{{Short description|American powerboat engineer}} '''John Martin Cosker''' is an American designer, engineer of builder and powerboats. He is known for his work in designing and engineering high speed luxury and racing powerboats, with some models reaching speeds of well over 200 miles per hour.<ref name=picking>Horn, Karly. "Picking Up Speed", ''Florida Tech Magazine'', volume 28, issue 3, Winter 2020, pages 20-21.</ref><ref name=horses>Haney, Travis. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/341983255/ "Callahan Has Horses To Run Away With Win"], ''The Tampa Tribune'', Tampa, Florida, October 19, 2003, page 8. {{subscription required}}</ref> He is a pioneer in high performance race boat design and manufacturing methods.<ref name=picking/>
==Early life and education== Cosker graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in 1991.
==Career== He founded Mystic Powerboats in Melbourne, Florida in 1996.<ref name=picking/><ref>Trulio, Matt. [https://www.offshoreonly.com/articles/industry/john-cosker-burns-bright "John Cosker Burns Bright"], ''OffshoreOnly.com website'', August 14, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2020.</ref> The company now resides in Deland, Florida and sell boats internationally.<ref name=2m>Whitney, Valerie. [https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2012/02/28/deland-boatmaker-lands-order-for-2m-powerboat/30568183007/ "DeLand boatmaker lands order for $2M powerboat"], ''The Daytona Beach News-Journal'', published February 27, 2012F, updated August 15, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2022.</ref> His designs include boats with twin turbine engines, each with 2,500 horsepower.<ref name=horses/> In 2006, his team broke the race record at 208 miles per hour on the one mile drag at the 18th annual Lake Rescue Benefit Shootout, considered by Powerboat Magazine as one of the top eight boat events in the world.<ref>Goodwin, Juliana. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/208621032/ "Race benefits rescue efforts"], ''News-Leader'', Springfield, Missouri, volume 117, number 236, August 24, 2007, page 16. {{subscription required}}</ref> In 2017, the team won their third race with a speed of 204 miles per hour on a 51-foot Mystic with 9,000 horsepower.<ref>[https://www.boatingmag.com/an-american-ethanol-three-pete-at-lake-ozarks-shootout/ "An American Ethanol Three-Peat at Lake of the Ozarks Shootout"], ''Boating Magazine'' website, September 29, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2022.</ref> A Mystic racing boat has won this race 5 times.<ref>Dabbs, Janet. [https://www.lakeexpo.com/boating/shootout/shootout-racer-profile-slug-hefner-john-cosker/article_50bf48f0-8a1b-11e7-8119-2b57ccec1dea.html "Shootout Racer Profile: Slug Hefner & John Cosker"], ''LakeExpo.com'', August 19, 2017, updated December 12, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2022.</ref><ref>Plueddeman, Charles. [https://www.boatingmag.com/american-ethanol-wins-fifth-straight-lake-ozarks-shootout/ "American Ethanol Wins Fifth Straight Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout"], ''Boating Magazine'' website, September 5, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2022.</ref> In 2012, he sold a $2 million racing boat to the Qatar Marine Sports Federation.<ref name=2m/>
He also designed boats for Concept Boats.<ref>''Boating Magazine'', Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., New York, New York, volume 81, number 1, January 2008, page 24.</ref><ref>Colby, Eric. [https://www.boatingmag.com/concept-boats-unveils-new-39-center-console-miami-boat-show/ "Concept Boats Unveils a new 39' Center Console at the Miami Boat Show"], ''Boating Magazine'' website, February 21, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2022.</ref>
==References== <references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosker, John}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:20th-century American engineers Category:21st-century American engineers Category:American boat builders Category:Florida Institute of Technology alumni