First Mercury Racing 1550-Powered Mystic C5000 Heading to Shootout

With Mystic Powerboats‘ unrivaled history of success at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout—Mystic catamarans have taken home 11 of the last 13 Top Gun titles at the annual top-speed contest in Central Missouri—it’s only natural that Mystic will debut its latest C5000 catamaran there. The open-cockpit 50-footer is powered by twin Mercury Racing power-adjustable 1550/1350 engines and is owned by Slug Hefner, a well-known member of the performance-boating community.

“He can’t wait to get his hands on it,” said John Cosker, the owner and founder of Mystic based in DeLand, Fla. “Slug has owned so many boats, so many cats, that he’s just very easy going with the whole process. I enjoyed working with him.”

Mystic’s John Cosker said he appreciates how the cat’s pearl-white paintjob highlights its hull-and-deck lines.

Cosker ran the cat—C5000 hull No. 17—last weekend on nearby Lake Monroe.

“We had it in 1350 mode and saw 150 mph on the first pass, 156 mph on the second pass,” he said. “We ran out of room. Lake Monroe is small—it’s kind of our quick, close-by place to run.”

Cosker said the new six-seat C5000 cat has the latest generation of cockpit layout/ergonomics based on Mystic client Mark Wetterau’s 50-footer. “It’s a dual-helm boat,” he said. “We kind of refined the seating and changed the windshield a hair. It’s the most comfortable helm station we’ve done yet in a 50.”

For more images of the newest Mystic C5000 catamaran, check out the slideshow above.

Right now, the catamaran is pearl white. Cosker said he’s enjoying the way the hue showcases the 50-footer’s hull-and-deck lines. He added that Hefner might add color accents with vinyl tape in the future.

Cosker and his entire Mystic crew are looking forward to seeing the boat in action during the Shootout.

“Everything was perfect when we ran it,” Cosker said. “The rigging crew we have right now is amazing—they rigged the boat in three weeks. To see them working together, getting along and loving what they do is very rewarding. I feel like the Mystic family, with both its clients and employees, is growing. It only took 20 years.”

Related stories
Coverage of the 2016 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout
Low Altitude Team Targeting 185 MPH for Shootout
Mystic Building First 1350-Powered, Low-Profile C4400 Catamaran
Mystic Expanding Production Capacity
Cosker, Newby, Smith and Dorris Family—Shootout Hall of Fame’s Newest Inductees