Maritimo mastermind

Rossco’s experience, passion and skills in power boat racing, also partnering with Bill Barry-Cotter and more recently with Bill’s son Tom, have also contributed to Maritimo’s enviable level of international success in the sport and contributed to the wealth of silverware in the trophy cabinet. Rossco’s son, Andrew grew up with Tom Barry-Cotter – both of them inheriting their dads’ love of racing.

A recent chat with the Sorcerer of Screws (as Rossco is referred to by those in the know) uncovered a little more about a very rich career history. “I’ve always liked marine engines. I’ve been a marine engineer since the mid-70s,” said the proud born-and-bred Gold Coaster.

“So, over the years with boat shows, doing commissioning and warranty work, shipping and racing, I’ve seen a fair bit of the world. I’ve run a boat in the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. I’ve taken a boat off the docks in Tilbury UK and run it down the Thames and around the White Cliffs of Dover, in to the Solent and down to Poole in Dorset.

“I’ve run boats up and down the Eastern side of the USA, from Miami, up to New York and around Chesapeake Bay where I’ve done Annapolis Boat Shows. I’ve lost count of how many boat shows I have done here and around the world.

“I’ve delivered boats to New Zealand, New Guinea, China, Japan the Seychelles, Fiji, Puerto Rico Dominican Republic and all over North America including Canada.

“One of my most interesting deliveries was to the Port of Vladivostok in Russia where the delivery entailed taking the owner and his mates out deer hunting and they got one and prepared it on board and they all took a meat tray home!

“My travel over many years has given me a great network of friends all around the world. I’ve raced successfully internationally with Maritimo in the Middle East, Europe, China and the US. I’ve made some great mates in a lot of the race teams.”

As Rossco recounts, “I started racing when I was at school. I wanted to be a Formula One power-boat driver like Formula One car drivers. Back in the mid-70s when I started, there were full-time factory race boat drivers and that’s all they did. They were professionals getting paid to go full-time boat racing and that’s what I wanted to do right from when I was 12 years old.

“However, back then, there was no junior racing, not like there is today in J1, J2 and J3 classes where the kids start as young as nine. You also had to be 17 years of age and get a license to go boat racing in my day, so at 16 I put my age up to get a license. The smallest class back then was 25 horsepower and that’s where I started.”

Reflecting on the dangers of the sport, Rossco admits “Crashes are a part of it, they happen. The one at the opening of the 2018 season in the UAE wasn’t my only crash,” he continues, acknowledging he was fortunate to survive.

“I’ve got a few plates, screws and a lot of scars to show from my racing exploits over the years. That crash was a big one, though. I have to say the rescue teams are superb. They’re the best in the world, and without them, I probably wouldn’t be here.

“I got knocked unconscious in the crash, so I couldn’t put the regulator in my mouth. I was stuck in the boat, which was upside down. They couldn’t get me out through the emergency tunnel hatch, so they ended up having to take the cockpit hatch off and they pulled me out from underneath the upturned boat. Once above water, they revived me on the rescue boat.

“I’m claustrophobic, even though I like being in a race boat. That’s different! After the crash, I was hospitalised and had to get my lungs drained. I’ve drowned once before and that time they put tubes in my lungs to suck the water out.

“With this accident, they fitted a horrible pressurised mask that hurt like hell. It pushes air into your entire system and water comes out every orifice. It was the most hellish thing to have happened to me.

“The mask only came off to eat. Sometimes, if I didn’t breathe at the right time, I lost my breath and gagged. It was terrible and I had that on for four days. Both arms were black by the end of that week from all the needles and blood tests.

“They were coming in and out and doing all sorts of stuff and I didn’t know what they were doing as they couldn’t explain to me because I didn’t speak the language, and they didn’t speak English. That was actually scarier than the crash.”

Hazards aside, the offshore racing has been crucial to the innovation and advances introduced to the Maritimo motor yacht range, as Rossco explains. “Our racing directly leads to all sorts of advances in the technology of our production boats and lots of trial and error and testing in harsh conditions.

“Obviously, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a race boat or tug boat, propellers push the boat. It’s the most important part of the of the drive line. The ‘Sorcerer of Screws’ nickname comes from my work with all our propellers and the fact that I’ve been modifying and experimenting with props from way back working in my dad’s propeller shop as a kid.

“From being in this industry my whole life I’ve gained extensive experience from the likes of modifying my own race propellers to racing with Maritimo, then being out in the field working for Maritimo on the production boats, to now specifying all the props for the motor yachts.

“It’s a contest for me. I’m one of those people that doesn’t step away from a challenge – I get job satisfaction when I make something happen and that other people might not have been able to make happen.

“It means I’ll stick my neck out and have a go at something when other people would say, ‘Oh, I don’t think we should try that’ or ‘We don’t know if it’s going to work.’

“I rely on my gut and on experience and all my collected data over the years. There’s also a little bit of risk involved as I will happily go and chop up a $10,000 propeller, which hopefully is going to improve it. And, probably eight out of 10 times I do get it right so I haven’t trashed that many props!”

After close to 20 years, Rossco still enjoys being part of the Maritimo team. “There’s such a wealth of talent and ability,” he states. “Plus, I only know boats. So, I’ll just keep going, But if there comes a time I don’t think I’m performing 100 percent, then it’s time to hang up the tools. It’s the same as the racing, I’ll keep racing, but only if I’m still fast and competitive.”

Rossco is currently mentoring a junior race team, sharing his wealth of wisdom and race craft. “It’s so good to see juniors learning and getting experience at an earlier age than I did. I think that always wanting to race and to win is why I can probably take on the odd challenge here and there. I don’t want to let the project I’m doing beat me. I always want to win at whatever I’m doing.”

maritimo.com.au