Maritimo superboat returns to Bowen for the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation

Reaching speeds up to 180km/h shooting across the pristine Bowen waters, the superboat signals a return of a sporting spectacle and support for the town and a great cause.

When the offshore superboats leave Bowen it will be to raise money for important medical research, but the people of the town hope it marks the return of the boats for good.

The superboats were once a yearly event, but it stopped with the outbreak of Covid.

However Maritimo Offshore has brought its boats back for a charity event to raise money for the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation.

Maritimo admin officer Mandy Beale said they were excited to return.

“We have a Maritimo migration where our owners have come up from Sydney and the Gold Coast in a convoy and we are all up at Hamilton Island and they are giving our owners an opportunity to have three laps in the raceboat and they are paying a substantial amount of money,” Ms Beale said.

“There are eight runs (Tuesday) and eight runs on Thursday between 11am and 3pm.

“Logistically we couldn’t run the race boats from Hamilton Island, also I believe the people of Bowen just love the offshore boats and are trying to bring them back there.”

Perry Cross broke his neck at rugby tryouts in Brisbane and became a quadriplegic from the incident.

Shelley Craft with Perry Cross. Picture: Andrew Meadowcroft

The foundation aims to facilitate and fund world class research aimed at curing paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and supporting better outcomes for people.

As part of the event, a 10-seater plane will fly some guests who are currently on Hamilton Island over to Bowen.

A crane has been hired over the two days to help get the 44-foot long boat on and off the trailer.

While the opportunity to ride on the boat may not be available, to watch them is a spectacle in itself.

“It is quite spectacular when you see the boat up close and then when it does the run it ticks up quite a big rooster tail,” Ms Beale said.

“It does about 180km an hour.”

The rooster tail of Maritimo Offshore Racing a Bowen Offshore Superboats event.

Whitsunday Ag Service managing director Mick Boyce has been instrumental in helping Maritimo organise the event.

He said it was about trying to bring the superboat sback to Bowen.

“Covid sort of shut it down and there was a couple of accidents, and teams have changed and things like that but they are trying to get it resurrected in Bowen,” Mr Boyce said.

“Bowen has always been exceptional in supporting them and helping out.

“It is a brilliant venue and it is always a safe place in that you’ll always be able to run, where as if you go down the Gold Coast or Mackay or some of those other places, you can get huge swells where it is dangerous.

“It might get choppy in Bowen but is never going to get dangerous enough for it to be called off.”

Mick Boyce is a member of the community wanting to see the superboats brought back to Bowen.

He said the races had an immense financial impact on the town with many of the businesses reporting their biggest days or weekends for the year.

Mr Boyce said he believed while it may not be the size of major events in other regional areas, it had a substantial economic boost on Bowen.

“Until you start talking to people about it, you don’t realise how big of a thing it is for the town,” he said.

“You have your V8s and those sort of events in Townsville but you’ll never have them in Bowen.

“Because of the attitude of businesses and sponsors, we can have a race that might not be the V8s in size of it, but is up there with that type of event.”

The boat can be viewed in action from the North Queensland Cruising Yacht Club from 10am to 2.30pm.