Yesterday was big for the Mystic Powerboats crew in DeLand, Fla. Not only did well-known performance boat enthusiast Win Farnsworth reach 200 mph for the first time in Low Altitude, a 50-foot turbine-powered catamaran he bought in January, Mystic principal John Cosker and Farnsworth piloted the new C4400 catamaran to 162 mph. That speed represented a 12-mph gain for the twin Mercury Racing 1100 engine-powered cat, which topped out at 150 mph in previous testing.

The GPS tells the story—Mystic’s new C4400 ran 12 mph faster yesterday than it had in previous tests.

“The owner only wanted 150 mph out of it,” Cosker said. “We changed props and took it out today to see what it would do, and we still needed more pitch. It was on the limiters.

“Low Altitude ran 200 mph and the new cat ran 162 mph,” he added. “It was a good day.”

With Mercury Racing’s Mike Griffiths on hand to advise him, Cosker tested the boat with 37- and 38-inch-pitch Mercury propellers. On the flat waters of Lake George and the St. John’s River, the 38s found their bite and produced the best top-speed result.

“We went from 37s to 38s and were in calmer water so the slip came down,” Cosker said. “I have to give a shout out to Mike Griffiths for his support. He and I have been testing together all week.”

Mystic’s first Mercury Racing 1100-powered cat (shown here during the 2015 Miami Boat Show Poker Run) reached 162 mph yesterday. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

The Mystic crew also saw significant success on the center console side of the lineup. Powered by quad Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboard engines, the new M3900 luxury performance center console reached 86 mph. Scott Sjogren, the owner of global Mystic dealer Pier 57 Marine in Gurnee, Ill., was delighted.

“This was a big week, not just because the cat reached 162 mph and the center console ran 86 mph, but because we’re getting the center consoles ready for delivery,” he said. “I have to send accolades to John for his amazing engineering expertise, and a big thanks to Mike Griffiths for all his help.”

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