Powerboating in Paradise vol 18#3

VOL 18#3 FALL 2018 EDITION

A MAGAZINE SHOWCASING THE FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB LIFESTYLE

MONTE CARLO NIGHTS

FPC Members rally across Europe to the French Riviera

ABACO ADVENTURES

Bahamas Poker Run logs 700 miles of boating paradise!

POWER IN THE PANHANDLE! Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run brings back the VIP Experience

KEY WEST 2018

MEET THE PLAYERS

PL U S ...

• Lake Hartwell Poker Run • Pirates of Lanier Poker Run • Miss Powerboat Week 2018 • Fall Bimini Blast • Project 1080 HP WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM

NATURAL PROGRESSION QC4 860 STERNDRIVE The naturally aspirated QC4 860 shares all of the high performance running qualities of its turbocharged siblings. Designed, developed and manufactured inhouse, the 9.0-liter V-8 engine pumps out 860 horsepower on 89 octane (Rec 90) pump fuel. Mercury Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS) technology provides luxury-carlike drivability. All of this with an unprecedented 2-year limited factory warranty.

MercuryRacing.com/860

A Magazine Showcasing The Florida Powerboat Club Lifestyle FALL 2018

Vol. 18#3

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Stu Jones stu@flpowerboat.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Tracey Gutierrez tracey@flpowerboat.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Lina Montes fpclina@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Jerry Wyszatycki Stu Jones

EVENT MANAGEMENT Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com

VIDEO PRODUCTION Stu Jones David Steel Ryan McCoy Travis Nellem Joe Kotrady

DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO Florida Powerboat Club 1214 SW 6th St. Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Tel: 954.545-1414 Fax: 954.782-2452 www.FLPOWERBOAT.com

POMPANO OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 10 AM - 5 PM

CONTENTS 4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

4

Stu Jones addresses FPC's strengthened focus on charity agendas, with the formation of the new Florida Powerboat Foundation.

6 EUROPE POKER RUN 2018 For the third consecutive year, FPC members rallied in Porsches from Germany through the European countryside to the amazing French Riviera.

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14 BAHAMAS POKER RUN 2018

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26 SUMMER POKER RUN TOUR

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30 EMERALD COAST 2018

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82 PROJECT 1080 HP

82

87 KEY WEST POKER RUN 2018 PROGRAM

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It was the largest turnout ever for this extended June adventure, which took more than a dozen poker run teams island hopping through paradise.

Showing continued support for other poker runs outside Florida, FPC visited Lake Hartwell in June, and Lake Lanier in July, two popular poker runs that draw hundreds of boats for summer fun.

Celebrating its 20th year in the Emerald Coast, FPC carved out a new event format which restored safety and the VIP experience to this popular summer boating playground

Five months into the project FPC is closing in on a finished 38' Cigarette Top Gun resto-mod that will be unveiled at the Key West Poker Run.

The 26th edition of this signature FPC event takes registration numbers to nearly 200 Teams and a festive atmosphere of fun. This "Meet the Players" section introduces our teams and sponsors.

ON THE COVER: Flashback to Tampa 2018, as FPC members throttle up towards the Sunshine Skyway.

The FPCGirls made a big splash in Destin, as the Miss Powerboat Week contest entertained hundreds of poker run attendees.

FPC Pompano Beach Headquarters Traveling? Need to lighten the load? Enjoy the digital version of this issue of Powerboating in Paradise Magazine on...

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SEE THE COMPLETE DIGITAL EDITION OF POWERBOATING IN PARADISE MAGAZINE AT WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT I

hope you enjoy this Fall issue of Powerboating in Paradise, as we conclude the Summer of 2018 with amazing stories of adventure and fond memories to share. From our 3rd Annual Europe Poker Run to the French Riviera, to island hopping in the Bahamas, and carving out a new format for FPC after twenty years on Florida’s Emerald Coast, it was simply superb in every way. The best part is, 2019 is already shaping up to break new ground with new events, so be sure to check out the 2019 event calendar on page 98! If I can sum it up with those famous lyrics from The Cars, “Let the Good Times Roll!”

We have a lot to be thankful for, as our nation’s economic wheels keep spinning at rates we haven’t seen in decades, translating to a better quality of life for many Americans regardless of their socioeconomic status. For the “Haves” of the world, like so many of you that enjoy the sport of offshore powerboating, it may give you the financial freedom to buy that new boat or repower the one you currently own, or you may finally decide to take that bucket-list Europe trip with your wife that you’ve been talking about for years. But sadly, for a vast number of North Americans, even the best economic climate will affect no measurable improvements to their less fortunate, often impoverished lives. Chronic diseases or incurable terminal illnesses, financial woes that tailspin out of control leading to bankruptcy or even worse, homelessness. Victims of abuse, of addiction, or accidents that cause permanent injuries and disabilities that prevent one from being gainfully employed.

These are only a handful of daily challenges and struggles felt by millions…every day of their lives.

For almost three decades, I have been engaged in so many poker runs throughout Florida, across the nation coast-to-coast, as far north as Canada. When I look back over the years and try to remember which events were most inspiring and memorable, there seems to be a common thread. It was the events where charity fund-raising was a top priority, and where “giving

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back” to credible charities was a focus by organizers and got measurable results. For FPC, a nearly twenty-year partnership with a charity organization on Florida’s Emerald Coast, has generated millions of dollars to youth charities on Okaloosa County over that time. Despite the benefits and synergies of

this partnership, the event simply got very big, until the point where public safety issues were a concern, and FPC broke away to stage a “powerboat-only” format on the following weekend.

The challenge now was that FPC was forced to manage the fund-raising agenda without the local foundation and its army of volunteers, and I must admit I was a little anxious going into this alone. With $ 75,000 as the target, our fund-raising model was planned months in advance, and with 85 teams in attendance,

by Saturday night we hit $70,000!

Not bad I thought…thanks to the generosity of our FPC members and attendees! It was a victory in my opinion on so many fronts, but above all, it was victory for the charities that we chose to support.

While I drove home from Destin the following Monday, I had twelve long hours to savor this victory, and above all the great charities FPC has supported over the years, this outcome was special. It never felt so good! The following week I met with our accounting and legal team, and founded Florida Powerboat Foundation, Inc., then filed our application with the IRS for 501(C)3 charity status. With this new organization, we can take a more structured approach, and celebrate the “Power of Giving Back” on more FPC events. Along with many worthy causes that will be the core of our mission statement, I have also addressed the need for more boating safety through education and awareness, something that we can all agree is very important on all levels.

Be safe in all that you do. Be Thankful for all that you have. Be Thoughtful for others who could use a little help.

Sincerely, Stu Jones - President & Founder

Comments: stu@flpowerboat.com

EURO-PASSING! FOR MEMBERS OF FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB, GOING FAST IS SECOND NATURE, WHETHER BY CAR,

BY BOAT, OR ANY MEANS OF MOTORIZED TRAVEL. IN MAY TWENTY FPC MEMBERS TOOK THIS EXPERIENCE TO NEW HEIGHTS, DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE WITH A DOZEN TURBOCHARGED PORSCHES ACROSS THE EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE TO THE SPECTACTULAR FRENCH RIVIERA.

Monte Carlo Harbour STORY BY STU JONES

I

t was a tradition that began forty years earlier, when the growing popularity of the iconic Porsche 911 spawned a buying spree among North American sports car enthusiasts.

Porsche factory executives in Stuttgart Germany came up with the brilliant concept of a “Factory Delivery” where would-be buyers from across the Atlantic could watch their cars come off the assembly line, then take them on guided driving adventures in Europe, over mountain passes in the Alps, and for triple-digit romps along the no-speedlimit Autobahn. And so, Fast Lane Travel came to be, and its founder Peter Sontag, an Austrian native who eventually found his way to Florida’s Tampa Bay area, has been in the driver’s seat for over forty years.

Florida Powerboat Club partnered with Fast Lane Travel in 2016, making this May 2018 event FPC’s 3rd Annual Europe

Poker Run, which by design, was a departure from the traditional FPC calendar of waterborne events. The common thread seemed to encompass the most obvious needs of FPC culture…a need for speed, a thirst for adventure, the desire for finer things in life, and of course…the simple pleasures of camaraderie with like-minded enthusiasts. Originally conceived with a Formula One experience on the front-end of the 8-day agenda, the Grand Prix of Spain made perfect sense, and provided a format that required participants to arrive three days earlier in Barcelona to enjoy the race, then fly off to Germany, and continue the Europe Poker Run agenda. This certainly added cost and time to the equation, and in the end, Stu & Jackie decided to do the F1 weekend as a test-run to see how it could work into the equation for future Europe Poker Runs.

St Tropez, France

Baden Baden, Germany

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Mike & Elena Ciasulli

Chateau de Bagnol near Lyon, France PHOTOGRAPHY BY STU & JACKIE JONES; FAST LANE TRAVEL

The official starting point for the run adopted a new venue, as organizer Peter Sontag suggested that Baden Baden in Germany would be a suitable launch-pad for many reasons.

Indeed, The Brenner’s Park Hotel was first class, as was the wonderful walking tour that illustrated the village’s colorful past, as a haven for royalty and wealthy Europeans who centuries earlier, came to enjoy its hot springs and “baths” (Baden translated in German is bath).

After two nights in Baden Baden, it was off to the French countryside, cruising in brand new Porsche’s balancing the urge to drive fast, while trying to enjoy the visual beauty of the French countryside. Arriving at the Chateau de Bagnol

near Lyon, France for an overnight stay, took the wowfactor to new heights, as guests settled into suites that were once occupied by Lords during the 15th century! With the next two nights in St. Tropez, lunch at the original Nikki Beach Club, a dinner experience like no other at L’Opera, followed by a drive on the famous mountain rally course Col de Turini, the adventure kept reaching new heights. We eventually found our way to the Monte Carlo Bay Resort, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and cruised a lap on the F1 Monte Carlo race course alongside the famous Monte Carlo Yacht Harbor, home to the world’s largest megayachts. The experience put our every sense into overdrive…. and it was far from over.

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The vast differences in terrain, make driving in Europe a very enjoyable experience. At one moment, the group can be lined up in a high-speed train-like formation, cruising at 100+ mph in the left lane of a super-highway, then minutes later be weaving up narrow mountain roads, through countless tunnels and climbing high into the clouds. One of the most memorable mountain drives, was the Col de Turini, a treacherous mountain road that has doubled as a rally course for professional race car drivers for over six decades. Every European racing enthusiast knows this course well‌..and sadly, not every Col de Turini driver has made it home alive. This is a drive that requires 100% focus and concentration!

Joanne & Jer r y McDonald

Jack ie & Rober t R auch

E ileen & Mar k F ischer

S t u & Jack ie Jones

Sher i & Doug Falcone

Maggie & Miguel San z

P e t er Jensen & P e t er Glin t

E lena & Mik e Ciasulli

Ton y & Mona Monda z z e

Jane t t e & L uis V igoa

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Johny (FLT) & Francoise (former Car Racer)

C O L D U T U R I N I M O U N TA I N PA S S

4TH ANNUAL

FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB EUROPE POKER RUN TO TUSCANY Thursday, May 2nd – Monday, May 12th, 2019

Join the excitement of a Poker Run in Europe while driving a NEW PORSCHE! $14,668per person, based on double occupancy

Join the fun and drive a new model 2019 PORSCHE for nine days across the Alps to Tuscany. We are renting a private estate in Tuscany close to Siena, Florence and Montepulciano. Not only will we have a fun drive through the Alps to get there, but also we will enjoy a cooking class, wine tasting, relaxing by the pool, play tennis, or do some optional horseback riding at our estate. In addition, we have planned an excursion to historic Siena. We will also drive part of the legendary Mille Miglia road. You will love shopping in the medieval village of Buonconvento with its little local leather, knitting, chocolate, Italian shoes and dress shops. We will also visit the beautiful Abbey Beneditta Olivetana.

On the way home from Tuscany, we will also stop in Modena, enjoy lunch at the legendary F-1 La Montana Restaurant and visit the Ferrari Museum.

•All-inclusive – accommodations, meals, drinks, PORSCHE rental, gasoline, tolls, taxes and gratuities •Airport transfer services in Stuttgart, Germany •Nine days of driving new 2019 model PORSCHE of choice •Fun Tuscan Countryside Rally drive (it’s not a race) plus Poker Run Dinner with valuable prizes

•Special dinners and wine tastings at Private Estate in Tuscany •Accompanying truck to transport your large luggage •Driving on the Autobahn, winding country roads and Alpine passes •Escorted by bi-lingual drive guides connected by walkie-talkies •Membership in Fast Lane Travel’s prestigious 150mph Club •Special shirts, caps, flight bags plus drivers training and navigation road books

Sponsored by: This event is a Florida Powerboat Club invitation only event, that is an exclusive privilege for FPC members, and active membership is required to register.

FOR INFORMATION AND TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE: Go To: www.fastlanetravel.com Call: 813-343-3001 or Email: info@fastlanetravel.com

Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort

After a long drive from Lyon and a sensational lunch stopover at a Michelin-rated restaurant for lunch, arriving at St. Tropez presented a complete change of landscape, with picturesque views of the Mediterranean Sea at many vantage points along the coastal highway. Guests soon checked in at the breathtaking Chateau de Messardiere which kept the Medieval village Eze, France

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5-star theme well-served, and the following day was spent running amuck on scooters to Nikki Beach Club and along the inner harbor, which is lined with shops, cafes, and of course, yachts of every description. But it the Cirque de Soleil-meets- Moulin Rouge-style dinner show at L-Opera, which reminded all of us, that were indeed, in France.

At a mere 83 miles, the coastal drive from St Tropez to Monte Carlo could be described as a hop-skip & jump, but Fast Lane Travel put their spin on the adventure, with the Col de Turini mountain drive, taking this event to a new level of highs‌ literally. That experience aside, it was arriving at the Monte Carlo Bay Resort, only to see 500-foot mega-yachts anchored just a few hundred yards offshore, making all of us realize, Monte Carlo was about to meet, and exceed our wildest expectations. While there were certainly many highlights, for the motorsports enthusiasts, it was driving one the (actual) Monaco Grand Prix street course as it was being readied for the upcoming F1 race, that was the #1 take-home memory!

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 11

F1 Monaco Grand Prix race course- Casino Monte Carlo turn F1 Grand Prix of Spain race course, Barcelona, Spain

The Europe Poker Run format takes about eight days to complete, and with a day of travel each way from United States, it gets up to 10-11 days. Adding a side-trip like the F1 experience in Barcelona or a stopover in Amsterdam, or the UK ‌anywhere there is a major airport, is a smart way to plan for anyone who wants to maximize their travel plans with these supplemental adventures. In Barcelona, my wife Jackie had no interest in the F1 race so she did a little sight-seeing and shopping, while I had a VIP race experience, all arranged by Fast Lane Travel. This was well organized, with private car to-from the track with VIP suite, food, bar and grandstand at the start finish line. This was every bit first-class, as was the entire 2018 Edition of the Europe Poker Run. Thanks to Fast Lane Travel for an incredible experience, and to the FPC members who joined us!

SJ

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FA I R W E ATH E R

AND FLOWING S E AS

SINCE MAY 1992 FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THE ABUNDANT BAHAMAS CRUISING GROUNDS JUST EAST OF FLORIDA’S COAST-LINE. EARLIER THIS JUNE MORE THAN A DOZEN FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB TEAMS HEADED OFFSHORE WHILE MOTHER NATURE APPEARED TO BE ON VACATION… GIVING THESE EXPLORERS THE PERFECT ADVENTURE IN PARADISE. STORY BY STU JONES

T

here are many great places to live in Florida where one can enjoy their boating lifestyle on a year-round basis.

But South Florida offers distinct geographic advantages for weekend warriors, those being the proximity to the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. While the Keys can be reached in protected ICW and bay waters, traveling to the Bahamas requires scrutiny of weather conditions, particularly winds and waves, because the open waters of the gulfstream crossing can become violent and unwelcoming. Clearly, the lighter summer winds, which often prevail from the south, create the ideal conditions for a safe crossing to the Bahamas, and the FPC summer edition of FPC’s 2018 Bahamas Poker Run was a perfect example of just how good it can be.

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On at warm Friday morning in June, about a dozen teams launched from Pier 66 Resort & Marina in Fort Lauderdale, making their way through Port Everglades to a calm, inviting ocean. With a helicopter in hot pursuit, the strategy was to run northbound for about ten miles, giving the aerial photo crew that perfect vantage point and the ideal lighting from early morning sun…. which beamed powerful reflections from the ocean’s calm surface, lighting up the bright paint schemes of the colorful offshore escape machines. It’s no secret that all the leading names in the center console world were well represented, including Concept, Deep Impact, Midnight Express and Nor-Tech…all of them powered by Mercury Verado outboards.

PHOTOS BY JERRY WYSZATYCKI & STU JONES

v-bottoms from Cigarette, Donzi, Baja and Sunsation made their way onto the roster‌. many of their owners trailering hundreds of miles to take part. Indeed, logging a successful 600-mile circum-navigation of the northern Bahamas chain will make for some great stories back at their hometown Lake Pontchartrain or Lake of the Ozarks throughout the summer months!!

Today’s crossing would be flawless, as the northeast heading would soon have the fleet arriving at West End, (the most westerly tip of Grand Bahama Island) a popular port of arrival for Florida boaters. Its welcome mat is the Old Bahama Resort & Marina, which offers a quaint, charming atmosphere, 72-slip marina and a variety of luxurious beachfront suites that are cozy and

comfortable. Sadly, the attraction of this port to so many recreational boaters, backfired on our group as we arrived to discover that dozens of other boat captains had beat us to the customs office, which made for a very tedious, almost excruciating clearance process. We enjoyed our first two days in paradise, making a daytrip to Port Lucaya through the scenic Grand Lucayan Waterway, before heading further east towards the abundant cruising grounds known as the Bahamas Northern Family of Islands, more commonly referred to as the Abacos. The adventure continued, the water colors became more brilliant by the day, and the island villages were as charming as the pleasant-natured Bahamians that welcomed us along the way.

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 15

Preparing for a Bahamas trip takes advance planning that should begin several weeks before departure. United States Customs & Border Protection require all recreational vessels to a User Fee decal, which can be purchased for under $ 30 on the DTOPS website. Once acquired, new clearance procedures require boaters to visit the CBP website and/or download a CBP ROAM App on their smartphone, to register their boat (and trip details) prior to departure. This new process then requires the clearing crew upon re-entry to use the CBP ROAM App to clear back into the United States, at their first port of entry. None of this is voluntary. It is Federal law, and if you are on of those foolish few who say “ I never bother doing that”...then it’s time for you to wake up and remember what country you are living in.

Rick Kirk | OH | Team BUCKEYE NATION | 39' Cigarette / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Dolph & Kim Williams | LA | Team VIPERS & VIXENS | 38' Donzi

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Sponsor

RETAINAGE Crew

Noel & Gretchen Speranza | FL | Team RETAINAGE | 44' Concept / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Clearly the center console race is on, and it’s wide open throttle. Some traditional fishing boat manufacturers have made the move towards luxury center consoles, while other high-performance boat manufacturers have come from the opposite direction, but with the same luxury center console market in their sites. Concept Boats(above) and Deep Impact (below) are among two Opa-Locka based boat builders that have been very successful in exploring this niche, with great results.

Simon Williams | FL | Team SUNCOAST MARINE | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Verado 350

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Weston & Amber Bass | LA | Team CHANGE ORDER | 39' Cigarette / Mercury Racing 700 SCI

Sponsor

DOUBLE SCHARNY Crew

Ryan & Julie Scharnowske | IN | Team DOUBLE SCHARNY | 37' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 19

STIRRIN' IT UP Crew

Scott Stinson | GA | Team MYSTIC | 42 Mystic/ 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

MYSTIC Crew

Kevin & Jenica Eisenbach | MO | Team STIRRIN' IT UP | 33' Baja / Mercruiser 496

Scott & Lisa Kagen | NC | Team MUFASA | 43' Sunsation / Mercury Racing 700 SCI

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Easy Money Crew

Sponsor

Roger & Pam Anderson | TX | Team EASY MONEY II | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercur Verado 350

Hays & Karlyn Wilson | OK | Team BLEW BAYOU | 37' Everglades

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Old Bamama Bay Resort & Marina, West End, Grand Bahama What separates the Bahamas Poker Run from so many other events on the FPC event calendar, is the fact that this is a true boating adventure in its purest form, which is shared with a small group of fellow boaters for as many as five to seven days. Lifetime friendships are often created on events with this type of setting and we invite everyone to share in this wonderful experience. All of the participants on this

edition of the Bahamas Poker Run opted for the extended trip, making the total adventure a six-day, five night itinerary that covered over 700 miles of powerboating in paradise. If you have the time, and your boat is tuned and ready, this is an adventure of a lifetime that everyone should put on their boating bucket list.

SJ

OLd Bahama Bay Resort & Marina For 2019, FPC has planned a 6-day adventure to Bimini, continuing to Nassau and staying at the amazing new BAHA MAR Resort in Nassau. A side trip to Exumas is planned as part of this exciting agenda! Start planning now‌trip departs June 7th from Haulover Marine Center.

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No Name Cay, Abaco

Mark & Eileen Fischer | FL | Team WHERE'S EILEEN | 88' Marlow

Near Chubb Cay

Hope Town, Elbow Cay

Max & Jessica

Pam & Roger Anderson Team MUFASA

Rick & Susan

Taz, Noel & Grechen Speranza

Poker Run Winners: Hays & Karlyn Wilson & Stu Jones

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 25

Hartwell Lake Poker Run

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ith a national poker run circuit that has evolved over that last twenty years, it’s quite possible there are fifty or more poker runs across the nation between the months of June and September.

FPC focuses a tremendous effort on visiting and sponsoring as many events as possible, and with the growing popularity of the Hartwell Lake Poker Run it was time to make the journey to this quiet reservoir lake that shares is shoreline with South Carolina and Georgia. The event was historically called the Meals on Wheels Poker Run, when it started in 2010, and while the name has changed, the charity beneficiary remains as Meals on Wheels.

Getting there was easy, with a quick flight from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta on Delta, and a rental car for the two-hour drive. There were a handful of hotels at the nearby towns of Anderson SC, and Hartwell GA, but either way, it’s about a ten-mile drive to the poker run headquarters at BIG WATER MARINA. We received the welcome mat from marina owners Todd & Debbie Campbell and met with several FPC friends from South Carolina and the neighboring southern states. Special thanks to John Woodruff and his crew for welcoming me on board the 48 MTI Winship for the Saturday poker run, as we joined hundreds of participants for a weekend of fun.

For anyone interested in attending, the dates for their 2019 event will soon be listed at www.hartwelllakepokerrun.com

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PIRATES OF LANIER 10TH ANNIVERSARY It was only a matter of time before the largest of our

country’s man-made water reservoirs would become vast recreational playgrounds. For the millions of Americans who long to escape the big city heat in the summertime, these water playgrounds provide the perfect boating getaway to go-fast or go-slow set, throw an anchor, raft up, water ski, wakeboard, or simply get wet to cool of from the summer heat. For Atlanta natives and thousands of north Georgia residents, that playground is Lake Sidney Lanier (aka Lake Lanier) which for the last ten years, has hosted the Pirates of Lanier Poker Run. It all started here and remains hosted at Lanier Islands Resort, about forty-five minutes northeast of Atlanta, and it soon became a nationally recognized performance boating poker run. The event has attracted powerboats of all descriptions from neighboring states, with participants trailering more than a thousand miles to attend, and in recent years Pirates has raised over $ 400,000 for local charities.

With Georgia being Florida’s neighbor to the north, Florida Powerboat Club has been attending this event for at least eight of its ten years, participating as a sponsor in some cases, but for the most part, just showing up in support of the event, and helping in any way possible. While the event’s organizers

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have gone through some structuring changes in management personnel and focus in the last couple of years, the overall support by local boaters remains strong. FPC didn’t bring a boat to the 2018 Lake Lanier event, but it was fun to be present, getting out on the water with FPC members and seeing what it’s like to enjoy a boating weekend in someone else’s back yard. Special thanks to Michael Kimbell for letting me jump on board his family’s Seafox Center Console during the poker run, and a shout out to Mike Layton and Chris Walker for a wild ride on the stunning Adrenaline 47 ZRX.

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EVERY SUMMER SINCE 1999 FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB HAS BEEN VISITING THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE’S POPULAR EMERALD COAST BOATING PLAYGROUND FOR A POKER RUN STAGED AMIDST MILES OF SANDY BEACHES AND PROTECTED CRUISING WATERS. FOR 2018 ORGANIZERS HIT THE RESET BUTTON, A DECISION WHICH PROVED TO BE WELL-TIMED, AS 90 TEAMS AND 450 GUESTS ENJOYED FIVE DAYS OF POWERBOATING FUN AND A VIP EXPERIENCE THAT RE-ENERGIZED THEIR SPIRITS AND RAISED $70,000 FOR LOCAL CHARITIES.

WORDS BY STU JONES

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rowing pains might best describe the motivation which forced Florida Powerboat Club to take its powerboatdominant event format away from a long-standing event partnership with the local Emerald Coast Foundation. Over a four-year period, which began in 2014, the local charity group began migrating smaller and slower local boats into a new class it created and designated as the Ruby class, all this without any consent or input by FPC organizers. It all seemed quite harmless in year-one as about twenty boats, mostly single engine 25-foot or less, began to populate the poker run course, along with its crew members at the poker run functions.

But when the Ruby class grew to nearly 80 teams and a few hundred participants in 2017, serious safety issues,

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checkpoint confusion, near collisions, overcrowded parties and the outright frustration of veteran powerboaters who had supported the event for years, created an all-out boycott as unhappy boaters vowed they would not be returning to the Emerald Coast in 2018. As one FPC member clearly stated to the FPC President, “Stu, I know you didn’t create the problem, but you’re the guy who’s gonna have to fix it…. if you expect any of us to come back!” Clearly it was on me, and if I wanted to see the FPC return to the Emerald Coast for future years, I had my work cut out for me. With so many other poker runs on the national circuit for powerboaters to choose, I had just months to turn things around before the boaters would set their sites on other events. If that were

Juana's Pagodas, Navarre Beach PHOTOS BY JERRY WYSZATYCKI & STU JONES

to happen, nineteen years of hard work and a great economic impact for the Emerald Coast, would certainly be lost. It was time to hit the reset button.

Organizers kept the festival format alive, with events beginning as early as Wednesday and giving participants up to five days of fun through Sunday, with a variety of daytime boating activities and parties every evening. Emerald Grande and Harborwalk Village continued to provide a great headquarter facility for the event, although this year …at least three major events on the agenda would be staged here, including the Wednesday Night Trucks N Boats Parade, the Thursday night Miss Powerboat Week contest, and the Saturday night bash…where a lavish dinner was

served in the Harborview Ballroom, and entertainment & gaming hosted at the nicely decorated Emerald Ballroom.

Alan Laird and his staff from neighboring AJ’s Oyster Bar, renewed their commitment to the event by providing their docks for Sponsor boat docking, and by hosting a spectacular Friday night Captains Party on the upper deck of the famous waterfront hangout. With a new boating fun run added to the FPC agenda, early-bird arrivals enjoyed a lunch rendezvous at Lulu’s in Destin, where the Legendary Marina staff were on hand and well-staffed to tie up the arriving powerboaters. The traditional Friday Fun Run returned to Juana’s in Navarre, sponsored by FPC member Jorge Arellano, where plenty of beachfront real estate gave boaters premium parking along the soft sandy beach.

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 31

Wednesday Trucks 'N Boats

A long-standing tradition at Harborwalk Village has been the Tuesday night Mardi Gras parade, which began to include poker run boats back in 2013.

During peak summer months, it would not be uncommon to see thousands of spectators over the quarter mile course, screaming frantically and jumping up as high as possible to get the attention of the parade float bead throwers. You might think you were throwing hundreddollar bills to see the excitement in these kids when they make that big catch! With the growing popularity of this early-bird event, FPC moved the format to Wednesday night so more could attend, and entry was reserved exclusively to Trucks and Boats. It was fun night for everyone and a great way to get the Powerboat Week party started!

FPC Girls

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Sandy

Andrea & Kayla

Marissa & Whitney 34 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

FUN RUN

T H U RSDAY Anyone would agree, that after driving several hundred miles for a poker run, it would be silly to just use the boat for one day.

For those teams, the Thursday lunch run was created, and although it wasn’t very far distance, it was a great way to get out on the water, shake down the boat, and meet some of the fellow poker run teams for a casual lunch. Lulu’s was the perfect choice, named after Lulu Buffet who extended her popular brand with this new Destin hotspot, after a successful launch in Orange Beach Alabama more than a decade earlier. Special thanks to all the gang at Legendary Marina for their assistance with docking all our participants.

Chris & Quinn LaMorte | NJ | Team ALTER EGO | 36' Skater / 2-Mercury Racing 700 SCi

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Powerboat Week Contest-Ha rbor wa l k

One of the things that organizers decided to FIX about the previous Emerald Coast format, was to limit driving to powerboat week functions, so that guests could take the Emerald Grande elevators down to Harborwalk Village, to attend functions and parties on property. Sticking to the no-driving agenda, FPC planned the new Miss Powerboat Week format at Crab Island Cantina, where a dozen lovely

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Vil lage

ladies competed for that coveted crown and great prizes.

FPC model Kayla Campbell, who we met at the 2017 Emerald Coast event, decided to hang up her bikini for this occasion, and organize the entire evening agenda. Many of the model contestants were local ladies, while FPC also imported some of our South Florida models to help with the poker run and take part in the contest.

Miss Powerboat Week 2018 Marissa It’s a great honor and certainly a lot of fun to judge such an exciting contest, so it didn’t take very long to find seven judges who all agreed to make a charitable donation of $ 250 each to have the honor of scoring the lovely ladies in a variety of categories. Local Emcee Tim Kruger rose to the occasion, making our guests feel welcome and introducing all the beautiful ladies, while reciting

information from their personal bios. When all the votes were tallied, that cherished title went to the lovely Marissa Everhart, who resides in Hollywood Florida.

Congratulations to the winners, thanks to all the ladies for looking so fantastic, and a special shout-out goes to Kayla Campbell for staging a first-class swimwear show for our very special poker run VIP’s!

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Friday Fun Run Sponsored by Phantom Boats

The popularity of the Friday Fun Run can be seen on poker run agendas across the national poker run circuit, and we’re proud to say that it has been a fixture on the Emerald Coast event itinerary since way back in 1999. It all started out as a shakedown cruise, and the primary intention was to get firsttime visitors acclimated to the poker run course, by doing a drive-by of the hard-to-find checkpoints.

spot to have a lunch rendezvous and get the chopper up in the air chasing boats to get a jump on photo and video mission.

After all, with close to 100 teams participating, it’s virtually impossible to get all the boats covered on the Saturday run, so the Friday run has been the starting point for this photo mission from the early days. Our destination, Juana’s Pagodas in Navarre was an easy decision as always, simply because there’s no other place like it.

More recently, as many participants became familiar with the poker run course, FPC decided to focus on finding the right

Kenny Schomp & Matt Garland | KY | Team DOWNTOWN | 42' Mystic / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

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FPC Girls

Sponsor

Rusty Williams | MO | Team PERFORMANCE BOAT CTR | 36' Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

With hundreds of yards of soft sandy beach and a large dock, this little piece of paradise is ideal for boaters of all types, and the casual atmosphere has a way of making most people forget about any worries they may have had earlier in the day. It’s just one of those places that you can get away from it all and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow boating friends. Live music, great food, and a friendly staff bring this mixture together perfectly, and everyone had a wonderful time. Special thanks to Kevin Rudzki and his staff, along with FPC Member Jorge Arellano for his sponsor contribution that allowed everyone to enjoy a free lunch.

Richard Martin | GA | Team REEL LIFE | 32' Pursuit

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Sponsor

BEER MONEY TOO! Crew

BLACKWATER Crew Paul Bertucci | MS | Team BEER MONEY TOO! | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Verado 350

Mark and Eileen Fischer | FL | Team BLACKWATER | 43' Blackwater / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

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Kyle Fowler | GA | Team BAD A$$ET | 35' Fountain

SWAMP CHOMP II Crew

John & Connie Fahmy | GA | Team SOUTHERN YANKEE | 34' Sunsation/ 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Donald Braddy | FL | Team SWAMP CHOMP II | 35' Everglades

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Brad Hancock | GA | Team ROCK n TACO | 47' Nor-Tech / 2-Mercury Racing 1350 ALTER EGO Crew

Craig & Paula Ackerman | GA | Team ALTER EGO | 29' Formula / 2-Mercruiser 6.2 MPI

Say When Crew

Jeff Schmidt | TX | Team SAY WHEN | 30' Spectre / Mercury 500 EFI

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David Landsman | MD | Team BRAKIN' BALLS 44' Mystic / 2-Mercury Racing 700 SCI

Beau and Tiffiney Renfroe | GA | Team DIRTY MONEY | 36' Skater / Mercury Racing 700 SCI

Andrea

Steve & Lisa Young | AL | Team MOVING FR8 | 35' Fountain

ALL SYSTEMS GO Crew

Michael Bull | GA | Team ALL SYSTEMS GO | 30' Eliminator

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Octavio & Karen Valdivia | GA | Team BLUE BAYOU | 51' Outerlimits / Mercruiser 700 SCI

BLUE BAYOU Crew

HARD WAYS Crew

Scott & Allison Stinson | GA | Team HARD WAYS | 42' Mystic / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Sandy & Andrea

David Blake | GA | Team NEVER ENOUGH | 29' Formula

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Sponsor

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS Crew

David Burg | TX | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Sandy, Andrea, Amber WELLCRAFT Crew

Ionel Ficut | AR | Team WELLCRAFT | 33' Wellcraft

HOT WATER Crew

Chris & Norma Blackwell | TX | Team HOT WATER | 38' Formula / Mercury 500 EFI

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Sponsor

Stephen & Kelly Marino | AL | Team TWIN LADIES | 35' DCB / Mercury Racing 1100

LIQUID PROZAC Crew

Cass Shewbart | TX | Team LIQUID PROZAC | 38' Cigarette / 2- Mercury Racing 525 EFI

Matt & Robin Wilson | GA | Team DOMESTICATED…NOT REALLY | 32' Seafox

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DOMESTICATED…NOT REALLY Crew

Amber, Sandy, Andrea,

Michael & Tara Kimbell | GA | Team REEL AXIN | 28' Seafox

Robert Keys | GA | Team STRESS RELIEF | 28' Eliminator / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Rachelle

Jim Stockton | TX | Team CHICS DIGIT | 42' Fountain / Mercury Racing 600 SCI

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Jeff & Marilyn Whitlock | AL | Team DO IT | 42' MTI / Mercury Racing 1075

DO IT Crew

Don House | KY | Team HOUSE PARTY | 36' Cigarette / Mercury 525

FAST MONEY Crew

Shane & Amiee Mulkey | LA | Team FAST MONEY | 44' Skater / 2-Mercury Racing 1350

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Weston Harlow | FL | Team BOOTY SHAKER | 38' Ocean Express

BOOTY SHAKER Crew

Johnie Weems | FL | Team THOR | 42' Cigarette/ 5-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

FOOTLOOSE TOO Crew

Don & Alice Lightfoot | TX | Team FOOTLOOSE TOO | 52' Nor-Tech / 2-Mercury Racing 1550

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Sponsor

Daniel & Lana Dickert | FL | Team LADY LANA | 34' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Brox Baxley | FL | Team COCKY | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Austin Brown | TX | Team IN REEL DEEP | 39' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury 350

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Friday party at

Some party venues didn’t need any changes on the new format for the Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run, and certainly that included AJ’S Friday night captains party. With its prime location on Destin Harbor and over a dozen sponsor teams displaying their colorful offshore powerboats out front, over four hundred guests enjoyed first-class hospitality, as AJ’s owner Alan Laird and his team rolled out a giant welcome mat to the Florida Powerboat Club, just as they have for more than two decades. One welcome change was that the

VIP experience returned to this special event, as the upstairs open-air deck was reserved for wristbanded poker run participants, and an extensive selection of amazing food was served in two buffet locations, with plenty of munchies and seating for everyone! Compliments rolled in all night and through the weekend, as our long-time supporters raved about the improvements at the AJ’s party, and we thank everyone there for making it a special night!

FPC Girls: Whitney, Marissa, Brittany, Kayla, Jordan, Jody, Sandy, Andrea, Amber Kayla

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Saturday Poker Run

The 120-mile poker run course remained the ideal length for most poker run teams, and therefore had little changes from previous years.

The course would take teams as far east as Sandestin, where teams would pick up a card from the 92’ Viking yacht “Work of Art”, and as far west as Pensacola Beach, at the Bamboo Willies/Hemingway checkpoint. What was different this year, and thanks to our sponsor Performance Boat Center, is that every team was given lunch passes that could be turned in for lunch at any one of four locations along the course This eliminated over-crowded lunch stops and gave everyone a chance to try out something new. The biggest benefit of the new dates, was the reduced number of beach squatters at popular locations like Juana’s, giving poker run teams easy access to beach their boats and enjoy the stop for a short period…keeping the poker run casual and enjoyable for everyone.

Lance & Paula Panepinto | LA | Team FLYING HIGH | 30' Baja / Mercury 496 HO 2 Pack Habit Crew

Blake Olson | TX | Team 2 PACK HABIT | 35' Cigarette

The safety management program had a strong presence of first responders on the course, and at the end of the day, there was not a single poker run incident! Mission accomplished!

Scott & Monica James | SC | Team SLIPPERY WHEN WET | 35' Fountain / Mercury Racing 525

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P o k e r R u n Te a m S p o t l i g h t:

Te a m B l a c k D i a m o n d

Derek Wachob | OK | Team BLACK DIAMOND | 52' MTI / Mercury Racing 1350

Team Black Diamond is home-based in Destin, and have been great supporters of the Florida Powerboat Club for over a decade. What started as the Z-044 MTI cat, with its Corvette theme and matching Corvette, has evolved into a small fleet of toys which now includes the Black Diamond ZR1 themed 52’ MTI, powered by Mercury Racing twinturbocharged 1550’. Its smaller sister ship, the 34 MTI cat which came into the fleet two years back, is powered by Mercury Racing Verado 400R’s, and team members tell us they love the combo. Of course, the Plan B Cigarette Huntress has always been a staple in the fleet, along with the newly renovated Broward Motoryacht Abigail, which follows along to other FPC poker run events, including Key West. Special thanks to Team Black Diamond and all the crew for their continued attendance at FPC events!

Derek Wachob | OK | Team BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS | 34' MTI / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

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Sponsor

Greg Bent | LA | Team HELL BENT | 45' Nor-Tech / 5-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

HELL BENT Crew

FOUR PLAY Crew Hugh Patroni | FL | Team TOTAL PACKAGE | 36' Yellowfin / 3-Mercury 350

Bill & Evie Dahl | IL | Team NAS-T | 39' Sutphen

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Daryl Turner | TX | Team FOUR PLAY | 50' Nor-Tech

Join the club.

Join the fun.

Five levels of membership to suit your boating lifestyle.

PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP

• Access to all FPC events and parties.

• Powerboating Video. (Dozens of titles to choose.)

• Powerboating in Paradise Magazine subscription.

• Embroidered Club T-shirt in your choice of colors.

• Access to all Membership discount programs.

PLUS:

• Premium Outer Banks club polo shirt. (Ladies tops available.)

• Premium embroidered club hat.

• Additional Powerboating video.

• Venus Swimwear gift voucher. ($75-$100 value.)

PLUS:

Premium Concierge Services • Priority booking status for rooms and dockage on all FPC Events.

• Marina and marine service referrals for your powerboat.

• Nautical assistance to a variety of marine resorts and boating destinations.

• Planning and hotel/slip reservations for your Florida boating weekends.

$479.00/year*

GOLD MEMBERSHIP

COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIP

Membership Includes all of the Standard Membership benefits, PLUS:

Membership Includes:

• Premium Outer Banks Club Polo Shirt. (Ladies tops avail.)

• Premium embroidered club hat.

• Additional Powerboating Video of your choice: • Venus Swimwear gift voucher. ($75-$100 value.) $369.00/year*

STANDARD MEMBERSHIP Membership Includes: • Access to all FPC events and parties.

• Powerboating Video. (Dozens of titles to choose.)

• Powerboating in Paradise Magazine subscription.

• Embroidered Club T-shirt in your choice of colors.

• Access to all Membership discount programs. $259.00/year*

• Discounted rates on FPC Magazine ads • Discounted rates on all web advertising/banner programs.

• Access to all FPC events and parties.

• Listing on our website affiliate section.

Commercial Members also have the opportunity to run promotions and discounts through FPC events. $349.00/year*

SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP Membership Includes:

• Club T-shirt in your choice of colors.

• Powerboating Video of your choice (Dozens to choose.)

• Powerboating in Paradise Magazine subscription.

• Access to FPC parties • Discounted Boat Show tickets. $79.00/year*

*Overseas and international memberships will have a slightly higher rate to compensate for mailing/shipping costs.

TENNESSEE THUNDER Crew

Niceville Fire Rescue: Capt. Tony & Capt. Tommy

Danny & Niki Guy | TN | Team TENNESSEE THUNDER | 37' Active Thunder

David & Lisa Spear | TX | Team DISTANT THUNDER | 40' MTI / Mercury Racing 1350

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Sponsor

A.L. & Kruis Kirkland | FL | Team GLASSTREAM | 36' Glasstream / 3-Mercury Verado 350

Marissa & Whitney 62 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

Robbie Ullah | GA | Team LAKESIDE MARINE | 30' Glasstream / 3-Mercury Verado 300

LUCKY LUCY

Crew

David Hudmon | AL | Team LUCKY LUCY | 43' Everglades

FOUNTAIN Crew

Frankie & Molly Tubbs | AL | Team FOUNTAIN | 38' Fountain / Mercury Racing 500 EFI SMOKE SHOWIN Crew

Larry & Heather Montelaro, Jr. | AL | Team SMOKE SHOWIN | 33' Fountain

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TERRIBLE TWO Crew

Jerry Swanson | MS | Team TERRIBLE TWO | 46' Skater

TERRIBLE Crew

Jim Duff| MS | Team AMG | 41' Cigarette / Mercury Racing 1100

Jerry Swanson | MS | Team TERRIBLE | 46' Skater

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Michael & Jennifer Sobczyk | TX | Team LAGO DIABLO | 35' Formula

FPC was happy to welcome some new checkpoint sponsors to the agenda for 2018, and also introduced a new format, where the east end of the course featured five checkpoints that were open from 10am to 1pm, and three checkpoints at the west end of the course, open from 1PM to 4PM. This system addressed the logistics of the course, which

tradionally sees most boats running the Choctawhatchee Bay area in the morning, before heading west to popular stops like Navarre and Pensacola Beach. One thing was certain at each stop…there was going to be pretty FPC Girl in a bikini…and it’s a great location for taking awesome photos of every crew!

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Dr. Jason Parker | MS | Team MAVERICK | 38' Cigarette / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Lee Jones | LA | Team TWENTY FOUR SEVEN | 27' Baja

Mike Case | IN | Team EXTREME ENERGY | 37' Active Thunder

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Michael & Melissa Fitzpatrick | LA | Team THROWIN-FITZ | 35' Statement / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

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TEAM TWIN THERAPY Crew

Tim & Jamie Manning | FL | Team TWIN THERAPY | 42' Cigarette/ Mercury Racing 575 SCI

NELLI BABY Crew

Gunner Adams | FL | Team NELLI BABY | 35' Wellcraft

SHOCK-N-YALL Crew

Kip & Sarah Patterson | AL | Team SHOCK-N-YALL | 32' Fountain

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GAME ON Crew

Scott Favre | LA | Team GAME ON | 50' Outerlimits / Mercury Racing 1350

BODACIOUS TOO Crew

H. Neil & Cindy Campbell | FL | Team BODACIOUS, TOO | 42' Mystic / 3 Mercury Racing Verado 400R

LA VIE SUCREE' Crew

Brett David | LA | Team LA VIE SUCREE' | 25' Baja

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Ken Armstrong | TX | Team PHANTOM | 48' MTI / Mercury Racing 1075 SCI

PHANTOM Crew

KEEPIN' IT REAL Crew Brian Davis | GA | Team SUPERCHARGED | 35' Fountain / Mercury Racing 525

Jim & Lynne Archambault | GA | Team KEEPIN' IT REAL | 43' Outerlimits

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FLIRTACIOUS Crew

John & Tracy Saucier | LA | Team FLIRTACIOUS | 36' Baja / Mercruiser 496 H0

LEVEL 5 Crew

Tony Ely | SC | Team LEVEL 5 | 39' Cigarette / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Rachelle

Tim Brooks | LA | Team GEAUX SEA | 38' Powerquest

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John Reinhold | FL | Team CIGARETTE | 33' Ocean Hawk / 2-Mercury Verado 300

Roger & Pam Anderson | TX | Team EASY MONEY II | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Verado 350

Juana's- Na var re We all have a special fondness for Juana’s in Navarre, due mostly to its sandy beach, casual vibes, live music and friendly staff. But for the first time in years, poker runners were able to gain easy access to the beach, where they pull the boat up in the soft sand. For the Friday fun run, lunch was sponsored by FPC member Jorge Arellano ( Phantom Boats) and for the Saturday poker run, lunch at Juana’s was sponsored by Performance Boat Center. Of course the summer heat always calls for a little air conditioning, so that’s where many teams retreated to, and it was here that everyone could have their lunch served also. Juana’s has been a fixture on this Emerald Coast event for every year that FPC has attended, and we thank Kevin Rudzki and his staff for all the special attention that is given to making this a great stop on the poker run course.

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Saturday award party at

Keeping its focus on bringing back the VIP experience to participants, FPC arranged the Saturday night bash to be a dual-venue treat, and it was all within the walking distance from the Emerald Grande’s front lobby! The festivities began with a fabulous dinner at Emerald Grande’s exclusive Harborview Ballroom, and was followed up with an evening packed with gaming, fund-raising, and entertainment in the Emerald Grande Ballroom…professionally decorated with a poker run theme by the Emerald Grande catering staff. With local entertainer Ron Adams performing his Elvis Show (and he owns it), along with a silent auction, live auction and eight lovely FPC girls to greet poker runners to play out the poker

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hands, it was an evening of fun and a room full of energy that paid off big for the charities. Special thanks to poker run winner Brad Hancock from Georgia, who not only won the OffleaseOnly Grand Prize Camaro, but then donated the $ 25,000 car back to the charity, and within minutes Ken Armstrong ran the car bidding up to $ 26,000, bringing total charity proceeds to $ 70,000. It was an amazing result for FPC’s new Emerald Coast format, and most participants were convinced that above all, the event was elevated to a VIP experience and remains on their August 2019 poker run agenda!

SJ

Florida Powerboat Club is pleased to announce the 2019 edition of the Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run returns to the Emerald Grande in Destin, as one of the Emerald Coast Powerboat Week 2019 highlights. Dates Aug 14-18, 2019. Registration begins January 2019 at www.flpowerboat.com

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FPC Whitney

Girls

Marissa

Rachelle Sandy & Andrea

Andrea

Sandy

Marissa 76 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

Girls

Amber

Brittany

Marissa

FPC

Girls Rachelle

Broward Trailer Custom High Performance Welded Trailers 800-517-5502 954-491-0223 sales@browardtrailer.net

www.browardtrailer.net

FALL BIMINI BLAST 2018 – “DETOUR TO MARATHON”

Dr. Jason Parker | MS | Team DOC HOLLIDAY | 55'Azimut

SUMMER BOATING CONDITIONS IN SOUTH FLORIDA ARE FAVORABLE FOR CROSSING THE GULFSTREAM TO THE BAHAMAS, BUT AS THE SEASON SEGUES INTO THE FALL, WIND AND SEAS CAN BE UNFRIENDLY. FOR THE FALL BIMINI BLAST, MOTHER NATURE PLAYED A FORCEFUL HAND IN RE-ROUTING ABOUT DOZEN FPC TEAMS ON AN ALTERED COURSE TO THE FLORIDA KEYS. STORY & PHOTOS BY STU JONES

T

here are many out-of-state Florida Powerboat Club members who take their boats home to nearby playgrounds for the summer months, making it difficult for these members to take advantage of the summer islandhopping romps to the Bahamas. That’s why FPC brought back the Fall Bimini Blast to the event calendar, although it was with fingers crossed, due to the likelihood of high winds, rough seas, and unfavorable conditions for a gulfstream crossing. Back in 2016, the outcome was great, as

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AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY: RALPH TURNER

several teams enjoyed three days exploring the local Bimini playgrounds and stayed at an uncrowded Resorts World Bimini Hilton. Then in 2017, Hurricane Irma thwarted the repeat plans, so in 2018 it was time to give it another shot.

Just three days before the planned Sept 28th departure, the NOAA weather report was not favorable….as strong easterlies sealed the deal, with up to 10-foot seas forecast for the Sunday return. It was time for PLAN B.

The Florida Keys were the perfect alternative, and while a couple FPC crews opted to sit-out the adventure, many registered boaters let their weekend-warrior instincts lead the way, and with widespread consensus, about sixty participants in two yachts, four performance boats and six center consoles set their course southbound from Haulover Marine Center. With a helicopter in chase, it was immediately apparent that the right decision had been made, as the fleet bounced frantically in the ocean waters, finding it challenging at the very least to find a comfortable rhythm in the sloppy beam seas and were approaching five foot at just a few hundred feet off the beach. Further offshore and in the open gulfstream waters, surely this would translate to 7-8-foot seas, illustrating beyond any doubt that the Keys detour would prove to be a sound decision.

Greg Tolson | FL | Team ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR | 32'Sunsation / Mercruiser 496 HO

George Fragedis | NY | Team GUN WILD | 46'Cigarette / Mercury 525

With a stop over at Gilberts in Key Largo, thanks to the newly constructed docks, members enjoyed the rustic casual vibe, before continuing the calm scenic waters to Marathon, where Faro Blanco Marina and its Hyatt Place resort on property, was confirmed and ready to welcome the group.

The casual vibe of the weekend and the (open) itinerary led to what may have been the most spontaneous and unplanned outing, as about two thirds of the attendees boarded shuttle vans on Saturday morning and headed to Key West for a marathon-Duval crawl that lasted ten hours. Celebrating his 59th birthday, the writer was proud to have his son Tyler (14) along for the weekend, and thankful to all the FPC members who made this birthday a very special one.

S.J

Frank & Toni Esposito | NJ | Team MYSTIC | 42' Mystic / 4-Mercury Verado 400R

Pat & Diane Haughey | FL | Team ACTIVE THUNDER | 37' Active Thunder / 2-Mercury Verado 300

Sal Olivia | NY | Team X-SCAPE FROM NY | 39' Cigarette / 3-Mercury Verado 300

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Michael & Lori Smith | FL | Team PROBLEM CHILD | 41'Cigarette GTR / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Mark & Eileen Fischer | FL | Team WHERE'S EILEEN | 88'Marlow Ryan & Julie Scharnowske | IN | Team DOUBLE SCHARNY | 37'Midnight Express/ 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

Ron & Dana McLean | FL | Team BLACKWATER | 43' Blackwater / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R

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FROM CONCEPT

to REALIT Y :

M

ost powerboaters would agree that celebrating 25 years of Powerboating in Paradise with the Florida Powerboat Club is an occasion that deserves a little more than a revamped FPC logo and a couple cases of bubbly at the Key West Poker Run. It deserved a very special undertaking that would illustrate just how significant the occasion is, and from my standpoint as the club’s founder, it seemed logical to combine something “old” with something “new”, if it were to be truly outstanding.

In pursuit of that objective, I began to look deep into the club’s early days, where my pursuit of the Florida powerboating lifestyle turned into a vision that eventually became a passion. Soon after the summer of 1991 when

Exterior Design

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I co-organized my first Florida poker run from Sunny Isles Marina with the help of (the late) Larry Goldman, we were soon flying the Florida Powerboat Club flag by early 1993. From those humble beginnings, performance boating enthusiasts from around the globe have joined our events and helped FPC to create a culture that lives and breathes this amazing powerboating lifestyle. A viable performance marine industry has risen from those early days, and two iconic brands …Cigarette Racing Team and Mercury Racing ...have been there every step of the way.

The clever design of colors and exterior graphics on offshore powerboats is an artform that makes every single boat unique and provides that wow-factor that turns heads everywhere it goes. Thomas Kulesia II from NO COAST DESIGN in Ohio was selected for the exterior designs, and he was able to provide endless design renderings at very reasonable pricing. FPC required a relatively simple design that provided open space on boat sides of the boat for sponsor decals, which could be changed frequently as the boat toured various poker run events.

Contact sales@nocoastdesign.com

Building a performance boat that could serve as a reliable modern-day FPC paceboat and yet somehow punctuate the past, seemed like the right approach, and the Project 1080 Cigarette Top Gun was the solution.

One of Florida Powerboat Club’s first members was a German businessman who owned a 1993 Cigarette Top Gun, which became the club’s official paceboat for dozens of FPC poker runs. A year later, the founder of Venus Swimwear purchased a similar 1994 Top Gun, and eventually this boat would take the same roll for the next few years. These Mercruiser-powered straight bottoms 38 Top Guns were great rough-water boats, and became a dominant force around FPC in the 90’s. Even with modern day innovations that have transformed this model to a step-bottom hull, the popularity of the 38 Top Gun has stood the test of time.

Project 1080 started with a classic non-step twenty-yearold Cigarette, and by Spring of 2018, Mercury Racing executives agreed that this would be a great project to partner with FPC on. Twin Mercury Racing 540 Stern Drive power with Bravo/ITS drives, seemed like the perfect match, (Hence Project 1080 HP) as these highly-advanced EFI motors would replace the original carbureted Mercruiser 540 cubic inch 500 Bulldogs, a motor which was highly touted as a reliable powerplant back in its heyday two decades ago. The 2000 model year hull was soon stripped of all its original paint and hardware, and as more parts were removed…. the Project 1080 repower plans, were modified to include a full-on

bow to stern facelift. It would now be classified as a restoration… with modification. To borrow a popular buzz-word from the collector car world, Project 1080 was officially dubbed, resto-mod, albeit a nautical version.

The remaining pages of this editorial documents the various stages of Project 1080HP, which officially began in Spring 2018, when Performance Marine Trading of Fort Lauderdale removed the engines and drives. The boat was relocated to FPC headquarters in Pompano Beach, and that’s where the fun began, as every interior part from the cabin and cockpit was dismantled, and we soon realized we were a little deeper that we first envisioned. From there, further dismantling and de-rigging was performed

by Dark Force Marine in Pompano Beach, which is where the custom paint was later completed, with fabulous results. Of course there were many other stops and a lot of logistics along the way, as the hands of dozens of creative craftsman and skilled technicians, have played a part in this exciting resto-mod project. By the time these words are read in the pages of Powerboating in Paradise Magazine, Project 1080 will be featured at the Cigarette Racing display, alongside a 188th St. classic, the first 1972 20’ Cigarette ever built.

We hope that the Project 1080 inspires you, and perhaps motivates some of our readers and powerboat enthusiasts to take on their own version of the Project 1080…. because this is truly a rewarding experience in so many ways! SJ

Cock pit & Ca bin Inte rior: F in elin e / Ciga ret te The original plan for the Project 1080HP cockpit and cabin interior, was a relatively simple makeover, using existing seats, bolsters and side combing panels. But as the interior was disassembled for the project, it appeared that the condition of the vinyl in the cockpit, and the presence of mildew and odors in the forward cabin, forced a complete removal of all soft goods. Mike Mears and his team from Fine Line Interiors in Hollywood, FL came to the rescue with an extensive resume of creating new

Cigarette interiors and a long list of Cigarette restoration projects over the years. Mike provided a master-plan that included a complete rebuilding of the rear seat, bolsters, and side panels, bringing the twenty-year old Top Gun to factory-spec resembling modern-day Cigarette models, with special thanks to Skip Braver at Cigarette Racing for providing the factory’s custom embroidery department to stitch the iconic brand logo into the finished product.

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 83

Engines & Rigging: Mercury Racing / Performance Marine Trading It’s no secret that Mercury Racing leads the performance marine industry with recreational and racing products that are powerful and efficient.

After careful review with the Mercury Racing team, we selected the 540 Sterndrive engine package with Bravo XR ITS upgrade, which would provide reliable fuel-efficient propulsion and two-year warranty.

Rigging and installation of any Mercury Racing products requires a Mercury-authorized installer, and Pat Sullivan’s team at Performance Marine Trading were the perfect choice. Ten years earlier, PMT managed the service and repairs for FPC’s Nor-Tech 3900 Supervee, King of Clubs, which was powered by Mercury Racing 700SCis.

In addition to engine and drive installation on the 38 Cigarette, PMT would oversee a complete refit of all instruments, controls, lighting and accessories…. with all work performed at there massive service center in Fort Lauderdale.

Paint & Graphics: Dark Force Marine The paint makeover project was overseen by two very talented fiberglass & paint specialists at Dark Force Marine in Pompano Beach. Tony SanMarco and Jason Boegel had been involved in various projects with Stu Jones over the years, so their extensive resume made them the right choice for the job.

84 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

This labor intensive and equally creative project involved extensive stripping of all old paint and hardware, before they could even begin with primer and several layers of Awlgrip paint. With their shop being only a mile from FPC headquarters, we were able to stay abreast of the project through the various steps, and we urge everyone to see the video which documents the entire process, at our YouTube channel (Florida Powerboat Club).

OU T A SK A B W OUR NE T E R POS E T I C U L P RIN T S

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Custom Features & Accessories: A Team of Marine Industry Partners

Livorsi Marine played a major role in replacing a majority of the instruments and digital gauges for the new helm, which above all, helped to retain the sporty retro- look of the 90’s. Mercury Racing’s VesselView 703 would monitor all engine and vessel data, while Superior Communications Inc provided two new Garmin 7612 GPS chartplotters for both passenger and driver, along with a new ICOM M422 VHF radio with CommondMicII at the helm. Tecnografik of Fort Lauderdale created new carbon-fiber look dash panels for both port and starboard side, which were adapted to the flat surfaces of modified dash pods, a project also overseen by Dark Force Marine. Other refits included a completely new aluminum swim platform created by Custom Pipe Design in Hollywood, and an extensive array of Bluefin underwater and cockpit LED lighting was supplied by Apex LED Lighting in Pompano Beach. Dressing the deck, cockpit, engine hatch and swim platform, Bulltetproof Decking applied diamond-patterned MarineMat flooring throughout.

A Masterpiece is Unveiled: Project 1080HP -Key West 2018!

In late spring 2018, when FPC engaged in the Project 1080HP with Mercury Racing, the complete refit was mapped out for about a four-month project to completion. Of course, these custom refit projects involve dozens of people, countless parts and supplies, and above all…careful planning. At the four-month mark, FPC managed to get Project 1080HP to Destin for the Emerald Coast Poker Run, where thousands of powerboat enthusiasts saw the boat for the first time, in its

trailer-mode! Soon afterwards, Cigarette Racing Team’s Skip Braver requested that Project 1080HP make its South Florida Debut, in the Cigarette factory display at the Key West Poker Run Village, alongside the first Cigarette ever built in 1972.

The Project 1080HP story continues….as the FPC-Mercury Racing partnership goes on an unprecedented national poker run tour in 2019!

Project 1080HP photos and news stories are fully documented on YouTube channels: Mercury Racing and Florida Powerboat Club ; on the FPC website at: www.flpowerboat.com ; in social media on the Florida Powerboat Club page ; Instagram @flpowerboat @stufpc and in the pages of Powerboating in Paradise Magazine.

86 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

MEET THE PLAYERS POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 87

Tom Abraham............................. NY 42’ MTI..............................................MTI

David Burg.................................. TX 43’ Midnight Express .MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

Asbjorn & Abe Abrahamsen......... FL 52’ MTI.....................................TEAM RIVA

Meghan & Pierre Brousseau........ ON 40’ Nor-Tech............. CENTRAL TIME ZONE

Roger & Pam Anderson............... TX 39’ Nor-Tech.....................EASY MONEY II

Justin Bultsma............................ MI 38’ Powerquest.............. ALMOST ILLEGAL

Ray Aquit.................................... FL 39’ Deep Impact..................HAMMERTIME

Jeff Campbell.............................. TX 45’ Nor-Tech....................Nor-Tech 450CC

Jim & Lynne Archambault............ GA 43’ Outerlimits.................KEEPIN' IT REAL

H. Neil & Cindy Campbell............ FL 42’ Mystic..................... BODACIOUS, TOO

Jorge & Ann Arellano.................. FL 36’ Sunsation................... SUNSATION 36

Michael Carravetta...................... ON 39’ Nor-Tech........................ BIG BRUISER

Ken Armstrong............................ TX 48’ MTI.................................... PHANTOM

Joseph Castellana....................... NY 38’ Skater.........AWESOME MOTORSPORTS

Eric Avila..................SPONSOR.....FL 39' Concept..................... CONCEPT BOATS

Deris Ceresa................................ FL 38’ Donzi.......................................DONZI

Stephen Barker........................... NY 43’ Nor-Tech...................FOR MY GIRLS II

Allen Chase................................. NY 38’ Hustler....................... CHASE-IN-RAYS

Tom Beagle................................. MI 36’ Sunsation..........................BAR-NONE

John Chrysler.............................. FL 47’ Fountain...................DIXIE NORMOUS

Joel Begin................................... FL 40’ Sunsation..................CANADIAN GIRL

Patrick & Lamya Clarke............... NY 35’ Donzi.................................LOOK OUT

Howard & Amie Beindit............... MI 41’ Apache.................................TATONKA

Chris Cox..................................... NY 50’ Mystic Turbine.................MYSTIC C50

Richard Bennett.......................... SC 57' MTI................................... INCOGNITO

Darryl Cuttell.............................. TN 42’ Mystic...................................DARANA

Jerry & Charmaine Bennish......... MI 34' Nor-Tech....................... ROCK N ROLL

J.W. Davis................................... VA 42' Statement............................ULTIMATE

Greg Bent................................... LA 45’ Nor-Tech............................HELL BENT

Elias Delatorre III SPONSOR.........FL 65’ HCB CENTER CONSOLE YACHTS

Anthony Bertozzi......................... VA 38’ Cigarette.................... SMOKING HOTT

Elias Delatorre III .........FL 46’ Skater.................................... SKATER

Paul Bertucci............................... MS 39’ Deep Impact......... BEER MONEY TOO!

Greg & Stephanie DelMonte ....... NJ 44’ Outerlimits.............HARD TO HANDLE

Laurant Besnier........................... FR 32’ Doug Wright............. GROS COCHONS

Tom & Stacy Derner .................... MA 39’ Outerlimits.................OUTA-MY-MIND

Carston Bohlebke........................ GE 36’ Nor-tech............................. GERMANY

Dan Desantis .............................. MA 38’ Skater....................MCLAREN BOSTON

Matt Borcina............................... NY 36’ Wright Performance............. LOW SEA

Tony Dewaal/Don Doty .............. MI 40’ Skater................................DOUBLE D

Chris & Angela Bradley............... TX 38’ Skater..............................RAINMAKER

Mike & Connie Dillon.................. TX 38’ Statement...................... NAUTI HABIT

Jim Bradley................................. TX 39’ Nor-Tech....................ROAD WARRIOR

Don Doty.................................... MI 42’ Skater............................. 1YR SKATER

David Branton............................. LA 40’ Invincible..........................MUFFUKKA

Wraith & Lisa Drake.................... FL 34’ Sunsation.....................SUNSATION II

David & Lee Ann Branton............ LA 38’ Skater................................. VOO DOO

Greg Dutka................................. MD 32’ Sunsation............................... KEKOA

Skip Braver.........SPONSOR..........FL 41' Cigarette....... CIGARETTE RACING TEAM

Doug & Sheri Falcone.................. NJ 42’ Mystic..................MARINE UNLIMITED

Joseph & Karen Bresnahan.......... NH 39’ Cigarette......................TIME'S MONEY

Mark & Eileen Fischer SPONSOR...FL 39’ Deep Impact..................DEEP IMPACT

Pierre & Meghan Brousseau........ ON 39’ Nor-Tech.......................THE STOOGES

Mark & Eileen Fischer SPONSOR...FL 43’ Blackwater.....................BLACKWATER

Justin Bultsma............................ MI 38’ Powerquest.............. ALMOST ILLEGAL

Andre Flottman........................... FL 39’ Nor-Tech............................ NOR-TECH

88 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

Brian & Danni Forehand.............. NC 38’ Fountain............. BFORE U- FOUNTAIN

Jeff & Brenda Jacobs ................. WA 36 Cigarette’......................... WE'RE BACK

Todd Fountain............................. MI 46’ Skater................................... TOMCAT

Frank Sr & Frank Jr Jannucci....... NJ 39’ Cigarette........................ FUNDSALOW

Kyle Fowler................................. GA 35’ Fountain...........................BAD A$$ET

Stu & Jackie Jones...................... FL 38' Cigarette.. PROJECT 1080- FULL HOUSE

Curtis Francois............................ MO 43’ Midnight Express.........GATEWAY MSP

Joe Kinser................................... GA 47’ Apache............... NEGATIVE REACTION

Ed & Surey Garcia....................... FL 41’ Apache..................................APACHE

Daren Kittredge.......................... AR 36’ Wright Performance........LITTLE WING

Carlos Garcia............................... FL 42’Cigarette........................................C42

Dan Kleitz...................................RI 44’ Outerlimits....................OUTERLIMITS

Matt Garland & Kenny Schomp.... KY 40’ Skater...........................DOWNTOWN1

Kevin & Oksana Kline.................. CO 43’ Donzi........................................KLINE

Joe & Nikole Gilstorf................... MI 42’ MTI............................. BEST OF TIMES

Tom Klocker................................ OH 42’ Cigarette.................................NO ETA

Eric & Maggie Glaser SPONSOR....FL 43’ Midnight Express.MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

Kelly and Anna Kraiss................. AZ 36’ Skater................................... TOP CAT

Josh Golder................................. FL 45’ Nor-Tech.......................... KING BENJI

David Kramer.............................. NJ 38’ Fountain........................... NAUTI LIST

David Gordon.............................. FL 39’ Nor-Tech...................... MISS TREATED

Bob & Charlene Ladas................. MA 42’ MTI........................................... MTI-V

Steve Gordon.............................. MI 46’ Skater........................... DEAL WITH IT

Justin Lamm............................... MA 40’ MTI..............................................MTI

Tom Gourzis................................ PA 42’ Cigarette....................................OPA!

David & Jenny Landsman............ MD 44’Mystic....................... BREAKIN' BALLS

Chris & Jennifer Grant................. ON 42’ Fountain......................... PAIN RELIEF

Shawn & Christin Lather.............. SC 42’ MTI..............................................MTI

Bill Grigo.................................... NY 35’ Fountain.....................ADJOURNMENT

David Lavie................................. LA 38’Statement......................... REEL ESCAPE

Ray & Kristine Gremaux.............. NY 42’ Mystic................................BIG SHOT!

James E. Lee............................... KS 72’ Hatteras........................... CHRISTINA

Dr Ino Halegua........................... FL 38’ Cigarette.............. GREECE LIGHTNING

James Lee................................... KS 46’ Skater......................DOUBLE TAKE 46

Eskil Hansen............................... NO 56' Nor-Tech..............................NO LIMIT

Don & Alice Lightfoot.................. TX 52’ Nor-Tech.................. FOOTLOOSE TOO

Jimmie Harrison.......................... FL 39’ Nor-Tech.......................FJ PROPELLER

Alan Lima.................SPONSOR FL 51' Pershing...... GROVE HARBOUR MARINA

Tim Hasse................................... FL 60' Sea Ray.................................. SEARAY

Robert Lockyer............................ FL 32’ Skater.................................... SKATER

Chad Havens............................... TX 40’ Skater.....................................SAVAGE

Frank Lovato............................... FL 38’ Cigarette...........................NO XCUSES

Mark Headley............................. OH 42’ Fountain.................MAIDEN AMERICA

Cody & Veronica Lovins............... TX 45’ Nor-Tech................ SPECIAL PURPOSE

Slug Hefner................................. OH 38’ Mystic Cat.......................DIRTY DUCK

Rick Mackie..............SPONSOR ... ..............................MERCURY RACING

Barry Henson.............................. TN 43’ Nor-Tech............................. NOR-TECH

Michael Maggio........................... IL 46’ Cigarette................................ DRIVEN

Anton Holstrom........................... FL 33’ Powerplay.......................... SEAPHORIA

Brett Manire SPONSOR................ MO 40’ Sunsation... PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER

Don House.................................. KY 36’ Cigarette...................... HOUSE PARTY

Francis Marfyak.......................... CT 35’ Formula............................YEAH BABY

Chet & Cindy Huffman................ CA 43’ Fountain...........................STILL NUTZ

Henrik Margard......SPONSOR FL 39" Nor-Tech............................ NOR-TECH

Andy Imhof................................. MD 38 Cigarette..............................TOP GUN

Bryan & Megan Martin................ MD 34’ Nor-Tech......................COSMIC OASIS

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 89

Chris Mastronardi........................ ON 48’ MTI..............................COSMIC OASIS

Ron & Deonee Paul..................... IL 42’ Fountain........................ STROKE THIS

Eric & Ashley Matzen................... NY 28' Skater........................... PIPE DREAMS

Bruno & Rebecca Perree.............. FL 39’ Outerlimits.....................MEGAWATTS

Michael & Neveda McClallen ....... IL 37’ Active Thunder. COLD ONE CONFESSIONS

Loren Peters................................ MO 40’ MTI.................................. WIDE OPEN

Danny Merrell ............................ GA 50’ Hann....... IT'S A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME

Phil & Danielle Piccinin............... CA 36’ Skater......................................... 368

Brian Metcalf ............................ CA 36’ Apache............................RAINDANCE

Josh & Terri Anne Pierce.............. KS 42’ Fountain....................... THE ANIMALS

Steven Mezynieski....................... NY 34' Nor-Tech............................. NOR-TECH

Scott Pollio.................................. NJ 35’ Cigarette.................. TROUBLE MAKER

Matt & Marisue Migliazzo .......... KS 38’ Donzi.................. LAUNDERED MONEY

Bud & Binna Porter..................... IL 39’ Cigarette......................... RELENTLESS

Rick & Charolene Milstead........... AL 36’ Nor-Tech.CAT GOTCHA TONGUE Rick &

David Postill................................ MI 66’ Azimut....................................OHANA

Shawn & Sieglinde Moe............... NV 34’ MTI.................................MOE POWER

Scott Price SPONSOR.........FL

Billie Moore........SPONSOR..........NC 32' Fountain.......FOUNTAIN POWERBOATS

Ed & Jacquie Rachel.................... FL 39’ Nor-Tech.......................... WIDE OPEN

Shane & Amiee Mulkey............... LA 44’ Skater............................ FAST MONEY

Robert & Jackie Rauch................. FL 43’Blackwater........................DEEP IMPACT

Gary & Jen Nelson...................... FL 30’ Skater....................................STREGA

Mat & Ann Marie Raymond......... NC 48’ Fountain......................... MISS GRACE

Jesse & Stephanie Neumann....... MN 39’ Nor-Tech......................... NO AGENDA

Fred & Judy Reavis...................... SC 48’ MTI..............................................MTI

Al & Christy Newell...................... KY 38’ Donzi..........................BLOWN ASSETS

Travis Reed ................................ MO 36 Skater.............................. GET LICKED

Jake and Gina Nossaman............ OK 48’ MTI.................................... WIRED UP

Tom & Rachel Regan....................TX 36' Nor-Tech...............................ELEANOR

John O’Loughlin.......................... NY 48’ MTI.................................... VENGEFUL

Beau and Tiffiney Renfroe........... GA 36’ Skater.......................... DIRTY MONEY

John O’Loughlin.......................... NY 34’ MTI..........................LITTLE VENGEFUL

Ron Roman Ricucci ..................... NJ 47’ Outerlimits........................ PURE EVIL

Sal Olivia.................................... NY 42’ Cigarette..................X-SCAPE from NY

Forrest Riddle ............................ VA 43’ Nor-tech.............................LIKE GUMP

Chris & Jen Owens....................... CA 38’ Mystic............................. RELENTLESS

Rick Riggle.................................. OH 39’ Nor-Tech...................... ROOSTER TAIL

Mark Palanchian SPONSOR..........FL 105’ Yacht. NEXTERA ENERGY POWER MKTG

Garry & Nancy Robertson............ ME 52’ Nor-Tech.......................MY DIAMOND

Jeremy Parker............................. NC 32’ Spectre...........PARKERS DISTRIBUTION

Andrew Rocco.............................. NH 39’ Midnight Express.....TIME CONSCIOUS

Dr. Jason Parker.......................... FL 32’ Deep Impact........................ MAVERIC

Keith & Karen Rockman.............. FL 3 4’ Sunsation......................... SUNSATION

Donald Patterson........................ FL 38’ Fountain..................... LETS HOOK UP

Jonathan Rooks.......................... MI 51’ Galeon.........................WANDERLUST

90 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

................................HARDIN MARINE

Scott & Stacy Rosenbach.............. IL 41’ Cigarette..........................SUM BEACH

Paddy Sullivan............................ MD 38’ DONZI..............................CODE BLUE

David Rudiger............................. OH 42’ Mystic.............................. TEAM OHIO

Richard Szesnat........................... NY 50’ Outerlimits..........POOR DIRT FARMER

Martin Rusin SPONSOR NC 41’ Donzi............................DONZI MARINE

Klaus & Martha Takkula ............ 44’ Predator...........................PREDATOR 447

Chris Ryder................................. NY 36’ Skater............... CRISIS MANAGEMENT

David Tievy SPONSOR................ MD 48 Fountain......................... SPEC OPS IV

David Sacher............................... IL 36’ Deep Impact............................LEO IV

Mark & Nancy Tuck..................... VA 39’ Fountain......................PROVOCATIVE

Christopher Sadow...................... CT 34’ Nor-tech..............................NICHALSA

Daryl Turner............................... TX 46’Cigarette..........................RUMRUNNER

Marcus & Danielle Sangiuliano.... NJ 42’ Fountain.............................ANDIAMO

Ramon & Katia Vera..SPONSOR...FL 30’Scarab.......BULLETPROFF CUSTOM DECKING

Mike & Maggie Sanz................... FL 29’ DCB.................................QUICKSANZ

Don Verkuylen............................ FL 52’ MTI..............................SUPER VELOCE

Chris Savits................................. FL 42’ Hydrasport...............................A.D.D

Jack Villars....................Switzerland 44’ MTI............................................. JACK

Joe Schaldenbrand SPONSOR MI 34 Sunsation................ SUNSATION BOATS

Derek Wachob............................. OK 52’ MTI..........................BLACK DIAMOND

Ryan & Julie Scharnowske........... IN 37’ Midnight Express... DOUBLE SCHARNY

Derek Wachob............................. OK 34’ MTI.......................DIAMOND EXPRESS

Kenny Schomp/Matt Garland...... FL 42’ Mystic.............................DOWNTOWN

Jeff & Rebecca Walters .............. IA 33’ Renegade....................... CHASIN TAIL

Mark & Jennifer Schouten ......... AZ 43’ MTI........................... EL GATO PATRON

Curtis Watkins............................. FL 45’ Nor-Tech........................EVIL WOMAN

Jim Schultz........SPONSOR........... IL 51’ Outerlimits................FACTORY BILLET

Kyle Weese................................. OK 42’ Fountain.......................SPLITTIN 10’$

Tonka Simpson..........................BER 38’ Fountain.............. DRINKIN FOUNTAIN

Kevin & Melissa Welch ............... MA 35’ Cigarette........................HEAT HER UP

Jimmy & Gina Smith................... CA 42’ Mystic......................... TT CRESCENDO

David & Nicole Weschler.............. PA 52’ Outerlimits........................DIGGIN' IT

Michael & Lori Smith................... CA 41’ Cigarette................... PROBLEM CHILD

Elliot & Erica Wiczer.................... IL 41’ Cigarette..................... LOONEY TUNE

Robert Smulski .......................... FL 38’ Nor-Tech...............CASSIDY GRAPHICS

Matt Willson................................ GA 32’ Sea Fox.....DOMESTICATED NOT REALLY

Luis Sotero.................................. DE 38’ Donzi............................ PARTY OF 3'S

Simon Williams........................... FL 39’ Deep Impact.........SUNCOAST MARINE

Noel & Gretchen Speranza.......... FL 44’ Concept............................RETAINAGE

John & Tracy Wittenberger.......... NJ 36’ Sonic.......................... ON THE ROCKS

Ladd Spring................................ LA 39’ Nor-Tech...........................MY 3 BOYS

John Wittenberger....................... NJ 30’ Spectre........................BAD DECISION

John & Suzanne Stella................ NY 38’ Statement!............................SEND IT

John Woodruff............................ GA 48' MTI ...................................WINDSHIP

Mark Stoddart............................. ON 48’ MTI..............................................MTI

Dustin Zumo............................... OK 38’ Cigarette..............NAUTI ASSESSMENT

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 91

Special Thanks to our BLACKWATER BOATS Blackwater Boats: 43 Blackwater at Conch Rep sponsor dock.

855-476-1405 blackwaterboats.com Cigarette Racing: Rare 20’ first-built 1972 Cigarette alongside FPC Project 1080HP Cigarette Top Gun 305-931-4564 cigaretteracing.com

Conch Rep Seafood Co.: Key West Poker Run headquarters since 1999. (Celebrating 20 years with FPC)

BROWARD TRAILER

Opa-locka, FL

Hialeah, FL Broward Trailer : Custom marine trailer manufacturer.: 10x10 booth in Poker Run Village 800-517-5502 browardtrailer.net

CIGARETTE RACING MIAMI,FL

OPA LOCKA,FL

B OAT S

MIAMI,FL

Concept Boats: Concept 39’ Center Console on display in the Poker Run Village.

305-635-8712 conceptboats.com

CONCH REP SEAFOOD CO KEY WEST, FL

305-294-4403 conchrepublicseafood.com

Donzi Marine: DONZI MARINE Donzi 41' GT at Washington, NC Sponsor Dock, and 10x10 tent in the Poker Run Village 352-529-7643 donzimarine.com

Grove Harbour GROVE HARBOUR MARINA Marina Official Coconut Grove, FL staging/launching marina for Key West Poker Run, and first card checkpoint.

Sponsoring breakfast for FPC members on both departure days.

305-854-6444 groveharbourmarina.com

FAST LANE TRAVEL Clearwater, FL

Fast Lane Travel Organizers for FPC’s 4th Annual Europe Poker Run to Tuscany Italy – May 2-13, 2019 –See ad in FPC magazine page 9.

813-343-3001 fastlanetravel.com HCB Center Console HCB CENTER CONSOLE YACHTS Yachts New HCB Islamorada, FL Estrella 65’ world’s largest center console at the Conch Rep Sponsor dock. You won’t miss it!

800-635-3186 hcbyachts.com Haulover Marine Center HAULOVER MARINE CENTER HCM is an Official Poker Miami, FL Run staging/launching location and will have a 10x10 display at the Poker Run Village.

305-945-3934 haulovermarinecenter.net

92 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

Deep Impact: Two Deep Impact 399’s on display Conch Rep Sponsor dock…

New Deep Impact 369 in Poker Run Village 855-491-9904 deepimpactboats.com

Greenlife Lithium Batteries: 3rd Place Prize Sponsor with two Greenlife Lithium Batteries. 10x10 Booth in Poker Run Village 888-522-2883 greenlifebattery.com

DEEPIMPACT BOATS Opa-locka, FL

GREENLIFE LITHIUM BATTERY Tampa, FL

Factory Billet HighFACTORY BILLET technology performance Lake Zurich, IL engines that run on bio-fuel.

See Factory Billet 51’ Outerlimits at Conch Rep Sponsor dock.

847-847-3770 factorybillet.com

Fountain Powerboats FOUNTAIN BOATS See the all-new Washington, NC Fountain 32 the Conch Rep Sponsor dock, or visit their 10x10 apparel tent in Poker Run Village 252-975-2000 fountainpowerboats.com

HARDIN MARINE The Hardin Marine mobile parts display rig will be on display at the Key West Poker Run Village.

386-445-2500 hardin-marine.com Marine Unlimited Dealers for Mystic Powerboats and quality pre-owned performance boats. Will display new Mystic 4200 Center Console at the Conch Rep Sponsor dock.

732-255-6154 teammarineunlimited.com

Palm Coast, FL

MARINE UNLIMITED Toms River, NJ

MERCURY RACING

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

Fond-du-Lac, WI

Mercury Racing Presenting sponsor for the 26th Key West Poker Run and engine partner in the FPC Project 1080HP Cigarette Paceboat. Fully staffed mobile display rig at the Key West Poker Run Village 920-929-5040 mercuryracing.com

NextEra Energy Power Marketing- is the largest utility company in the world, proudly based in the United States. The Thursday yacht Bonus card checkpoint is sponsored by Nextera.

561-691-7171 nexteraenergyresources.com

Midnight Express builders of custom center console powerboats with a new 43’Open on display at the Conch Rep Sponsor dock.

954-745-8284 midnightboats.com

NEXTERA ENERGY POWER MARKETING N Palm Beach, FL

OFFLEASEONLY.COM OffleaseOnly is a Miami-Fort Lauderdalenationally recognized West Palm Beach-Orlando used car dealership with five Florida locations and global customer base, with an average of 6,000 quality pre-owned vehicles in stock. OffLeaseOnly has donated a 2018 Chevy Silverado Pickup at Grand Prize for the poker run, or $ 25,000 equivalent voucher towards winner’s choice of any OffleaseOnly vehicle in stock.

855-975-7950 offleaseonly.com Performance Boat PERFORMANCE BOAT Center-PBC returns CENTER to the Key West Osage Beach, MO Poker Run with the all-new Sunsation 40 CCX at the Sponsor dock, along with a Sunsation 32CCX and Wright Performance 36’ Cat in the Poker Run Village.

A full line of souvenir merchandise is offered at their apparel trailer in the Poker Run village.

573-873-2300 performanceboatcenter.com

Sunsation returns to the Key West Poker Run with their newest and most exciting model ever, the all-new 40’ CCX, powered by triple Mercury Verado 400R’s. See this boat at the Conch Rep Sponsor dock.

810-794-4888 sunsationboats.com

VisitFlorida – is Florida’s tourism marketing arm, responsible to promoting the Sunshine State to a Global audience, and for overseeing a grant program for leading event producers in Florida.

FPC has maintained a marketing membership with Visitflorida for several years.

877-435-2872 www.visitflorida.org

Miami, FL

SUNSATION POWERBOATS Algonac, MI

VISIT FLORIDA Tallahassee,FL

NOR-TECH HI PERFORMANCE BOATS Nor-tech Hi Performance Boats North Fort Myers, FL Nor-tech is a has been a leading performance boat manufacturer in Florida for nearly three decades. See their new 450CC on display at the Conch Rep Sponsor dock, and a new 39CC at the Poker Run Village.

239-567-5030 nor-techboats.com Outerlimits powerboats OUTERLIMITS POWERBOATS Bristol, RL manufacturers performance vee and catamarans that excel in performance and styling. See the new 44’ Outerlimits on display at the Conch Rep Sponsor Dock, and visit their apparel tent in the Key West Poker Run Village 461-253-7300 outerlimitspowerboats.com

REEF RELIEF Key West, FL Reef Relief is a 501(c) 3 organization that is committed to conservation of our oceans and delicate reef eco-system, creating educational programs and experiences for individuals of all ages.

305-294-3100 reefrelief.org

SCI-SUPERIOR

COMMUNICATIONS SCI is a leading distributor of navigation and Rockville, MD communication electronics to government, industry and end-consumers. SCI once again has donated Key West prizes and is a major partner in the Project 1080HP Cigarette Top Gun, supplying top-of-the-line Garmin Chartplotter and Icom Marine radio equipment to the project.

301 -762-7878 scicommo.com

INC.

WILSON CUSTOM MARINE Stuart, FL

Wilson Custom Marine- is a leading consultant to powerboating enthusiasts and offshore racers seeking maximum performance through advance propulsion engineering and tuning. New projects also include the use of carbon fiber technology with a vast number of applications. Visit them at their Key West Poker Run village display.

772-287-8755 wilsoncustommarine.com

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 93

THURSDAY 3pm – 10pm 6pm-9pm

KEY WEST POKER RUN 2018

WEEKEND

SCHEDULE

PRESENTED BY MERCURY RACING

Subject to changes during event! Be sure to register your cell number with FPC office to be included in text updates! 954.545.1414

94 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

9pm-10pm

FRIDAY

ALL DAY 10:00am 3:30 pm

11/08 Key West Poker Run Village Welcome Party Conch Republic Seafood Co | 631 Greene Street Ldies Body Painting- Poker run crews welcome to participate Poker Run Village - Conch Republic Seafood Co Body Paint Contest 1st- 2nd & 3rd Place Win cash prizes Poker Run Village - Main Stage-Seeking judges!

11/09 Key West Poker Run Village 631 Greene Street Powerboat races- Key West Harbor Check schedules harbor closures Poker Run Sponsor Appreciation Awards & Bikini Show Sponsors please be present to accept Poker Run Village: 631 Greene Street

6pm -9pm

SATURDAY ALL DAY

10am – 10pm

11/10 Poker Run Village – No Saturday boat races!

Conch Republic Seafood Co | 631 Greene Street

Re-shoots for missed boats & Factory sponsored aerial photo shoots Shooting South Side of Key West near Airport Key West Harbor Offshore near Woman Key Fun Run & Raft Up Party Directions on map in Captains Kit

11am- 2pm

Noon- 4pm

Alternate rafting locations may be determined according to weather & wind conditions – see FPC map and be prepared to receive text to confirm or change location 6:30pm

8:00pm 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Poker Run winners will be announced and prizes awarded!!

10: 00pm

SUNDAY

8am-9am 10am-4pm

MONDAY 9:00am and 10am

Poker Run dinner party- 1st seating Sponsors have reserved tables.

Conch Republic Seafood Co | Bring your dinner tickets and Bonus Cards!

Poker Run dinner party – 2nd seating Conch Republic Seafood Co | Bring your dinner tickets and Bonus Cards!

Play your poker cards! Win Prizes!

Conch Republic Seafood Co | WIN $32,000 Truck! $10K Motorcycle $4K Garmin!

11/11 Early departure boats leave Key West Exit Marina before harbor closing!

FINAL ROUND- OFF SHORE POWERBOAT RACES Check schedules Harbor closures

11/12 Key West departures.

Marathon or Key Largo lunch Stops on route home.

Three racing Go-Karts great family starter kit -Arrow Chassis with Rotax 125cc DD2 disc brakes, XL seat for Dad...(up to 250 lb) -Brand new TonyKart Junior Class Rotax 125cc ( 3 hours total run time- never raced) -Ideal for 10-16yr old.

-Birel Cadet Rotax 125cc Mini Max with parts for MicroMax de-tune. (8-12 yrs ideal) Go racing or just do track days with the kids!

3 Stands included: Brand new Streeter electric self-loading stand/ folding Streeter and double stacker for transport! Race suits/helmets/Parts galore and assorted kart tools included!

Approx $25K invested will sell the lot for

first $12,500!

Great family bonding sport!

954-684-9333 Pompano Beach FL

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 95

NEW ARRIVAL !

READY FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE! AFFORDING THE PLEASURE OF LUXURY HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER THAN WITH FPC’S FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP CLUB. Please welcome our newest entry to the Florida Fractional Club lineup, a luxurious 55’ Azimut Flybridge Motoryacht powered by Caterpillar diesels, with three-staterooms, an elegant salon for entertaining, and a spacious flybridge for enjoying the Florida sunshine!

The best part of this new offering….the LOW price of ownership and very low monthly maintenance, with a SIXTY-DAY f lexible use agreement that gives you endless cruising opportunities, and gives you the chance to have this beautiful yacht as your floating condo for your next FPC poker run event!

KEY BENEFITS OF THIS FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP PROGRAM: • Low buy-in and low monthly maintenance costs • Home-port at first class marina at Hillsboro Inlet- On the doorstep to ocean access and excellent local dinner cruising.

• Easy to drive for most experienced boaters. Captain and mate available all times at low cost.

• Limited number of owners to (4) – keeps boat operating without overuse.

• 60-days annual use with flexible scheduling and longer periods available • Ownership cycle (3) years with asset liquidation and shared proceeds • Insurance, slip fees, weekly top and bottom cleaning, included in low maintenance fees.

• Personal belongings, bedding and soft goods removed and stored for each owner after use.

• Limited chartering options may be considered to offset operating costs.

C O N TA C T: S T U J O N E S | S T U @ F L P O W E R B O AT. C O M | P H : 9 5 4 . 6 8 4 . 9 3 3 3 96 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

55' AZIMUT FLYBRIDGE MOTORYACHT * This 55 Azimut is not owned by Florida Fractional Club and may be substituted with another similar yacht for the fractional program advertised here.

2006 AZIMUT FLYBRIDGE MOTORYACHT: $150,000 quarter share/ 4 owners

$1995 monthly maintenance includes slip fee, docking, regular maintenance, cleaning & insurance.

• 3 cabins, master, VIP & guest • Dual helm stations • One of the most popular flybridge yachts in its class • 1300 engine hours, (1000 hr service just completed) • Twin turbo Caterpillar diesels, shaft drive • Bow & Stern thrusters • Updated electronics & new soft goods coming • New tender will be added soon.

• Home port Light House Point Marina - Hillsboro Inlet

CLASS A MOTORHOME: $ 40,000/quarter share / $ 250 S&M (storage + maintenance + insurance) • 2008 GulfStream Tourmaster – 63,000 mi.

• Freightliner Chassis / 425HP Cummins Turbo Diesel (Pusher) • 43’ Long – triple slide • 3 HD TV’s in cabin including 50” ent. Outdoor ent. center • Sleeps (5) comfortably – 3 Rooftop A/C unites • Master bedroom Queen/ with walkin closet, washer dryer • 10,000 lb. tow capacity for boat and/or tow vehicle

POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 97

Registration opens November 15, 2018 for all events

JAN 18-20

| WINTER POKER RUN TO HAWKS CAY RESORT Luxurious villas and guest rooms. Departs: Haulover Marine Center with hotels Trump & Doubletree

FEB 21-24

| 24TH ANNUAL MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN TO KEY LARGO Playa Key Largo Resort & Bakers Cay Resort - Neighboring 1st class Resorts!!

MAR 21-24

| 9TH ANNUAL TAMPA BAY POKER RUN DOWNTOWN TAMPA Marriott Tampa Waterfront & Westin Waterside Resort - Docking at Tampa Marriott & Convention Center

APR 19-21

| FO RT M Y E R S P O K E R RU N - P I N K S H E LL R E S O RT & M A R I N A Luxury beachfront accommodations and abundant protected bay waters for poker run!

MAY 2-13

| 4TH ANNUAL FPC EUROPE POKER RUN Germany to Tuscany Italy. Eight adventurous days of touring in Porsches across the European Countryside & Mountain passes through the Alps!

MAY 31JUNE 2

| FLO R I DA / A L A BA M A P O K E R RU N Destination: The Wharf, Orange Beach Alabama

JUNE 7-12

| BAHAMAS POKER RUN 2019 - DESTINATION TBA

JUNE 15AUG 1

| FP C S U M M E R P O K E R RU N TO U R - M U LTI PLE N ATI O N A L P O K E R RU N E V E NTS Touring with Project 1080 Cigarette to out-of-state events

AUG 14-18

ACTIVE THUNDER......................................................... 43 AO COOLERS................................................................. 61 BLACK WATER.............................................................. 13 BRAND X...................................................................... 95 BROWARD TRAILER...................................................... 77 CONCEPT BOATS.......................................................... 45 DEEP IMPACT............................................................... 17 FAST LANE TRAVEL........................................................ 9 FLORIDA FRACTIONAL CLUB ........................................ 96 FPC MEMBERS MARKET PLACE ................................... 95 FPC MEMBERSHIP........................................................ 59 FPC PICTURE ORDER.................................................... 85 LIVORSI........................................................................ 33 MERCURY RACING........................................................IFC MIDNIGHT EXPRESS..................................................... 21 NOR-TECH.................................................................... 23 OFFLEASE ONLY............................................................. 5 PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER...................................... 27 PMT.............................................................................. 37 SCI SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS................................ 35 TEAGUE CUSTOM MARINE........................................... IBC TNT.............................................................................. 61 WESTREC MARINAS..................................................... 29

| FP C E M E R A LD COA S T P OW E R B OAT W E E K Featuring the Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run

SEPT 27-29 | FA LL B I M I N I B L A S T - R E S O RTS WO R LD B I M I N I H I LTO N

Enjoy the quaint Bimini vibe without sacrificing luxury!

OCT 11-13

| FLORIDA KEYS FALL FUN RUN- DESTINATION TBA

NOV 7-12

| 27 TH A N N UA L K E Y W E S T P O K E R RU N

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: NEXT ISSUE VOL 18#4

DECEMBER 10, 2018

Multiple departures & variety of lodging options!

Disclaimer: Please note the 2018 event planning is a constantly ongoing process, that will most certainly see changes to dates and events along the way. The following calendar includes some (tentative dates) along with new events that are currently in the planning stages with venue hosts and sponsoring organizations. It’s important that you do NOT purchase airplane tickets, book hotels, or make plans to attend, without first confirming with the Florida Powerboat Club office. Visit WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM for updated information.

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CONTACT US: 954-545-1414 | FLPOWERBOAT.COM | STU@FLPOWERBOAT.COM FOLLOW US: @florida powerboat club @florida powerboat club @stufpc 98 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

NOVEMBER 6-12 | 2018 V I S I T T H E P O K E R RU N V I L L AG E AT C O N C H R E P U B L I C S E A FO O D C O. 6 3 1 G R E E N E S T, K E Y W E S T, F L 3 3 0 4 0 Florida Powerboat Club | 1214 SW 6th Street | Pompano Beach, FL 33069 | 954-545-1414