Mustang 32

Barry-Cotter bought the brand to get into the more entry-level market to supplement his more high-end Maritimos.

But what did he actually buy? Looking at the first Mustang under the new ownership, it bears scant resemblance to the Mustangs of yore. Certainly, they are sportscruisers but the new Mustang 32 has none of the design features of the old ones. Gone is the targa top and canvas with clears. The new boat is a hardtop with sunroof. Gone also is the hull shape. The new boat is designed wholly by the Maritimo team using computer aided design (CAD) more along the lines of the Maritimos.

Just exactly what Bill bought, I’m not sure but he junked the moulds of the old Mustangs and created an entirely new sportscruiser for the Aussie (and overseas) market.

“Many of the people we have enquiries from on this boat are 50-plus years old, Barry-Cotter added. And they’re coming from larger boats. This boat is easy to handle for a couple, yet big enough to entertain.”

Hence, the price is keen. At $215,000 you get a pretty good drive-away package. The options list is short so you’re not going to get stung for a bunch of extras. Our test boat had virtually everything you’d need to get on the water with a bit of Maritimo pizzazz thrown in.

On the equipment side, I’d like to see a bow thruster as standard rather than an option, and while there is shore power, there’s no provision for a generator. Everything is 12-volt and the stove is gas. There is provision for an inverter and extra batteries to run the optional 12-volt air-conditioning but that’s not going to run all night at anchor.

“There is still plenty of room for sun worshippers on the aft lounge,” said Barry-Cotter. “And the entire cockpit is protected from spray when the boat is at speed.”

The cockpit features an L-shaped lounge down the port side and across the transom with a fold-out dinette table.

Further forward to port is the galley which features the afore-mentioned gas stove, a sink with mixer tap, fridge and large storage cabinet under the benchtop. The gas storage is stored well aft near the swim platform.

To starboard is the helm station with comfortable twin helm seat. The steering is power-assisted with a sporty steering wheel with wood accents. There is full instrumentation for the engine systems and digital throttle control for the MerCruiser 8.2 MAG petrol engine that is rated to 380hp (more on that later).

Forward, a companionway leads to the accommodation which consists of a master cabin forward with an island double bed, good hanging locker and shelf storage on either side. A round deck hatch provides light and air while opening portholes on either side provide cross ventilation.

A second cabin on starboard offers upper and lower bunks, a hanging locker and opening porthole.

Opposite is the bathroom which has a vacuflush loo, vanity with storage and a roomy shower area. One thing I did notice was a lack of extractor fan in here which I would like to see.

The engines being used are the 502cui big-block V8s that are aftermarket-built for the V8 race boats that Barry Cotter’s team runs in the Australian Offshore Powerboat Championships. “These engines will run for three years without touching them,” he said. “They’re under-stressed in this application and if you keep the revs down a bit, they’ll be economical and run for a long time.”

Asked about the thoughts behind the design of the boat, Bill said it was not dissimilar from his Maritimo boats: “We wanted to get the weight amidships, and the boat needs lots of planning area to sit flat on the water.

“The Mustangs are a great challenge,” he said. "The technologies we use are leading edge and there is a constant challenge to make a quality boat, save weight and keep the price down. We don’t have the same constraints in a larger boat.”

He said he and his design team had to start from scratch developing a new boat: “We studied the models built under the previous owners and they were simply not up to the standards I expect from my organisation,” he said.

The first thing to notice is the low planing speed and flat transition from displacement to planing. With four blokes on board and half tanks, we could plane the Mustang at around 10.5 knots and the transition to the plane was flat and progressive with very little ‘hump’.

This is similar to Maritimo’s Sports Cabriolets and Agean Flybridge models which have similar traits. Clearly, the Maritimo DNA has worn off on the new Mustang.

In terms of performance, we found that the Mustang was doing 2500rpm on the plane at around 10.5 knots using 33 litres per hour. Stepping up to 3600rpm we were showing 24 knots at a comfortable cruise using 54 litres per hour. At 4000 revs it showed 28 knots using 68 litres while 4600 gave us nearly 37 knots at 125 litres per hour.

On the day, we had 15 to 20 knots of nor’ east wind with a half-metre chop. Offshore was a choppy affair as we plugged out the Gold Coast Seaway.

Swell and chop combined to give us a real test of the boat’s offshore capability and it handled it all nicely. We took it steady and the boat behaved well, with a bit of prudent throttle control on the downhill coming back in where the waves stand up.

We didn’t get much water over the decks and what we did get on the windscreen, was taken care of by the three wipers across the front. Suffice to say that this is a boat that is capable of taking you on short ocean cruises with little drama.

In all, as an entry-level sports cruiser on the Australian market, I think the Mustang 32 will do well against the imported offerings. It has enough of the Maritimo quality to impress. It’s quick, handles well and has good sea manners.

Keep an eye out for the Mustang stable to soon include a 43-footer, and what Bill Barry-Cotter describes as a 'surprise' at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.