Mercury Racing was ahead of its time five years ago when the company decided to host its own demo days outside of the Miami International Boat Show.
While the commute to Grove Harbour Marina in Coconut Grove can test your patience, it’s a real-world opportunity to test the latest engine packages from the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, company. The 2026 version featured a record 11 boats for the demos during the three-day event.
Offering a mix of center consoles and catamarans, Demo Days offered a relaxed setting and wide-open Biscayne Bay to slam down the throttles. The demos were by appointment only and open to potential clients and media, giving them an opportunity to test engine packages and boat brands.
“We can really show what these boats can do in the environment that people use them in,” said Jeff Broman, director of Mercury Racing. “It’s been massively successful and people love it.”
Among the boats available for testing were an Outerlimits SC46 catamaran, the lone boat with a Mercury Racing 1100/1350 sterndrive package. The other models were equipped with outboards, ranging from the 300R to the 500R, as well as a Nor-Tech 500 Sport with Mercury Marine V12 600 hp outboards.
Performance Boat Center had its P280 and P420 catamarans available for testing, while Sunsation brought a 34CCX to the demo. Nor-Tech gave rides in the 4000 Roadster and 500 Sport, while DCB Racing was busy showcasing its M42 with 500R outboards.
There were center console offerings including the Cigarette 41 Nighthawk, Deep Impact 449 Sport and the Goldfish X10 Scout.
Mystic owner and founder John Cosker spent three days piloting a Mystic C4000, talking with potential customers about his company’s products.
“It gives consumers a real-world opportunity to see how our boats perform,” Cosker said. “It’s one thing to see it on a trailer, it’s another to ride in it.”
Most of the attendees were veteran performance boaters looking for new models, and the manufacturers were happy to oblige. Mercury Racing created a lounge adjacent to the docks, offering boaters a place to hang out between rides. Each ride lasted approximately 25 minutes.
The Miami International Boat Show previously offered demo rides from the docks of One Herald Plaza in downtown Miami. Because of construction, show organizers dropped the location and demo rides. Manatee restrictions made for a long idle and not much of a payoff.
Mercury Racing started the Demo Experience in 2022 because of the cost and issues with the in-water event at Herald Plaza. Offering a relaxed environment, Alex Kipperman of Mercury Racing made sure the boats kept running on schedule.
While the event in Grove Harbour has been exclusive to Mercury Racing, there is talk of expanding it in 2027 to Mercury Marine engines and a few Brunswick boat brands.
Either way, Mercury Racing’s demo days are expected to return to Grove Harbour
