Just 10 years ago during the Miami International Boat Show, Mystic Powerboats introduced its first 42-foot center-console model. The DeLand, Fla., company displayed a pair of them alongside its then-new C4400 catamaran with stern-drive engine-power.
The reason was simple: Much as company founder John Cosker loved building his C5000 catamaran, producing a couple of them a year wasn’t enough to sustain his business. And so he dove headlong into high-performance center-console market and Mystic became a significant presence in that arena.
Now Mystic has 38- and 52-foot offerings, as well as the 42-footer, in its center console line.
As for the C4400 cat, it did not take off. Outboard engine-powered sport cats were fast-claiming that market-segment. The 44-footer was plenty hot, but the demand for catamarans of the stern-drive kind had gone ice-cold.
So Cosker and company pivoted again and released a 40-foot outboard-powered cat. The model boasted a great interior layout and features, wonderful rough-water capability per the entire Mystic breed and excellent handling manners. Still, that wasn’t enough because with the big power of the day—six-cylinder 400-hp engines from Mercury Racing—was underpowered. Its acceleration and speed were not on par with sport cats from other builders.
Introduced in 2019, the 450-hp Mercury Racing products helped a bit. But they weren’t enough.
Combined with Mystic’s significant changes to the C4000’s aerodynamics and lamination recipe, the release of the 500R outboard in 2023 changed everything. Acceleration went from sleepy to snappy, and the boat had no trouble reaching the 120-mph “industry standard.”
Now the C4000 isn’t just a prime-time sport-cat player, it currently is Mystic’s hottest-seller. The company is sold out of build slots for the cat in 2026. You can order one now, but construction won’t begin until 2027.
“The big thing, I think, is that it got faster,” Cosker explained. “It had lots of great original features and it still does.
“Now it’s fast enough for buyers in the market,” he added.