Mystic Powerboats, the DeLand, Florida-based manufacturer whose race hulls dominated offshore competition for two decades, has entered the autonomous defence sector through a co-production agreement with Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC).
The partnership, announced June 1, 2026, assigns Mystic a manufacturing role in MARTAC’s Devil Ray and MANTAS unmanned surface vehicle (USV) programmes. Both platforms have logged more than ten years of operational use across US government programmes and military exercises.
MARTAC is scaling production in response to accelerating demand from US and allied defence customers. The agreement with Mystic is the first in a series of domestic co-production partnerships the company is finalising.
Mystic’s 100,000-square-foot DeLand facility operates vacuum infusion processes using epoxy resin, carbon fibre, and foam-core construction, the same materials and methods used in MARTAC’s autonomous hull structures. John Cosker, who founded Mystic in 1996 and built its reputation through offshore racing, cited that heritage directly.
Cosker said:
“We are proud to leverage our heritage of applying advanced technology to deliver high-performance, rigorously tested watercraft to now help advance the autonomous capabilities our nation and our allies need.”
Seamus Flatley, Chief Growth Officer at MARTAC, said:
“Mystic Powerboats is a great example of this made in America ingenuity. They are a world-class builder with the advanced composite manufacturing capabilities and skilled workforce needed to produce the high-performance hull structures our platforms require. Partnering with Mystic is a key step in our strategy to rapidly scale production while ensuring that our systems remain operationally proven and ready to deploy.”
The Racing Foundation
Mystic’s best-known race programme was the Miss GEICO 50-foot catamaran, powered by twin Lycoming T-53 turbine engines producing a combined 4,200 horsepower and capable of speeds exceeding 210 mph. The hull burned to the waterline during testing in Sarasota in June 2012, with no injuries to the crew.
Mystic hulls also claimed multiple Top Gun titles at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout and competed in SBI and UIM championship events for years. The construction methods that made those boats fast, carbon fibre, Kevlar, vacuum-infused epoxy, are the same techniques now applied to MARTAC’s defence platforms.
Photo: Q-Photography
Distributed Production Strategy
MARTAC’s distributed co-production model is designed to increase surge capacity, diversify the supply chain, and reduce delivery timelines. The company said additional domestic partnerships are pending.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
