way, and the Miami Boat Show Poker Run now sees a large number of poker run teams departing on Thursday, giving participants a four-day format where they can enjoy longer periods of vacation R&R, or have the freedom to take boating excursions with smaller groups to places like Marathon or Key West. With close to forty boats scheduled for the early bird departure, the docks came to life Thursday morning as hundreds of participants trickled in from hotel lobbies, sunglasses carefully positioned and eyes focused on dockside jugs of early morning Einstein’s coffee and fresh bagels. Confessions of late nights on Ocean Drive or dancing til the wee hours in South Beach clubs often follow the first few sips of java… but the consensus often comes back to raving testimonials like, “This is just the best poker run…ever!” The only comical twist of irony is that the poker run had not technically begun yet. As always, the formalities of safety meetings, last minute registration, waiver signing and distribution of captains wristbands had been conducted on the evening prior, and continued dockside this beautiful Thursday morning. By 10:30am most of the boats were underway for the Rickenbacker Causeway, parading gracefully with the Magic City skyline as a backdrop. After the first card at Grove Harbour Marina in Coconut Grove, staggered starts launched separate speed groups of sleek colorful machines and soon Biscayne Bay was decorated in an elaborate pattern of white vapor trails. Destination, Key Largo, where the group soon rafted up for a lavish lunch at Gilberts, the FPC’s unofficial Key Largo headquarters. The day continued with excitement, and sheer energy, as poker run teams from all over the U.S., Canada and Europe enjoyed a horsepower-charged day of fun, in what may have been the nicest place to be in America, on that warm February day in the middle of winter. SJ For those planning to attend the 2013 edition of the Miami Boat Show Poker Run the dates are: February 21-24, 2013 18
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
Gilberts Key Largo provided the customary lunch stopover, a tradition on all FPC poker run events for over fifteen years. The poker run captains did a fine job of keeping bows facing into the strong current,making for safe and easy tie-up.