From 'Spirit of Qatar' to 'Darana Hybrid' — 242 MPH and a Top Gun Comeback
- BoatBlurb Contributor
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
A familiar boat returned to glory at the 2025 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.
The Mystic catamaran previously known as Spirit of Qatar — now racing under the sponsorship of Darana Hybrid Electro-Mechanical Solutions — screamed down the 3/4-mile course at 242 mph on Sunday August 24th.
The boat, piloted by by veteran drivers Steve Curtis and Darryl Cuttell, came just shy of the boat’s own all-time Shootout record of 244 mph, set back in 2014. Curtis was also one of the pilots on the boat in 2014.
The epic run earned the Darana Hybrid team the coveted “Top Gun” crown and a place once again in Shootout history.
The Shootout, now in its 37th year, remains the largest unsanctioned boat racing events in the country. Powerboats from across the globe converge every August to run head-to-head in a test of raw speed -- each gunning for the fastest run and the coveted Top Gun title.
It's also become a hotbed for testing new and emerging technologies -- both gas-powered propulsion and alternative power. Canada's Vision Marine set the electric speed run at the LOTO Shootout in 2023 with a 116 mph run in a custom Hellkatt catamaran.
This year's event also saw a new personal watercraft (PWC) record at a staggering 121 mph and a new pontoon record at 117 mph courtesy of LOTO Hall of Famer Brad Rowland.
As the event has grown, recent years have seen outside octane-chasers coming to Missouri to experience the unique high-performance boats of the Shootout.
This year's event saw appearances by former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and current NASCAR driver and YouTube personality Garret Mitchell, also known as Cleetus McFarland. Mitchell drove the 50' Mystic jet-powered turbine catamaran sponsored by X Insurance on its own high-speed run.
This year's LOTO Shootout kicked off Saturday August 23rd with Team Yahoo setting the pace with an 185 mph run. However, the top spot didn't last as the Dirty Duck, a 36' Skater, ran 215 mph just minutes later.
The famous LOTO Shootout 'kilo runs' are the cornerstone of the event and involve a 3/4 mile speed run where boats approach the starting gate under 40 mph before accelerating within the 3/4 mile track until a top speed is captured.
A returning contender at this year's Shootout was American Ethanol, the 2024 champion and one of the most recognizable boats on the circuit. However, engine troubles kept the 52' Mystic out of the running. After mechanical issues all day Saturday, the black and yellow catamaran was only able to hit 179 mph on Sunday. The well-known team took the 2024 championship with a 221 mph top speed. American Ethanol had previously been the fastest boat at the Shootout every year since 2017 when the 'kilo run' was shortened from 1 mile to 3/4 mile.
Then late on Sunday morning, the Darana Hybrid hit all her marks with an absurd 242 mph pass. The speed recording made the green Mystic catamaran an easy 2025 LOTO Shootout winner and only 2 mph short of the same boat's all-time record from 2014.
You can watch the record-setting 242 mph in the video below:
