X Marks the Spot
MARITIMO LOOKS TO ITS RACING HERITAGE AND THE SUPERYACHT SET TO CREATE THE FLAGSHIP FOR ITS X-SERIES OF SPORT YACHTS. BY BARRY THOMPSON
With a versatile aft cabin and race-driven performance, the Maritimo X60 is sure to get the blood pumping.
If there had been an award for “Boat Most Ogled By Attendees” at the 2018 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, I would have given it to the Maritimo X60. The response to the boat, both from the industry and the public, was exceptional. It was an inspiring recognition for Tom Barry-Cotter, the chief designer behind the Australian-based brand’s new X-Series.
Son of Maritimo founder Bill Barry-Cotter, Tom has recently taken a more active position in the business. While initially coming on board to head the X-Series line, his role has been expanded to include marketing and sales. With his father taking a less public role—though still very much involved with the business—Tom is undoubtedly being groomed as the new face of Maritimo. The X60 should help raise the profile of the line and the man behind it.
Approaching the boat from the stern, you’re immediately faceto-face with the pièce de résistance of the X60: the “beach club,” a feature typically reserved for the superyacht set. It’s this feature that sets the X60—and the soon-to-be released X50—apart from its competitors: A versatile aft cabin enabling a high level of customization for owners to cater the space to their specific requirements. Accessible from the salon via its own companionway or from the swim platform through the large, electrically actuated hatch, it can be arranged as a beach club, stateroom, tender garage, galley or whatever you want it to be.
“The additional aft cabin is completely unique and is resonating with buyers within the sports yacht market,” said Tom. “The ability to add extra accommodation space that is similar in size to an additional master cabin in terms of volume is clearly something special.”
In fact, the whole boat was initially designed around the aft cabin feature and involved complex engineering to get the balance and structure perfect. In this way, the X60 feels like a small superyacht.
Inherent in the X-Series bloodline is the company’s race-driven performance prowess. Tom has been the face of the Maritimo racing program and a fierce competitor for years. (This past April, he was knocked unconscious in a collision at the X-Cat World Championships, narrowly avoiding more serious injury.) With a completely new and efficient hull design, the X60 has reached
speeds of up to 34 knots with its Australian power option (925hp Scania diesels). Stateside power will be provided via 800-hp or 1000-hp Volvo Penta D13 shaft drives. According to Tom, Maritimo has had inquiries for even more horsepower from potential owners that are looking for speeds in excess of 40 knots; he’s confident that a pair of 1200-hp engines will get her there.
Hull efficiency within the cruising speed range was a significant focus of the hull and driveline design, and the X60 has the best efficiency numbers of all the Maritimo-built boats. At 27.9 knots, the X60 burned 66 gph at a range of 483 miles when I tested it this summer. I found around 18 to 22 knots was an ideal cruising speed for the X60, and returned a range of about 517 miles. At those speeds, you could cruise for over 2,300 miles before running out of fuel.
One of the things I noted when behind the helm was how she transitions from idle to plane: There is no noticeable bow lift. Really. The variable-deadrise hull design with a deep-V entry also offers a soft, dry ride, while attention to weight distribution allows for a low running attitude throughout the rpm range. It is a well-balanced boat that is effortless to drive. We were on plane at 10 to 12 knots without tabs.
It’s easy to see where the race-bred technology was implemented. Close-quarters maneuvering is simplified with the Twin Disc EJS joystick mated to the Quickshift transmissions and the optional Express Positioning System technology which enables precise and continuous position and heading hold.
While the aft cabin defined the rest of the hull, the salon’s design was dictated by features that make your crew feel more connected to the water. Panoramic side windows open an impressive 9 feet—these massive sliding windows cascade aft and intensify the brightness and natural air flow of the salon. This space was a real crowd-pleaser at the Sanctuary Cove show; it got almost as much
praise from show-goers as the beach club.
In addition, while most sedan cruisers have a forward sunroof, the X60 has two, with a separate sunroof over the aft galley. “We felt that a rear sunroof gave us the ability to light up the rear of the salon and especially in the galley, where solid side paneling tends to shade this essential space,” said Tom.
Depending on how many beds you want aboard, you can have up to four cabins, or as few as two. If you go for the beach club or tender garage aft, then you can still have the standard three cabins, with a full-beam master, forward VIP and port-side guest cabin. However, you can just go for two massive forward cabins with en suites and a third cabin aft. There are plenty of choices to suit your needs.
The X60 is Maritimo’s first serious foray into the luxury sports yacht segment, and has been designed to give the builder a competitive edge in what is a very competitive market. “We wanted to come out of the gate firing, and we reckon we have achieved it with the X60,” said Tom. “It was a huge undertaking: in fact the longest gestation period ever by the company, as we wanted to make sure that from the day boat number one was launched, we had everything right.”
After spending some time aboard the boat with Tom, I couldn’t help but see similarities in the two: Young, fresh and driven to be different. The X-Series and Barry-Cotter are two rising stars that are looking to make waves in the U.S. this month at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show.