Maritimo Racing currently runs a two boat Class 1 race team in Australia’s AOPC (Australian Offshore Powerboat Club) national racing series. The history of the team is closely related to the Barry-Cotter family from Australia. While son Tom and his team mate Pal Virik Nilsen currently look to be the team to beat in the Australian series, Tom still has some pretty big shoes to fill as father Bill is widely being regarded as a bit of an offshore racing legend in Australia who could very well hold his own in the Class 1 World Championships as well. Tom and Pal have done their bit in the UIM Powerboat Class 1 World Championships in previous years.
This year the team started out with a two boat team, one Tencarra hull powered by 2 Maritimo V8’s. This boat was piloted in the first race in Newcastle by Luke Durman and Ross Willaton under number 15. Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen drove the AUS 1 boat, a Victory hull powered by 2 Mercury V8 powerplants. For the rest of the season the team look to make it an all Maritimo affair with both teams piloting Maritimo hulls powered by Maritimo engines going against the best Class 1 teams Australia has to offer. In race 2 and 3 of the season will also get a chance to see how they measure up against Class 1 racing legends Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and Steve Curtis as Team Qatar will race in AOPC’s Class 1 circuit under their famous number #96. This boat will be maintained and serviced by the Maritimo Racing organisation. Plans are to later in the year race in Key West’s World Championship as well. This might be a prelude to Maritimo retuning to the Class 1 world stage in 2011….
