in November was its fuel efficiency. Interestingly, the other five models were all pod driven, unlike the shaft-driven M58.

He said while some of the Maritimos and Mustangs provided the option of either shaft drive and IPS he could see a day when pod drive propulsion systems were very much in the minority.

“The maintenance costs are an issue as vessels get a little older and we can get even better performance and efficiency from shafts with the correct shaft angle and hull design,” he said.

GREY IMPORTS

- Uneven playing field

Barry-Cotter said while the new-boat buying public was becoming increasingly more fuel and environment conscious, the marine industry was doing itself a disservice by continuing to allow the importation of non-compliant grey imports.

“Why for the life of me there has not been a Federal Government crackdown on this I’ll never know,” he said.

“We have a carbon tax, a Government that is hell bent on seeing reduced emissions and yet there is a whole sub-industry in existence which allows the importation of cheap boats with motors that are illegal in many parts of the world.

"The government’s carbon tax even applies to safety equipment, like fire suppression systems, making local boats less competitive than imports that do not have a carbon tax in the country of origin.

“It should be stopped and stopped immediately.”

NEW MODEL RELEASES

- New 50 footer coming, 54s on the drawing board

Maritimo’s plans for 2013 are as big as the year just passed, we're told.

The new M50 Cruising Motoryacht will be launched at the Miami International Boat Show in February; the M48 Cruising Motoryacht will continue to be pushed as one of the company’s most successful models; a new M50 Sedan will be launched at Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May; and a new M54 and S54 are being investigated.

When pressed, Barry-Cotter said Maritimo will have sold between 25 and 28 boats in the 2012 calendar year.

GREG HAINES

- Internal highlights

Meantime, at an end-of-year press conference held on the Gold Coast last week, Maritimo shed further light on its own internal improvements.

Greg Haines, Head of Sales and Marketing, added some key points, among them the new independent survey process during every boat's manufacturer that is leading to the best-built Maritimos in the history of the company.

Efficiency was a word used frequently for boats like the new award-winning M58, which claim to be 12 per cent more efficient compared with its Australian-built rival, while boasting a stunning full-beam stateroom with private mezzanine dresser/office area.

A new M58 layout option including crew quarters and stern capstans is heading to Europe, where Maritimo has a dealer.

The Mustang 43, which is selling relatively well and up to hull #6, is being bought mainly in a shaft-driven form despite pod and sterndrive engine options. And an M45 is now heading to Sydney in shaft-driven form as well.

Meantime, there are signs of improving fortunes in America, where Maritimo sold four boats at this year's Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. Locally, the Queensland and NSW markets are resilient, although the company will stage more of its branded Musters right around the country in 2013 to inspire other state markets. Maritimo uses the musters to garner feedback and create a strong community.

GARTH CORBITT

- CEO sheds light on lean yard

The relatively new CEO at Maritimo, Garth Corbitt reflected on 2011 as a year of profound change in reaction to the slowing marine market, but 2012 has been all about improvement in response to customer surveys.

The yard's highly efficient and is very fast to market with new product, yet there's better quality control than before and greater customer interaction during the build process, he said.

Corbitt reminded everyone that Maritimo is a unique boat builder with a race-boat team and ISO 9001 accreditation in Australia. He expects things to improve in 2013 in America

Industrial designer Dave Stewart will continue to work with Maritimo on the new-generation styling and design, while 2013 will usher in a whole new servicing program.

BILL BARRY-COTTER

- Lifelong dream realised winning world title

"Racing has always been my passion and I built boats to pay for the racing," Barry-Cotter said over lunch last week. "The boat that won in Key West has been in Europe and it's the fastest Class One boat in the world. It's 15mph faster than the rest... but it won't corner. I know how I picked up speed, but for now I can't work out why it doesn't corner."

Meantime, it's that speed and efficiency that travels down the line to his production boats. "The M58 is more efficient than the 56 it replaces and the new 50 will be 1-1.5 knots faster than the M48," he explains. "We got a good reputation as a sea boat, but we're now striving for even greater efficiency and range."

"Market research shows we're the best long-range motor yachts, we've got the best name of anyone in that market. We're concentrating on that and letting the fishboats go," Barry-Cotter said.

He added that Galati Yacht Sales in America, a Maritimo dealer who has sold a lot of pod-driven boats over the years, is now seeing a lot of pod boats three and four years down the track in need of big maintenance bills. There's a price discount on second-hand pod boats and buyers are wary, we're told.

Barry-Cotter also said if everything goes as hoped that he will be debuting a new Cummins engine with shaft drive and new joystick in a boat at next year's Sydney International Boat Show. "The joystick is a big thing," he concedes.

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Best is yet to come for Maritimo

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