After an exciting 2019 Championship, which saw the Maritimo Team winning the XCAT World Championship title, news has come through from Australia that they are no able to defend their title at the up-and-coming 2021 UIM XCAT World Championship taking place in Fujairah and Dubai at the end of the month.
‘This is really disappointing for us’ said Tom Barry-Cotter. ‘We have spent two years developing the boat ready to defend our title. Countless hours of testing and development, to the point we feel the boat is the most competitive it’s ever been.’
Unfortunately, the announcement of the races in UAE did not leave them with enough time to ship the boat and equipment due to the lead times in international container shipping.
‘We had been on a waiting list in the hope that we may have had an opportunity to ship, but unfortunately that date has recently passed’ continued Barry-Cotter.
The team has managed to find a route to UAE at the end of this month, and the boat and equipment is containerised ready for departure, which will confirm their attendance for Round 1 in 2022.
‘Pal Virik Nilsen and I are very excited to reunite in the cockpit’ said Barry-Cotter. ‘We work well together. He is a true professional in his preparation, both physically and intellectually.
We have been sharing data and information, so I am confident he will be able to get up to speed with the Maritimo R30 Hull when we begin testing next year.’
Joining the Maritimo Team will be Lars Inge Graver, who has been at the side of Virik Nilsen since 1998 and brings many years of experience and professionalism to the team he is looking forward to working alongside Kurt Davies and Graham Fraser.
Back in Queensland Tom Barry-Cotter went on to say that at the Maritimo HQ they are in the process of building a new Hull which they may choose to swap to during the 2022 season. Maritimo are truly unique within the marine industry, as the only large-scale motor yacht manufacturer with a dedicated racing division and we hope to bring you a tour of their facility soon.
