A MAGAZINE SHOWCASING THE FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB LIFESTYLE
VOL 19#2 FALL-KEY WEST 2019 EDITION
BACK IN ‘BAMA Highlights from the New Alabama Double-header hosted by the Wharf!
CONCHIN’ OUT
IN PARADISE!
A record number of FPC teams enjoyed the Bahamas at its finest!
FIBERGLASS
VACATIONS
RV+ Powerboat = Family Fun!
EMERALD COAST
POWERBOAT WEEK:
Panhandle pleasures entertained 100 poker run teams From Destin To Pensacola Beach!
FALL BIMINI BLAST! A dozen FPC teams enjoy this September Getaway to Paradise!
KEY WEST
2019 PROGRAM
Meet the Sponsors & Players of this Epic 260-Boat Line-up!
PLUS...
Our Girls of FPC
WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
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A Magazine Showcasing The Florida Powerboat Club Lifestyle FALL 2019
Vol. 19#2
CONTENTS 4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT: STU JONES
4
Stu Jones stu@flpowerboat.com
Stu Jones reflects on how the economy's current wave of prosperity has translated to a record-setting Key West Poker Run 2019 forcing FPC to close registration Oct 21st.
OFFICE MANAGER
6 ORANGE BEACH POWERBOAT WEEK
6
22 BAHAMAS POKER RUN:
22
32 FPC SUMMER TOUR
32
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Alyssa Caiazza alyssafpc@gmail.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Lina Montes fpclina@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHY Jerry Wyszatycki Pete Boden Jimmy Stewart Stu Jones
EVENT MANAGEMENT Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com
VIDEO PRODUCTION Stu Jones Ryan McCoy Joe Kotrady Ryan Christen
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
Crossing the Florabama state line, FPC members discovered a new boating playground in Orange Beach, Alabama, logging two hundred miles of powerboating fun over a four-day format. The annual summer Bahamas adventure stepped up the game for FPC members who went island hopping through paradise, feeding stingray and pigs, basking on beaches, dining like kings, and partying like rock stars from Bimini to Staniel Cay. With the Jones family 43' RV hooked up to the Project 1080HP Cigarette, Dad handed the family a 20-day itinerary and said LET'S GO! Three poker runs, two Great Lakes and 4,200 miles later, the 89-foot fiberglass train rolled back to Pompano Beach with an archive of photos and memories for a lifetime.
42 EMERALD COAST POWERBOAT WEEK
Florida Powerboat Club's new VIP Powerboat Week format was well-received in 2018, which may explain why nearly 100 poker run teams from across the Southern States returned to the Emerald Coast, for five days for Boats, Bikinis and Big Horsepower!
42 80
80 FALL BIMINI FUN RUN:
This sleepy little Southwest Florida coastal community got revved up for this April weekend as over three dozen poker run teams took the local waters for some poker run fun!
85 MEET THE PLAYERS - KEY WEST POKER RUN
85
One thing we love at FPC is introducing all the Key Players of the Key West Poker Run. Check out this star-studded cast of the leading manufacturing sponsors and poker run teams from around the globe! On The Cover: The Conch Republic Seafood Company has hosted the Florida Powerboat Club's Key West Poker Run since 1999. This photo from 2017 as the Sponsor dock emptied out for the Saturday Fun Run. Models: FPC Girls Faith & Amber elevated our spirits at the Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run this summer.
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
t’s exciting to see what a strong economy can bring, as both Americans and our neighbors to the north appear to be riding a wave of prosperity that has influenced so many or our lives in wonderful ways. The performance marine industry, which relies so much on availability of disposable income for recreational lifestyle pursuits, is likely one of the most obvious winners, as boat builders, engine manufacturers and OEM suppliers have been unleashed to invest in R&D to produce new models and designs, with almost every finished unit committed to a dealer or direct buyer as it rolls off the assembly line. The result, as the doors open at the 60th Fort Lauderdale Int’l Boat Show, is a boating and yachting landscape in South Florida like we’ve never seen before. That’s exciting for the Florida Powerboat Club in more ways than one. The most obvious appears to be the emergence of new blood in the performance boating sector. While we may not have national statistics to indicate just how much growth that is, or where that growth is coming from, we don’t have to look any further than our own front doorstep to measure its enormity. New membership forms are flooding our fax machine and inboxes from everywhere imaginable. The 27th Annual Key West Poker Run, which takes a global entry list of performance boating enthusiasts on a week long adventure from Miami to Key West, has proven in every measurable way, to have broken every record we could have ever logged in the FPC’s nearly three-decade run. At 250 registered teams confirmed as of Oct 21, it was on this day I had to make a frustrating, yet prudent decision to close registration, so that we could meet the challenges of managing the administrative, operational and logistical aspects of this 180-mile poker run to paradise. Considering the growth in sheer hull size alone, especially the flagship 50-foot-plus models from HCB, Cigarette Racing, Midnight Express and Nor-Tech, and factoring in the latest powerplants from Mercury Racing, like the new 450R outboard and the updated QC4 Stern-drive line up...This insane Key West fleet will break every record imaginable, unmatched by any poker run in the world. But breaking records means very little to me as the club’s
4 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
"I WOULD LIKE ALL OF YOU TO KNOW, FROM THE MANUFACTURERS WHO SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATION TO THE CLUB MEMBERS WHO KEEP THEIR MEMBERSHIPS ACTIVE AND ATTEND OUR EVENTS, THAT YOU HAVE ALL HELPED ME TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS"
Founder. Honestly, while crunching numbers and publishing “wow factor” event statistics can be kind of cool, that isn’t what I set out to do in 1992 when the club was founded in North Miami. Make no mistake about it. It was kind of a “Live to Boat, Boat to Live” approach, as I set out in this pursuit. I just wanted to go boating, in fast boats, with fun people…and I wanted to make a difference in their lives. That is what motivated me to start the club, but it was the respect that I earned from my peers, that kept me in this career for so many years. So as we all enjoy this milestone, signature Key West event, I would like all of you to know, from the manufacturers who support our organization to the club members who keep their memberships active and attend our events, that you have all helped me to achieve this objective beyond my wildest dreams. I thank you all for that, and since I won’t be able to shake hands with every one of our 1,300 participants in Key West, I want you to know, I appreciate all of you, more than I can express. Let’s have a FUN and SAFE Key West Poker Run, and remember….we need those PFD’s on! Trust me, they DO work, but they only work if you’re wearing them! Stu Jones
COASTAL
CRUISIN'
CROSSING THE FLORABAMA STATE LINE, FPC MEMBERS DISCOVERED A NEW BOATING PLAYGROUND IN ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA, LOGGING TWO HUNDRED MILES OF POWERBOATING FUN OVER A FOUR-DAY FORMAT.
STORY: STU JONES
K
eeping the adventure alive for members of the Florida Powerboat Club may very well be the reason that FPC management set its sights on Orange Beach Alabama for a new spring poker run event. But there were many other supporting factors that checked off all the boxes that any prudent poker run organization would want checked. First and foremost, a great headquarter venue for the poker run is what makes for a great event, and The Wharf in Orange Beach provided a well-managed floating-dock marina, first class lodging, retail shops, dining, entertainment, amusement park vibe and endless parking for trucks and trailers. From a poker runner’s standpoint, it was a turn-key venue, that made it easy for everyone to attend.
traveling in both east and westbound directions from The Wharf, and the decision was made, to make this first-ever, twopoker-run-format. The first was a Friday poker run eastbound along coastal waters to Pensacola Beach FL, which qualified its namesake as The Florida Alabama Poker Run, and on Saturday The Orange Beach Poker Run featured a west-bound course that took the boats through the Intracoastal waterway to Mobile Bay, and back through the Gulf of Mexico to Orange Beach. This may seem like a lot of boating for a two-day affair, but wait, there’s more!! The five-day event format had its official start with Wednesday arrivals, so that left Thursday wide open for a lunch fun run, which headed to the Sunset Grille on Perdido Key, about ten miles west of Orange Beach.
Of course, with all that said, the boating landscape must support a poker run and it was here that Orange Beach once again came through with flying colors. In fact, when the organizer started planning the course for the late May event, it soon became apparent that there were abundant waterways
For anyone wondering why such a long format was introduced, it was by design. With the long-term success of the Emerald Coast poker run format, which has always had a week-long format of boating activities mixed with night-time parties and entertainment, organizers deemed the Orange Beach venue to be quite capable of hosting a similar format.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: REGI DAVIS & STU JONES
So, it’s no coincidence that Orange Beach Powerboat Week, kicked off with a Wednesday night Trucks N Boats parade, followed by a small street party with the high-performance hardware on display, amidst the bright Vegas-Like light show that brings Main St alive every evening. The Thursday lunch fun run to Perdido Key gave boaters a short shake-down run and chance to take in some of the local scenery, with its final stop at Pirates Cove, a rustic backwater saloon with sandy beach, large guest dock, frozen drinks and that famous “Cheeseburger in Paradise” on the menu. Later that evening, back at The Wharf, a crowd favorite was on the agenda, the Thursday night Miss Powerboat Week Contest, which hosted ten lovely ladies and entertained our poker run attendees in a private night club venue called The Port, located on Main Street. No matter what the function they attended, participants could take the elevator from their luxury waterfront condo, or their Spring Hill Suites room, and stroll just minutes to attend all these functions.
One thing that Orange Beach boating is known for, is the abundance of great waterfront dining and entertainment options, and even with the twin poker run format, just a fraction of the most popular restaurants could be included in the format. Most would agree that the romp in the Gulf on Friday was an eye-opener, as the casual rollers made from some great airtime, even for the bigger boats. Lunch at Hemingway’s at Pensacola Beach Boardwalk was superb, and it seemed like just the right distance, with the return course staying in the protected waters. Friday night, organizers hosted a casual reception, sponsored by OffleaseOnly and Deep Impact, which gave boaters a chance to play out their first round of Friday poker cards, while enjoying aerial videos of the event from earlier in the day on multiple TV monitors. It was a festive evening, and the best part, it was all about to be repeated on Saturday, with a new adventure for all the teams!
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 7
The Saturday poker run provided a whole new backdrop, and completely different experience for the teams. After grabbing their first poker card dockside at The Wharf, powerboaters were treated to a short but scenic ride down a narrow section of intracoastal waterway, before arriving in the open waters of Mobile Bay. As the boats neared the mouth of Mobile Bay and passed through the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, large oil platforms began to appear, and it was clearly a very different landscape from the two days of boating earlier. After turning westbound and heading along the south shoreline of endless white sandy beach, it seemed like the conditions just couldn’t be more ideal. Fellow poker runners could be seen off the bow and off stern, to port and to starboard, but everyone seemed to find their own comfort zone‌their own blend of speed and rhythm, to enjoy that perfect morning in May. Turning into the Orange Beach inlet from the Gulf waters, it was amazing to see hundreds of boats traveling in all directions. Clearly, Orange Beach was a boating-centric community, and on this one Saturday morning, it would be the colorful multi-engine, roaring offshore powerboats of this Orange Beach Powerboat Week, that would remind many of these locals of those days more than a decade ago, when the Superboat races were a major attraction here every summer. Indeed, the Powerboats were back!!
8 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
Stu & Jackie Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2-Mercury Racing 540
Stu & Jackie Jones PROJECT 1080 Crew
Thomas Rooney | FL | Team CONCEPT | 32' CONCEPT / 2-Mercury Verado 250
The Saturday Festivities continued with another lunch format that was created by Florida Powerboat Club, which was to manage the lunch functions with a variety of choices for participants. With forty-five boats on the event roster, most waterfront eateries were comfortable with about ten or twelve boats visiting at one time, so four locations were selected, and by all participant reports, each establishment offered a pleasant lunch experience. Special thanks to Mr. Art Favre for extending his private waterfront residence to accommodate some of the overflow for a BBQ-themed lunch. A festive evening back at The Port on Saturday night was sponsored by Alacomp, a Workman’s comp insurance company owned by Stephen and Kelly Marino, Alabama natives who entered their 35 DCB cat on the poker run. With the poker run cards played out, Matt Borcina, who came all the way from Long Island, New York to attend with is 36 Wright Performance, was awarded the poker run grand prize. It was a great conclusion to our 1st Annual Orange Beach Powerboat Week, presented by The Wharf. Thanks to all those who took a leap of faith to join us, and with forty-five teams on the roster for the first event, this May rendezvous seems to be well-positioned for a great future here in Orange Beach, on Alabama’s gulf coast. SJ
Stephen & Kelly Marino| AL | Team TWIN LADIES | 35' DCB
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 9
BLUE BAYOU Crew
Octavio & Karen Valdivia | GA | Team BLUE BAYOU | 51' OUTERLIMITS
Donovan Johnson | LA | Team RUM BUOY | 34' DCB
Jim & Lynne Archambault | GA | Team KEEPIN' IT REAL | 43' OUTERLIMITS
Lawrence Coelho Jr. | CA | Team RAPID RABBIT | 28' DCB
10 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
Cigarette Racing is proud sponsor of Key West Poker Run 2019. Cigarette owners will be treated to a very special Poker Run lunch at the luxurious Playa Largo Resort in Key Largo. Visit the Key West Poker Run Village to view the latest models from Cigarette Racing Team.
LIGHT EM UP Crew
Chris & Beth Jarreau | LA | Team LIGHT EM UP | 35' Fountain
Tony Gafford | LA | Team BAD BOYS | 33' Baja Weston & Amber Bass | LA | Team CHANGE ORDER | 39' Cigarette
Chad Havens | TX | Team SAVAGE | 40' DCB Frank & Grazia Bulte | France | Team SHARK RIDER | 44' MTI
SHARK RIDER Crew
12 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
Marissa, Jackie , Stu with event host Art Favre
Dr. Jason Parker | MS | Team MAVERICK | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Scott Favre | LA | 32' Sunsation CCX
Chris Bazor | AL | Team GRANDER MARINE | 43' Fountain / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Paul Bertucci | MS | Team BEER MONEY | 39' Deep Impact
Matt Borcina | NY | Team LOW SEA | 36' Wright Performance
Beau & Tiffeny Renfroe | GA | Team DIRTY MONEY | 36' Skater
Weston Harlow | FL | Team BOOTY SHAKER | 38' Ocean Express / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
FPC Girl Andrea at Pirates Cove
14 POWERBOATING IN PARADISE |
HUSTLER Crew Eric & Jenna Ellsworth | KY | Team LOCO RAPIDO | 32' Spectre
Michael & Nicolle Pierce | LA | Team PURE PLATINUM | 38'Skater John Coletta | AL | Team SLING SHOT | 38' Hustler
David Branton | LA | Team VOODOO | 38'Skater
John & Connie Fahmy | GA | Team SOUTHERN YANKEE | 34' Sunsation /3- Mercury Racing 400R
Keith & Karen Rockman | FL | Team SUNSATION | 34' Sunsation /3- Mercury Verado 300
16 POWERBOATING IN PARADISE |
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Scott Favre | AL | Team GAME ON | 50' Outerlimits
Kyle Fowler | GA | Team BAD A$$ET | 35' Fountain
DJ Smith | AL | Team BAJA | 26' Baja FPC Girl Marissa
Robert & Trish Keyes | MS | Team BAJA | 28' Eliminator / 2 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
18 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
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Nate & Robin Michel | LA | Team cloud IX | 40' MTI FPC Girl Tesla
Gunner Adams | FL | Team HUNTRESS | 42' Cigarette / 4- Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Robbie & Anjum Ullah | GA | Team LAKESIDE MARINE | 28' Glasstream
Shane Moreau | LA | Team CATCHIN' HELL | 38' Donzi ZR
20 POWERBOATING IN PARADISE |
Eastbound
TO PARADISE
THE ANNUAL SUMMER BAHAMAS ADVENTURE STEPPED THE GAME FOR FPC MEMBERS WHO ISLAND-HOPPED THROUGH PARADISE, FEEDING STINGRAY AND PIGS, BASKING ON BEACHES, DINING LIKE KINGS, AND PARTYING LIKE ROCK STARS FROM BIMINI TO STANIEL CAY. STORY: STU JONES
Wdo events, or more commonly referred to as “Bucket
hen it comes to describing FPC poker runs as must-
List” poker runs, the two events that keep appearing on these boating wish lists are the Key West Poker Run and the annual Bahamas Poker Run. Clearly, these events have unique features that set them apart from the dozen or so events that FPC stages in calendar year, and yet these two events are miles apart in comparison to each other. BIG would describe the Key West Poker Run…in terms of its massive event roster, which most recently topped 250 registered teams, and touts the most powerful and outrageous recreational performance boats in the country. On the other hand, the Bahamas Poker Run has the smallest entry roster of any other FPC event, seldom reaching twenty teams for the six-day adventure in paradise and displaying a growing trend towards outboardpowered center consoles. By distance alone, the Key West Poker Run measures up to 400 miles round-trip, which by national poker run standards, is an epic distance. Yet the Bahamas Poker Run has logged recent events that exceed 700 miles round-trip! No matter what the comparison, or how each event is measured or reviewed, the Bahamas Poker Run still stands alone as a boating adventure, with pristine
22 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
azure-colored waters, secluded beaches and anchorages, and charming Bahamian natives that’s seem quite content with their island culture. It’s all part of an experience that is sometimes hard to describe in words. Lying off the South Florida’s coastline at just 50 miles, Bimini would be the first stop on the 2019 edition of this 28-year annual event. Indeed, it was Bimini that was the destination for the club’s very first adventure in May of 1992, when the writer set the course from Haulover Inlet with about fifteen recreational boats, mostly small single engine cruisers under thirty feet in length. The event eventually caught on with offshore powerboaters as the club re-positioned itself more towards the go-fast crowd, and by the late nineties, Florida Powerboat Club was operating as many as four gulf stream crossings annually to a variety of destinations including Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos and Nassau/Paradise Island. And while a two-day visit to Bimini itself would satisfy most first-time visitors, the real Bahamas experience can only be found further to the east, with island-hopping adventures that included the most popular boating hot spots, each with its own unique flavor and attractions.
Jason & Krisha Tolliver | OH | Team TEAM TOLLIVER | 34' Sunsation / 3-Mercury Verado 350 PHOTOGRAPHY: JERRY WYSZATYCKI & STU JONES
With seven days of sun-drenched boating ahead, and no canvas Bimini-top installed on the Project 1080HP Cigarette, it seemed wise for the event organizer to humbly request a ride for the Jones family with an FPC member, and Ryan Scharnowske was more than happy to welcome us aboard his new Freeman 42 center console catamaran. This proved to be the ideal Bahamas cruising machine, as a crew of thirteen rode in comfort in even the sloppiest of seas, which started with a bumpy gulf stream crossing early Friday morning. Still managing speeds over 50 mph, Captain Mike, a Key West native, piloted the Freeman into Bimini, where the group settled in a Bimini Big Game Club, for customs and immigration clearance. From here, it was off to local attractions, including Honeymoon Harbor, where a massive stingray feeding session kept everyone entertained. For this organizer, even after doing the feeding drill for over twenty years, it just never gets old! Seeing our participants, many for their very first time, take part in the fun of engaging with these magnificent stingrays, provides both a magical, and comical outcome that is simply priceless! The best part, we are still just on day one! Treated to the luxury of the Resorts World Bimini Hilton, the guests appreciated the conveniences and amenities of
this modern resort, and since its doors opened about four years earlier, this single resort hotel has ramped up the visitor numbers to the island tremendously. The floating dock marina makes for convenient docking, although the rates have crept up considerably, to $4.50/foot, making it one of the most expensive transient docking marinas in the Bahamas. Continuing Sunday, the group departed Bimini for the “Bahama Bank� crossing to Chub Cay Resort & Marina, where fuel awaited and a pre-planned lunch at the newly opened restaurant. In typical Bahamas fashion, the food delivery was slow, but quality of the meals was overall very good, and after a dip in the pool, the group was back on their way, for the final leg to Nassau/Paradise Island. Hosting marinas and lodging were split between two resort properties in Nassau. Half the group stayed at Atlantis Resort & Marina, which worked out quite well for those who had Harbour Villa suites, because they were just a short walk from where the boats were docked. Others chose the more elegant Royal Towers, which put guests in the heart of Atlantis and all its amenities, but did create quite a hike, to-and-from the boats.
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 23
The other half of the Bahamas Poker Run attendees were the early birds who registered in advance and secured a limited number of beach front homes at Palm Cay Resort & Marina, located on the Southeast corner of Nassau, about eight miles east of Atlantis. In hindsight, FPC would not wish to return to this property in the future. Poor practices used in the rental process, which is overseen by the property’s dockmaster, proved unprofessional, with poor recordkeeping, lack of rental agreements, and no formal check-in process. This resulted in an un-used unit that was never confirmed by a club member, and FPC is still fighting for a $ 2700 refund. We would suggest using VRBO or DONTGO‌ when it comes to renting these villas at Palm Cay Yacht Club in the future. On a brighter note, the local fun runs has proved to be perfect boating day-trips to explore local waterways. Monday, with our tour guide Jordan Lampkin leading the group, we got a sneak-peak of the all new Baha Mar resort, then circled Paradise Island and settled on a sandy beach along Rose Island. Then on Tuesday, at eighty miles one way, the Staniel Cay and Big Major Cay in the Exumas provided an outstanding day-trip experience to everyone who attended. Even the boaters who chose to leave their performance boats at the dock, were given an option to use a local charter boat, at about $ 200 pp, which was a substantial savings on fuel for the 180-mile round-trip. Special thanks to Captain Jordan Lampkin, our native Bahamian tour guide, who by default, has earned the unofficial title as Ambassador for the Bahamas, in all matters that involve boating to and from, this amazing Island Nation.
Noel & Gretchen Speranza | FL | Team RETAINAGE | 44' Sunsation / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Dave & Stacy Condon | MA | Team CIGARETTE | 38' Cigarette
Michael & Lori Smith | FL | Team PROBLEM CHILD | 41' Cigarette / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
T.J. Grunwald | MI | Team FAMILY TABLE | 35' Statement! / 2-Mercury Verado 350
24 POWERBOATING IN PARADISE |
Fred & Judy Reavis | SC | Team MTI | 42' MTI / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
The group returned on Wednesday, traveling directly from Nassau Harbour to Bimini for a refuel, before making the final trek across the gulfstream to South Florida. Thanks to Ryan Scharnowske and Captain Mike for hosting the Jones family aboard Team Flak Bait, and thanks to all the club members for trusting the FPC staff to plan your Adventure in Paradise. You may now check this one off your boating bucket list. Stu Jones Bahamas Strong: With the recent damage, destruction and loss of life in the Bahamas due to Jeff Harris | AL | Team CIGARETTE | 38' Cigarette Hurricane Dorian, Florida Powerboat Club has begun relief efforts, with donations of much-needed items. We have made three deliveries to a local relief staging warehouse in Fort Lauderdale, with generators, propane BBQ’s, tents, food items, and construction supplies to help Bahamians rebuild. Through our Florida Powerboat Foundation, a 501(c) (3) organization, we will use donations to buy the most needed items for this ongoing relief effort. We have therefore designated the Key West Poker Run as an official fund-raising event to support this cause. Please support in any way that you can. Daniel & Lana Dickert | FL | Team LADY LANA | 34' Nor-tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
26 POWERBOATING IN PARADISE |
Ryan & Julie Scharnowske | IN | Team DOUBLE SCHARNY | 42' Freeman / 4 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Jimmie Harrison | FL | Team FJ PROPELLER | 39' Nor-tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Chris Ribeiro | TX | Team LOW MAINTENANCE | 38' Donzi / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 27
Laurent Besnier | France | Team GROS COCHONS | 32' Doug Wright / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Mike Lopez | IL | Team CIGARETTE | 46' Cigarette
Roger & Pam Anderson | TX | Team EASY MONEY II | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Verado 350
John Chrysler | FL | Team DIXIE NORMOUS | 47' Fountain / 3- Mercury Racing 525
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Raft-up party near Big Major Cay aka Pig Beach in the Exumas Sapona Shipwreck, Bimini
Bennett & Jimena Loftin | FL | Team SIDE CHICK | 36' Deep Impact / 3-Mercury Verado 275
30 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
Feeding the nurse sharks at Staniel Cay Yacht Club
A local charter boat captain provided a great alternative to club members for the Exuma excursion. Photo at Pig Beach
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 31
ADVENTURES
WITH THE JONES FAMILY 43' RV HOOKED UP TO THE PROJECT 1080HP CIGARETTE, DAD HANDED THE FAMILY A 20-DAY ITINERARY AND SAID LET'S GO! THREE POKER RUNS, TWO GREAT LAKES AND 4,200 MILES LATER, THE 89-FOOT FIBERGLASS TRAIN ROLLED BACK TO POMPANO BEACH WITH AN ARCHIVE OF PHOTOS AND MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME.
STORY BY STU JONES
C
rossing the Florida-Georgia state line and taking long summer road trips to poker runs around the nation has been a long-standing tradition for the FPC founder and family. But it came a long way since the early days, when a 30-something bachelor would stuff a Harley Davidson and twenty boxes of magazines into a trailer and drive his Toyota 4Runner thousands of miles on an eight-week poker run tour. The tradition hasn’t changed in twenty-five years although the passenger count and the size of the vehicles has. But the purpose of the adventure remains consistent…drive as far as needed, visit as many poker runs as possible, meet FPC members wherever we go, and try to cultivate some new blood the old fashion way. Shaking hands, shooting the breeze on the docks and yes, a lot of boat drinks after the poker run is finished for the day. In two decades that passed, the Toyota SUV morphed into a 43’ Gulf Stream motorhome and the 12-foot motorcycle
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AERIAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETE BODEN
trailer became a 38’ Cigarette Top Gun, taking this 2019 Summer Tour to a whole new dimension. On board the 89-foot tour rig, wife Jackie Jones and sons Tyler (15) and Maxwell (13), who are getting very accustomed to this family pilgrimage to the north. Of course by this age, they had a better understanding that Dad really does live-and-breathe this world of poker runs, and maybe as they get older, they see that this form of work and play, really does pay the family bills. Additionally, the summer tour also has a familial significance, partly for the family bonding and occasional turmoil created by being cooped up in a rolling fiberglass cabin, but also because Dad’s native Canadian roots warrant that the family make at least one visit per year to visit the Canadian relatives. The only difference this summer, with this Cigarette Top in tow, there would be some hard-core poker run plans on the itinerary, and they probably had no idea what was in store.
Stop #1: BOYNE THUNDER Lake Charlevoix, MI – JULY 12-14, 2019
PHOTOGRAPHY: STU JONES & PETE BODEN
Nick Peterson & Rick Mackie joined in for the fun with Jones family
PROJECT 1080 HP - 38' Cigarette Top Gun / 2-Mercury Racing 540's
After three days on the road, the rig rolled into Boyne City Michigan for the Boyne Thunder Poker Run, and the Project 1080 Cigarette was there to proudly represent Mercury Racing. Friday afternoon the Cigarette was displayed in the Street Party, and Saturday morning the Jones crew were joined by Mercury Racing’s Rick Mackie and Nick Peterson for the run. It was a great day for a poker run, and unlike recent years where Lake Michigan turned into a violent sea, conditions were certainly acceptable for most of the boats attending and with the Mercury Racing brass on board, there was only one way to play this poker game….WIDE OPEN. With an amazing display of high-performance on the roster, sunny skies for the run, minus the humidity that we left back in Florida, it was a
fantastic day on the water, and worth the three-day drive to get there. As an added bonus for the Jones family, being guests with FPC member Bob Berg at his Lake Charlevoix mansion, complete with RV parking, support truck for boat launching, game room, huge pool, and massive dock loaded with water toys….that pretty much sealed the deal as a first-class family vacation. Stop #1 … Perfect in every way!
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Entering Round Lake from Lake Charlevoix, a parade of horsepower passes through the small town of Charlevoix where thousands of spectators lined the shores
Charlevoix town docks hosted lunch for the 140 boat Poker Run
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Very popular waterfront restaurant called The Landing was a great Sunday Fun Run destination
Hackercraft dinner cruise with Bob Berg on Lake Charlevoix
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Stop #2: WERTZ WARRIORS POKER RUN St. Clair Shores, MI- July 16-18, 2019
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olling out by Monday, our next stop on the agenda was Lake St. Clair for the only Wednesday-format poker run we know of, the Wertz Warriors Poker Run based in St. Clair Shores. By way of Port Huron, where we stopped for some quick repairs and overnight storage courtesy of Mike Knoblock at American Custom Marine, we arrived Tuesday afternoon at Miller Marina, located on the Nautical Mile, a popular marina district just north of Detroit and the affluent Grosse Point community. Founded in 1934, the marina is a a third-generation family business, managed by long-time friend Chip Miller. Chip greeted us at the gate and got our rig situated with power and electric, then rolled the Cigarette into covered storage for the night. It was a VIP welcome and Miller Marina would be home-sweet-home for the next three nights, with amazing hospitality from Chip and his crew. We even connected with another poker run celeb and SkaterfestKing, Ron Szolak, who resides just a few miles away and makes Miller Marina his home-port, attending the poker run with his Donzi center console.
here that boaters and commercial vessels can access the St Clair River, the connecting artery between Lake St. Clair to Lake Huron, which is about 30 miles upriver to the north. The record high-water levels required careful navigation, and some no-wake zones had been extended to protect residential waterfronts. Amidst the bayou-like waterways, we soon discovered Browns Landing, a unique waterfront hot-spot that was packed and partying……on a WEDNESDAY! The run culminated at a nearby private boat club on Harsen's Island, where the final cards were played out at the clubhouse bar named Idle Hour. From the bustling downtown Detroit and mammoth marinas in St. Clair Shores, to the rustic backwaters of northern Lake St. Clair near the Canadian Border, this was a truly amazing experience, and we would recommend to anyone seeking a new boating adventure!
By Wednesday morning, we were off and running…joining a forty-boat fleet at Sinbad’s on the Detroit River, for this 20-year poker run that is co-organized by TJ Grunwald, an FPC member who had told us about the event a few months earlier. We knew a handful of the participants and everyone was quick to compliment us on the success of the Project 1080 Cigarette, which many had seen on our Florida Powerboat Club Youtube channel. The Wertz Warriors run made three checkpoints along the western shore of Lake St. Clair, before crossing a short distance to the Northwest shoreline. It is
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Stop #3: WMO ROCK THE COASt, Grand Haven, MI July 19-21, 2019
D
eparting Thursday, we took a straight shot across the state of Michigan to Grand Haven, where West Michigan Offshore was staging its Rock the Coast Poker Run, one of the club’s most popular summer events. It had been almost eighteen years since this port-town was a stop on the FPC Summer tour, and a lot had changed in that time. Our weekend headquarters was the Wharf Marina, owned by FPC member Jon Rooks, and the marina GM Phil Ringelberg rolled out the red carpet in so many ways, by offering to haul the Cigarette through the busy Grand Haven commercial district with his dually, then providing a nice RV parking spot with water and electric at the marina. Indeed, by stop #3 we were feeling quite spoiled with all the special attention and were fortunate to have so many nice friends. Friday evening, with the boat in the water, we took part in the Keith Holmes Memorial Run, which took about forty boats northbound to Muskegon. It seemed uncommon to be out boating at 9 PM in the evening, but the summer days in Michigan provided plenty of daylight for safe return to Grand Haven.
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On Saturday, the fleet doubled in size, and so did the waves. Winds had picked up overnight and 6-7-foot swells making the southbound run to Holland Michigan, by far the toughest and most punishing conditions we had experience on any poker run in years. Make no mistake about it, ocean cruising can offer up some big seas, but Lake Michigan is every bit as challenging and should never be underestimated. Somehow, the Project 1080 Cigarette endured the punishment, and the crew did not mutiny its captain. Looking around the dining room at the Boatwerks lunch, we felt very much at home as dozens of FPC members who call Michigan home, were on hand to share the adventure with us. Special thanks to the entire gang at The Wharf Marina for extending a warm welcome, and to the team at West Michigan Offshore, for staging an exciting poker run. It was an experience that reminded us beyond any doubt, that Lake Michigan deserves its title as one of the Great Lakes!
Final Stop: Toronto – Lake Ontario: July 23-26, 2019
Toronto's magnificent waterfront on Lake Ontario
I
n an 8-day period, from Sat July 12 to Sat July 19, we had successfully completed three Michigan poker runs, crossed the state four times, logged more than fifteen engine hours and 400 miles on Project 1080, yet we still had one more adventure on the agenda. Crossing the border at Port Huron, we headed to Oakville, Ontario, an upscale city just west of Toronto on the Lake Ontario waterfront. At the previous three destinations, we had been treated with a red carpet greeting at every arrival, so we were ready to tough it out for the Canadian leg of the trip. On a whim, I dialed the phone number of Bob Riviere, who is the Commodore of the Oakville Powerboat Club, located in downtown Oakville along Sixteen Mile Creek. Several months earlier, Bob had extended an invitation to me, saying that if we ever brought the Project 1080 Cigarette to Lake Ontario, they would be happy to host us. That phone call generated a warm reception, as Bob, a retired Canadian banking executive and Fountain powerboat owner, quickly directed us to the club headquarters where we settled in for the next four days. From this vantage point, we were able to meet family members and make daily trips across
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Lake Ontario to Vineland, Port Dalhousie, Mississauga and Center Island on Toronto’s waterfront. Every day conditions were calm and inviting, and it was especially rewarding to take my parents, both in their 80’s for a ride down memory lane, seeing the places they grew up from a water vantage point, aboard Project 1080. Even as a child growing up around Southern Ontario, I rarely had a chance to enjoy Lake Ontario, as much as we did on this 2019 Summer Tour. I truly want to thank Bob Riviere and the board of directors at the Oakville Powerboat Club, for giving us the perfect RV/boat slip combo, and access to their clubhouse, so we could have this tremendous Canadian homecoming with Project 1080. The FPC Summer Poker Run tour logged 4,200 miles and took the Jones family by road and by sea, on a 20-day excursion that packed adventure, excitement, camaraderie and friendship into a vacation that will be remembered for the rest of our lives. Thanks to all those who helped to make it so special! Stu Jones
Thanks to Bob Riviere & members of Oakville Powerboat Club for a very warm reception.
Stu's parents Dave & Joanne Jones had their first ride on Project 1080
Welland, Ontario
Cruising through scenic Center Island. CN Tower in the distance POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 41
IN THE PANHANDLE FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB'S NEW VIP POWERBOAT WEEK FORMAT WAS WELL-RECEIVED IN 2018,WHICH MAY EXPLAIN WHY NEARLY 100 POKER RUN TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN STATES RETURNED TO THE EMERALD COAST, FOR FIVE DAYS FOR BOATS, BIKINIS AND BIG HORSEPOWER!
STORY: STU JONES
R
eturning to this summer boating playground in the heart of the Florida Panhandle, nearly one hundred poker run teams from twenty states have kept the Emerald Coast Powerboat Week on their vacation agenda year after year. Westbound to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, northbound to Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia and eastbound to Georgia and the Carolinas, powerboaters from all walks of life and dozens of boating hotbeds, have discovered something special about this sandy, sun drenched boating paradise. And to add something special to the visit, FPC’s Emerald Coast Powerboat Week was created to make it worth their drive and create lifetime memories. 2019 marked the second year that FPC management had stuck to a VIP format, that included fives days of activities, and a first-class Poker Run Headquarters at the landmark Emerald Grande. The Trucks ‘N Boats parade kicked off the festivities as about a dozen teams staged at Coyote Ugly, before cruising the short but crowded Harborwalk Village course, where over a thousand spectators lined the streets, with arms stretched out to catch colorful mardi-gras beads. There’s something about the face of a five-year-old as he or she catches a handful of beads for the first time…just priceless. I could do it a hundred times and it just never gets old!
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Thursday, the early-bird teams were treated to a fun-run across the bay waters to Emerald Coast Marine where we dined at The LOCALS Eatery and nearby Wharf 850. Both restaurants were relatively new, offered great menu options, although the Wharf 850 apparently was not on point with its service, and disappointed a few of the boat crews that stopped there. This was puzzling to FPC organizers, after stopping there a few days earlier to announce the club would be stopping by. Thursday night offered a change in venue for the Miss Powerboat Week contest, which moved to Margaritaville at Harborwalk Village. This was a great venue, and with ten judges that made donations to our charity, the evening provided a festive vibe, pretty contestants, and raised over $ 4,000 through judging contributions. Congratulations to Sara Natividad our new crowned Miss Powerboat Week, who carries the title through 2020. Special mention goes to Amber Contant, a former contestant, who took over the management of the Miss Powerboat Week event and did a fantastic job. By Friday morning, most of the 95-boat fleet had arrived in town, and began the check in process at Emerald Grande,
PHOTOGRAPHY: JIMMY STEWART & STU JONES
followed by a late morning captains safety meeting, which was well attended by local law enforcement agencies. This allowed poker runners to get out on the water shortly after noon, and the traditional fun run to Juana’s was soon underway, with a helicopter in hot pursuit. The team at Juana’s were prepared and ready, as most of the beach was barricaded off until the arrival of the poker run teams, which allowed poker run boats to glide nicely up on the beach, providing a great photo op. Special thanks to FPC member Hugh Patroni Sr. who sponsored the lunch, allowing the first 200+ visitors to grab the hearty grub offered in Juana’s Sports bar for free. With the warm August weather, it wasn’t long before most of the teams were cooling off in the water and enjoying that casual beach vibe that makes Juana’s such a special place for boaters, earning it many awards as the top beach bar in the Emerald Coast for years. Friday night, with the boats settled in at the various hosting marinas, including Brooks Bridge Marina, Harborwalk Village and AJ’s Oyster Bar in the Destin Harbor, it was time for the big party everyone looks forward to… the AJ’s Captains Party, which just keeps getting better every year. With the AJ’s boat basin jammed with high-performance hardware
from manufacturing sponsors including DCB, Deep Impact, Glasstream, Midnight Express and Nor-Tech Hi Performance …the cockpit and underwater LED’s and the 10,000-watt stereo systems reminded us that these boats were as much SHOW, as they are GO. From high on the upper deck, pictures were being taken and hitting Instagram posts and Facebook pages at a rate of one-a-minute, as participants were eager to share the excitement of this once-a-year exhibition of highperformance hardware at AJ’s docks. Saturday morning got off to a perfect start, as the weather cooperated and dozens of teams took to the course, which offered a total of seven checkpoints from Sandestin to Pensacola Beach. Poker Run teams could spend the morning hours gathering up cards in the east end of the course…. then begin working their way westbound, where they had a choice of three lunch stops. This formula proved to work well, as it provided a better concentration of poker run boats for the helicopter to follow and capture photos and video footage. From a safety standpoint, it also allowed organizers to concentrate their safety boats and first responders in the more congested areas, providing for better and faster response in the event of any on-course incidents.
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D-STRESSED Crew
David & Sarid Arnold | GA | Team D-STRESSED | 33' Deep Impact / 2-Mercury 350 Verado
Fortunately, there were no reported incidents throughout the day, a factor that can be attributed to several reasons. First, the mandatory safety meeting on Friday, as painful as it might be for those attending, simply drills safety awareness and common sense into the minds of those captains who will be out on the course, many operating over 100mph! Secondly, with the organization’s direct communication and meetings with USCG, Florida FWC, Okaloosa County and local fire departments, the strong presence of local law enforcement on the course, causes drivers to be more aware and alert. And finally, the new format adopted by FPC in 2018, abolished the slower and smaller “ruby” class boats from the poker run course entirely, thereby cutting the number of poker stops in half, and eliminating the threat of potential collisions between these small, slower boats and the much faster performance boats. The 2018 and 2019 safety record for the new event format, proved beyond any doubt, that elimination of the Ruby class, was a move that got this event back on track, as a premier poker run event. Saturday evening the teams congregated at Margaritaville for a fantastic dinner and a chance to challenge Lady Luck, by playing out their poker hands. Margaritaville is an enormous complex, which served food and provided entertainment on
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two levels. Downstairs, everyone rocked to live music from area Elvis celeb, Ron Adams, while upstairs our DJ spun tunes and got the ladies dancing. As the evening progressed, ten players made it to the final table, where Brad Hancock from Georgia, stuck it out to the bitter end, buying his final table seat not just once, not twice, but three times before being declared the winner! Sadly, there wasn’t a new Camaro to give away like the previous year, which might have generated higher charity results at the final table! Nonetheless, Hancock kindly donated his $ 15,000 earnings back to the charity! Final proceeds reached $40,000, which were distributed to a total of six local charity organizations. Special mention goes to Kruis Rutherford, from Glasstream Powerboats, who won second place, valued at $ 5,000! Indeed, this Saturday night bash was festive, and it was also very hot, as this open-air restaurant does not typically operate its air-conditioning. We ask participants to look for the Emerald Coast 2019 Survey, so you can share your feedback on making the 2020 event, even better! Thanks to all our sponsors and participants, and we look forward to seeing you next year, where the event will be under the management of Ryan Christen and his very competent team! Stu Jones PS..I will be there too, but not to work…. to hang out with you guys!!
Stephen & Kelly Marino | AL | Team TWIN LADIES | 35' DCB
SMITH Crew
Phillip Smith | FL | Team SMITH | 38' Donzi
Jeff Anderson | SC | Team TOE ZONE | 39' Cigarette / 3 Mercury 350 Verado
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Michael Bull | GA | Team ALL SYSTEMS GO | 30' Eliminator
DIRTY DUCK Crew
Josh Kirkland | GA | Team DIRTY DUCK | 42' Cigarette / 4 Mercury 350 Verado
SOUTHERN YANKEE Crew
John & Connie Fahmy | GA | Team SOUTHERN YANKEE | 34' Sunsation / 3 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Todd Capela | TX | Team BLUE BY YOU | 30' Baja
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Scott & Lisa Kagen | NC | Team MUFASA | 43' Sunsation
FPC Girl Faith
Dr. Jason Parker | MS | Team MAVERICK | 39' Deep Impact / 4 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Octavio & Karen Valdivia | GA | Team BLUE BAYOU | 51' Outerlimits
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Sponsor
Eric Glaser | GA | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 37' Midnight Express / 4 Mercury Racing 400R
Featured in FPC 2020 Wall Calendar
Deon & Mary King | IL | Team SUNSATION | 32' Sunsation / 2 Mercury 350 Verado
Jos & Jennifer Bekkers | FL | Team SALTWATER STEEL | 43' Saltwater Steel
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PROJECT 1080 Crew
Stu & Jackie Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2-Mercury Racing 540 Mark & Lona Albert | TX | Team LICKALONAPUS | 35' Fountain
BAD A$$ET Crew
Kyle Fowler | GA | Team BAD A$$ET | 35' Fountain
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Sponsor
Ron & Dana McLean | FL | Team DEEP IMPACT | 36' Deep Impact / 3 Mercury Verado 350
Matt & Robin Wilson | GA | Team DOMESTICATED…NOT REALLY | 32' Seafox
Brad Hancock | GA | Team ROCK N TACO | 47' Nor-Tech / 2 Mercury Racing 1350
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Juana's Pagodas in Navarre hosted the Friday Fun Run and was a Saturday Poker Run check-point.
Project 1080HP hit the magical 100 trouble-free hours on the Emerald Coast Run, after a succesful Poker Run Tour that began in January 2019
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FPC Girl Amber
Team BODACIOUS TOO, 42' Mystic
Team AMG, 41' Cigarette
Lawrence Coelho Jr. | CA | Team RAPID RABBIT | 28' DCB
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Sponsor
Robbie Ullah | GA | Team GLASSTREAM/ LAKESODE MARINE| 36' Glasstream / 3 Mercury Verado 350
Rufus & Leslie Scott | GA | Team LIGHTNING | 47' Fountain
Chad Havens & Krissy Reese | TX | Team SAVAGE35 | 35' DCB
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Florida Powerboat Club is pleased to announce a new partnership with Myco Trailers from Bradenton FL. Late April, Bill Tweetie and the Myco team delivered a brand new triple axle, painted aluminum trailer to Stu Jones in Cape Coral FL, for the Project 1080 Cigarette. The 18,000 gvw custom trailer is loaded with every available upgrade offered with Myco’s amazing product line, and was used as a demonstration model at the Nor-Tech Hi Performance dealer’s meeting at the Westin Cape Coral. This is the 2nd trailer Myco has built for FPC.In 2008 Myco delivered a custom aluminum trailer to the Nor-Tech factory, for the FPC Nor-Tech 39 Supervee, King of Clubs. Also in attendance at the recent April delivery were Myco’s Ronnie Moran, and the new national sales manager, John Smiley.
MYCO TRAILERS, LLC 2703 29th Avenue East Bradenton, FL 34208
Office: 941-748-2397 Text: 385-275-MYCO (6926) Fax: 941-747-2819
For more information, visit w w w. myc o t r a i l e r s . c o m
H. Neil & Cindy Campbell | FL | Team BODACIOUS, TOO | 42'Mystic / 3 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
J.P Swanson | MS | Team AMG | 41' Cigarette / 2-Mercury Racing 1100
HUSTLER Crew
John Coletta | AL | Team HUSTLER | 38' Hustler
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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.
There's no question that powerboats and big horsepower are nicely complemented with bikinis. Perhaps that's why the Miss Powerboat Week has been a popular fixture on the Emerald Coast agenda for as long as we can remember, and our 2019 production was among the finest. With our professional event manager Amber Contant behind the scenes, planning the pageant and recruiting lovely contestants, along with a new venue at Margaritaville in Harborwalk Village, the stage was set for an entertaining Thursday evening for hundreds in attendance. Special thanks to our guest hosts Ron Adams and Tim Kruger, along with all of our VIP judges who all made handsome donations to our charities to ring in a winner! Congratulations to Sara Natividad from Orange Beach, Alabama, who took the Miss Powerboat Week crown and we thank all the ladies for joining us.
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1,400 boats in water and on land. More than 1,100 exhibitors. 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. MiamiBoatShow.com
February
13–17
MIAMI MARINE STADIUM
Event Safety Boat
Emerald Coast Resort, Destin hosted the Florida Powerboat Club with luxury accommodations and first class amenities. The on-site Harborwalk Village also accommodated at least 20 poker run teams at their conveniently located docks.
Wraith & Lisa Drake | Fl | Team SUNSATION II | 34' Sunsation / 3 Mercury Verado 350
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Steve Rabalais | GA | Team HEY BAE | 32' Sunsation / 2 Mercury Verado 350
W Carroll Smith | TX | Team DEALERSHIP | 40' Fountain
Larry & Heather Montelaro, Jr. | LA | Team SMOKE SHOWIN | 33' Fountain
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SKATER Crew
Ronnie Sprinkle & daughter Carsen | TX | Team SKATER | 32' Skater
FOUNTAIN Crew
Frankie Tubbs | AL | Team FOUNTAIN | 38' Fountain
Wes Harlow | FL | Team TOP GUN | 38' Cigarette
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Check-point #2 Sandestin, FL 70' Maritimo Yacht AFTER FIVE -Jack Wilson Sponsored by Coyote Ugly Saloon
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Jim & Lynne Archambault | GA | Team KEEPIN' IT REAL | 43'Outerlimits
Gunner Adams | FL | Team HUNTRESS | 42 Cigarette / 4 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 69
Check-point #3 at Emerald Coast Marine Group, Niceville, FL
Mike & Susan Pascoe | GA | Team INSTIGATOR | 42' Cigarette
Sunsation Powerboats had a great showing at the powerboat events.
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SEE VU PLAY Crew
Vu Nguyen | LA | Team SEE VU PLAY | 38' Donzi
Robert Keys | GA | Team STRESS RELIEF | 28' Eliminator / 2 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
David Hudmon | AL | Team LUCKY LUCY | 43' Everglades
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Sponsor
Mark & Eileen Fischer | FL | Team DEEP IMPACT | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
MOVING FR8 Crew
Steve & Lisa Young | AL | Team MOVING FR8 | 35' Fountain
Sponsor
A.L. & Kruis Kirkland | FL | Team GLASSTREAM | 36' Glasstream / 3 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Bill & Denise Mann | FL | Team BAD BAD GIRLFRIEND | 35' Fountain
Bill & Evie Dahl | IL | Team NAS-T | 39 Sutphen
Greg Bent | LA | Team NOR-TECH | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Keith & Karen Rockman | FL | Team SUNSATION | 34' Sunsation / 3 Mercury Verado 350
RUMRUNNER Crew
Gregg Descher | MS | Team BIG MAC | 37' Pursuit
Daryl Turner | TX | Team RUMRUNNER | 46' Cigarette
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Craig & Paula Ackerman | FL | Team SEA YA | 34' MTI
Lance & Paula Panepinto | LA | Team FLYIN' HIGH | 30' Baja
Jorge & Ann Arellano | FL | Team OGP | 35' DCB / 2-Mercury Racing 1100/1350
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FPC Girl Faith
John & Cher Floyd | TX | Team INXS | 47' Fountain
INXS Crew
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Team-TERRIBLE enjoying lunch at Juana's Pagodas
Mark & Diana Santos | TX | Team TRIBUTE | 38' Skater Tim & Rhonda Brooks & John & Tracy Saucier | LA | Team GEAUX SEA | 38' Powerquest Sponsor
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Zane & Amanda Meade | TX | Team MTI-V | 42'MTI/4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Donald Braddy | FL | Team SWAMP CHOMP II | 35' Everglades
Seth & Trisha Ritta | TX | RITTN OF 2 | 38'Sonic
Paul Bertucci | MS | Team BEER MONEY TOO! | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Verado 350
Lance Panepinto Jr | LA | Team BAJA | 24' Baja
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BACK TO
BIMINI!
THE FALL BIMINI BLAST HOSTED A SMALL FLEET OF FPC MEMBERS WHO ENJOYED A LESS CROWDED ISLAND AND A SIMPLE, CASUAL GETAWAY, MIXED IN WITH SOME HIGH-SEAS ADVENTURE. STORY: STU JONES
B
oating to the Bahamas is best done in the summer months, when predominantly light southerly winds provide a calming effect on the gulfstream currents, which travel northbound about 3.5 knots. On a typical summer morning at sunrise, single digit winds from the south, i.e. anything less that 10mph, will translate to calm seas and a fair-weather crossing to Bimini or Grand Bahama Island. For a large majority of FPC members who hail from northern homeports, that doesn’t play well into their summer boat agendas, because they typically ship their boat home for summer months. That’s why FPC stretched the summer schedule to Bahamas into late September, giving some FPC members the chance to get their boats back to Florida and check that Bimini adventure off their bucket list. For this recent edition, the odds were not entirely in our favor, as those southerly winds just didn’t materialize, and it was east winds about 15mph that presented some challenges as we set out from Haulover Marine Center on the morning
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of Sept 27th. But these seas were certainly not deal-breakers for any of these seasoned crews, and the thirteen boats and sixty weekend warriors grabbed onto the nearest handrail and hunkered down for a bumpy ride. There were no storms in the area, and no major threat of rain...just that nasty short chop...that would shake your teeth loose, and maybe even a few parts on the toughest of offshore powerboats. The Project 1080 Cigarette sat this one out, as an overheating issue forced its captain to put her back on the boat lift and start calling the FPC roster for ride assistance. Danny Merrell, with his enormous Hann 50’ center console, and a crew of just four, graciously welcome Stu, Jackie and the boys for a ride on “A Pirates Life …for Me” Arrrrrghhhhh If I could only find my Halloween pirates costume, it would’ve been a big hit!! But I would spare Danny and his crew the theatrics, and after coffee and bagels dockside, we loaded the boat for the ride. A hiccup with a few corroded wires kept one 300 Verado from firing up at the Friday morning start, and with some help from
Tom Toto | FL | Team ALL IN | 42' MTI-V / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Jimmy & Gina Smith | CA | Team TT CRESCENDO | 42' MYSTIC / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R PHOTOGRAPHY: STU JONES & JERRY WYSZATYCKI
Xtreme Marine, the problem was solved in about 90 minutes, then it was time to catch up to the others. We shoved off about 9am, and at about the mid-way point in the gulf stream, as seas began to build, Capt. Danny slowed to about 30 mph, to absorb the seas and keep the ride civil for his crew. Even for such a big boat, it was apparent that Mother Nature and the deep blue sea are in charge when it comes to crossing the gulf stream. It’s their rules…a smart captain will just slow down, get the boat dialed in, find the best rhythm, and tell his crew to hang on. So that what we did, and somewhere near 11am, we rolled into the Big Game Club, to find that all the others were settled in and enjoying the casual vibe. Now this is the point where it can go either way. There’s nothing worse than pounding the seas for two hours to arrive in Bimini, and then take three hours to clear customs. The good news, never in late September. In fact, the Bimini season is so short, that soon after Labor Day weekend, Bimini kind of becomes a ghost town. Not good
for tourism, but great for boaters who venture out, because it took our captain about twenty minutes to clear customs and immigration, which in my estimate, is a record. With cruising permit in hand and passports handed back to all the crew, we were seated at the Bimini Big Game Club, sipping bloody Mary’s and getting our breakfast orders in, all before 12 Noon! From here, we ventured to Honeymoon Harbour to feed the local stingrays, and fortunately we did not encounter the Cat Cay security forces. A letter had recently been sent from a Fort Lauderdale law firm to FPC, warning that his beach area near Gun Cay, a popular attraction for boaters for decades, was under the ownership domain of the Cat Cay Yacht Club, and therefore was off limits to John Q Boater visiting the Bimini Islands. Well, we stayed off the beach…fed dozens of stingrays, and fended off the more aggressive nurse sharks, and it was a fantastic day for everyone, especially the first timers. (Special thanks to Captain Mike and Ryan on Flak Bait, for supplying all the squid for the stingray feeding)
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 81
Blake Olson | OK | Team ANOTHER BAD HABIT | 38 Cigarette
ANOTHER BAD HABIT Crew
Roger & Pam Anderson | TX | Team EASY MONEY II | 39 Nor-Tech / 3 Mercury Verado 350
Later we settled in at Bimini Bay Marina, checking in with dockmaster Phil, who extended the courtesy of a group rate, which was lower than the $ 4.50/ft we paid when we visited back in June. The hotel wasn’t sold out, but was relatively busy, because Resorts World Bimini still brings boatloads of tourists over for the weekend, hoping of course for that extra business in the casino. We enjoyed sushi in the lobby that night, and wandered down to the casino later, but for the most part stayed at the resort for the first of our two nights on the island. The next day was focused on another waterborne adventure, this time at the Sapona shipwreck. This is always a popular stopover for anyone that can manage a facemask and flippers, because you can easily swim right into the belly of this amazing, historic shipwreck. Some of the more (agile) participants braved the torturous climb on a rope ladder up the side of the ship to the top deck, then carefully step over rusted re-bar and crumbling 100-year old concrete, to jump off its highest level, the forward deck at the bow of the ship. While this has now become a tradition for our teenagers, Tyler and Max, Dad and Mom
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are content to catch the excitement from our iPhones. We relocated the fleet to the North beach of Bimini, anchoring in the soft sand and soaking in the tropical saltwater, occasionally digging through our coolers for more Bimini boat drinks. For some reason, with this white sandy beach as our scenery and these brilliant turquoise waters to frolic in, the drinks just somehow taste better. With the boats settled for the night, we congregated by the pool alongside a hospitality suite that hotel staff graciously upgraded us to. We’re not sure why they were so nice to us, but we took advantage of the occasion, stocked the bar, and invited all our boating friends to join us. In addition to a July 2005 Bimini trip that Jackie and I shared with the club the weekend after we were married, I would say this 2019 Bimini Blast will perhaps be one of most memorable of all Bimini trips. I was lucky enough to celebrate my 60th birthday my wife Jackie and our two boys, but also with my extended family of FPC members, who made it very special for me. It couldn’t have been any nicer and I thank all of you! Stu Jones
Ryan & Julie Scharnowske | IN | Team DOUBLE SCHARNY | 42' Freeman / 4 Mercury Verado 400
DONZI Crew
Deris Ceresa | FL | Team DONZI | 38' Donzi / Custom 1050 HP MIDNIGHT MOVES Crew
Cindy M Hutson | FL | Team MIDNIGHT MOVES | 43' Modnight Express
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DANGEROUSLY KNOTTY
Crew
Dawn & Donald Hadden | SC | Team DANGEROUSLY KNOTTY | 32' Belzon Blake Olson | OK | Team ANOTHER BAD HABIT | 38 Cigarette
LADIES OF "ANOTHER BAD HABIT"
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M E E T T H E P L AY E R S
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 85
THURSDAY 11/07 3pm–10pm 6pm-9pm
Key West Poker Run Village Welcome Party
Conch Republic Seafood Co | 631 Greene Street
Ladies Body Painting Expo - Poker run crews welcome to participate
Poker Run Village - Conch Republic Seafood Co
9pm-10pm
KEY WEST POKER RUN 2019
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
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Body Paint Contest 1st- 2nd & 3rd Place Win cash prizes
Poker Run Village - Main Stage-Seeking judges!
FRIDAY 11/08 ALL DAY 10:00am 3:30pm 12:00PM 6pm -9pm
Key West Poker Run Village
631 Greene Street
Powerboat races- Key West Harbor
Check schedules harbor closures
FPC Powerboat Flag Parade on race course
Staging 11:30AM near USCG terminal, Key West Harbor
Poker Run Sponsor Appreciation Awards & Bikini Show. Sponsors please be present to accept Poker Run Village: 631 Greene Street
SATURDAY 11/09 ALL DAY 10am–10pm 11am- 2pm
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
Noon-4pm
Fun Run & Raft Up Party
6:00pm
Poker Run dinner party - 1st seating Sponsors have reserved tables.
Woman Key-same location as last year. (No beach access) Alternate rafting locations may be determined according to weather & wind conditions – be prepared to receive text to confirm or change location
Conch Republic Seafood Co | Bring your dinner tickets and Bonus Cards!
7:30pm 9:00pm 6:30pm–9:30pm
Poker Run dinner party – 2nd seating
Conch Republic Seafood Co | Bring your dinner tickets and Bonus Cards!
Poker Run dinner party – 3rd seating
Conch Republic Seafood Co | Bring your dinner tickets and Bonus Cards!
Play your poker cards! Win Prizes!
Conch Republic Seafood Co | WIN Grand Prize $25,000 towards OffleaseOnly vehicle. Great prizes for 2nd and 3rd.
Presidents Choice Awards all evening 10:00pm
Poker Run winners will be announced and prizes awarded!!
SUNDAY 11/10 8am-9am 10am-4pm
Early departure boats leave Key West
Exit Marina before harbor closing!
FINAL ROUND- OFF SHORE POWERBOAT RACES Check schedules Harbor closures
MONDAY 11/11 9:00am and 10am
Key West departures.
This list represents the actual Poker Run boat entries as of October 28, 2019. See the complete list of Key West Sponsors on Page 94. Michael & Neveda McClallen........ IL 37’ Active Thunder..COLD ONE CONFESSION$
Erik Christensen.......................... FL 41’ Cigarette............................CIGARETTE
Howard & Amie Beindit IV........... MI 41’ Apache................................TATONKA
Elliot & Erica Wiczer.................... IL 41’ Cigarette...................... LOONEY TUNE
Ed & Surey Garcia....................... FL 41’ Apache..................................APACHE
Bubba & Brittany Chrisco............. OK 39’ Cigarette.......................... WAR PARTY
Dawn & Donald Hadden.............. SC 32’ Belzona......... DANGEROUSLY KNOTTY
Frank Sr & Frank Jr Jannucci....... NJ 39’ Cigarette........................ FUNDSALOW
Andy Imhof................................. MD 43’ Black Thunder................. EL PADRINO
Joseph & Karen Bresnahan Jr...... NH 39’ Cigarette................. POOR OL’ MOVER
Ron & Dana McLean.................... FL 39’ Blackwater.....................BLACKWATER
Bud Porter.................................. IL 39’ Cigarette......................... RELENTLESS
Bryan Mullinax........................... MD 33’ Boston Whaler..................SEAKEEPER
Bill Robbins................................. TX 39’ Cigarette..........CENTER OF ATTENTION
Ramon & Katia Vera.................... FL 35’ Bulletproof Custom Powerb.BULLETPROOF
Dr Ino Halegua........................... FL 38’ Cigarette.............. GREECE LIGHTNING
Derek Wachob............................. OK 59’ Cigarette...............................6 CARAT
Stu & Jackie Jones...................... FL 38’ Cigarette......................PROJECT 1080
Daryl Turner............................... TX 46’ Cigarette........................RUMRUNNER
Tom & Wes Abraham................... NY 38’ Cigarette..................MIAMI TWO-STEP
Luke/Corey Leibel....................... FL 45’ Cigarette............................CIGARETTE
Bobby & Kendall Berk................. FL 38’ Cigarette......................... VIRGIN GUN
Jim Schultz................................. IL 42’ Cigarette....................FACTORY BILLET
Anthony Bertozzi......................... VA 38’ Cigarette...................... SMOKIN HOTT
Stephen Barker........................... NY 42’ Cigarette............................. X-FACTOR
Kyle Lewis................................... FL 38’ Cigarette................... JUST ONE MORE
Tom Gourzis................................ PA 42’ Cigarette.................................. OPA II
Michael & Cory McClellan............ MO 38’ Cigarette........................LOADED GUN
Michael & Tara Kimbell............... GA 42’ Cigarette.........................DIRTY DUCK
Blake Olson................................. TX 38’ Cigarette............ ANOTHER BAD HABIT
Tom Klocker................................ OH 42’ Cigarette.................................NO ETA
George Pasha IV.......................... CA 38’ Cigarette................................. IV FUN
Alan Lima................................... FL 42’ Cigarette.... GROVE HARBOUR MARINA
Todd DePetris.............................. NY 38 Cigarette............................BANK RUN
Sal Olivia.................................... NY 42’ Cigarette................ X-SCAPE FROM NY
Jeff & Brenda Jacobs................... MD 36’ Cigarette......................... WE’RE BACK
Rick Riggle.................................. OH 42’ Cigarette...................... ROOSTER TAIL
Max Zeldich................................ NJ 36’ Cigarette.......................... SUPER BAD
Kevin & Melissa Welch................. MA 42’ Cigarette...........................TA DA PINS
Curtis Mulch................................ NJ 35’ Cigarette........................GUNSLINGER
Don House.................................. KY 42’ Cigarette........................... MAYHEM V
Bobbie & Lynn Kieber.................. FL 35’ Cigarette...................BIG BAD N BLUE
Gunner Adams............................ FL 42 Cigarette............................CIGARETTE
Scott & Natalie Pollio................... NJ 35’ Cigarette.................. TROUBLE MAKER
Skip Braver................................. FL 41’ Cigarette...... CIGARETTE RACING TEAM
John Ruiz.................................... FL 50’ Cigarette........... POWER OF ATTORNEY
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Donnie Snyder............................ CT 44’ Concept............................BLUEPRINT
Ryan & Michelle Shaw................. TX 35’ Donzi.................................. WHY NOT
Eric Avila..................................... FL 44’ Concept.................... CONCEPT BOATS
Ted Hosmer NY............................ 33’ Donzi.................................SNO PROBLEM
Noel & Gretchen Speranza.......... FL 44’ Concept............................RETAINAGE
Richard Davies............................ NY 32’ Doug Wright................DONE WRIGHT
Parnell & Wendy Olson................ MI 36’ Concept........L’ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Laurent Besnier..........................France 32’ Doug Wright........ GROS COCHONS
Jorge & Ann Arellano.................. FL 35’ DCB............................................OGP
Karsten Melcher.........................Germany 38’ Dozni......................... GERMANY
Scott Witt.................................... VA 33’ DCB....................OFFSHORE ACCOUNT
Steve Armstrong.......................... FL 35’ Draken Marine...........HONEY BADGER
Mike & Maggie Sanz................... FL 29’ DCB.................................QUICKSANZ
Russell & Patty Hayes.................. CA 28’ Eliminator.......................ELIMINATOR
Ray Aquit.................................... FL 39’ Deep Impact.................HAMMERTIME
Bill & MJ Schaab......................... NY 40’ Formula.........................BLACK PEARL
Mark & Eileen Fischer................. FL 39’ Deep Impact..................DEEP IMPACT
Kyle & Georgina Weese............... OK 40’ Formula........................SPLITTIN 10’$
Thomas Hart............................... NY 39’ Deep Impact..................DEEP IMPACT
Francis Marfyak.......................... CT 35’ Formula............................YEAH BABY
Leonides & Mayli Ramos............. FL 39’ Deep Impact..........................SAVAGE
David Tievy................................. MD 48’ Fountain............................. SPEC OPS
James & Sonia Redding............... GA 39’ Deep Impact.................LA MEXICANA
Chet & Cindy Huffman................ CA 48’ Fountain...........................STILL NUTZ
Tim Gallagher............................. FL 36’ Deep Impact..................DEEP IMPACT
Mat & Ann Marie Raymond......... NC 48’ Fountain......................... MISS GRACE
Bennett & Jimena Loftin.............. FL 36’ Deep Impact.................... SIDE CHICK
Sam & Maria Galasso.................. NY 47’ Fountain................................... SAGA
David Sacher............................... FL 36’ Deep Impact............................LEO IV
Zebastian Fohlin.........................Sweden 47’ Fountain.................... FOUNTAIN
David & Sarid Arnold................... GA 33’ Deep Impact................... D-STRESSED
Josh & Terri Anne Pierce.............. KS 42’ Fountain....................... THE ANIMALS
Robert Lockyer............................ FL 33’ Deep Impact............ PATRIOT MARINE
Mark Headley............................. OH 42’ Fountain.................MAIDEN AMERICA
Matt Migliazzo............................ KS 38’ Donzi.................. LAUNDERED MONEY
Kent Fiedler................................ Canada 42’ Fountain.................LAST TOY XV
Shane Morreau........................... LA 38’ Donzi.......................... CATCHIN’ HELL
Christopher Richards................... NY 42’ Fountain............................ FOUNTAIN
Luis Sotero.................................. FL 38’ Donzi............................PARTY OF 3’S
Anthony Augello.......................... NY 38’ Fountain............................ FOUNTAIN
Evan Bangs................................. TX 35’ Donzi...............................IMPLICATED
Nicholas & Heather Mitchell........ MA 38’ Fountain.................... DADDY’S GIRLS
Chad MacDonald......................... CO 35’ Donzi....................................MY TIME
Brad Williams............................. FL 38’ Fountain...................GRANDE YACHTS
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Tonka Simpson...........................Bermuda 38’ Fountain..... DRINKIN FOUNTAIN
Mark Godsey............................... TN 52’ MTI........................ PROJECT MAYHEM
Patrick & Lamya Clarke............... NY 35’ Fountain............................ FOUNTAIN
Don Verkuylen............................ FL 52’ MTI..............................SUPER VELOCE
Kyle Fowler................................. GA 35’ Fountain...........................BAD A$$ET
David Branton............................. LA 48’ MTI..................................... HOTSHOT
Bill Grigo.................................... NY 35’ Fountain.....................ADJOURNMENT
Lane Christianson........................ TX 48’ MTI....................................FAST LANE
Kevin Kurkowski.......................... TX 35’ Fountain.................. THE GRASSY ASS
John O’Loughlin.......................... NY 48’ MTI................................UNFORGIVEN
Jorge Carlos Fernandez............... FL 32’ Fountain..... SEA SEÑOR POWERBOATS
Fred & Judy Reavis...................... SC 48’ MTI..............................................MTI
Ryan & Julie Scharnowske........... IN 42’ Freeman............................ FLAK-BAIT
Ken Armstrong............................ TX 48’ MTI.................................... PHANTOM
A.L. & Kruis Kirkland................... FL 36’ Glasstream....................GLASSTREAM
Adam & Cathy Ramirez............... CA 48’ MTI.................................... LAST CALL
Bill Day....................................... KY 32’ Glasstream................................DAYS
Scott & Stacy Rosenbach.............. IL 48’ MTI................................... BAD HABIT
James E. Lee............................... KS 72’ Hatteras........................... CHRISTINA
John Woodruff............................ GA 48’ MTI....................................WINDSHIP
Elias Delatorre III........................ FL 65’ HCB.....HCB CENTER CONSOLE YACHTS
Mark Stoddart............................. Canada 48’ MTI......................................MTI
Elias Delatorre............................ KS 53’ HCB...................................... SUENOS
Jack Villars .................................Switzerland 43’ MTI.............................. JACK
Jason & Loren Yates.................... VA 50’ Hustler...................... ORANCE CRUSH
Shawn & Sieglinde Moe............... NV 42’ MTI.................................MOE POWER
Allen Chase................................. NY 40’ Hustler....................... CHASE-IN-RAYS
Bill Pyburn JR............................. FL 42’ MTI.................. PLATINUM ADDICTION
Greg Roth................................... Canada 38’.Hustler...............BABYBLUEBAYOU
Mark & Jennifer Schouten........... AZ 42’ MTI................................ BRAVO ZULU
Trent Toone................................. FL 37’ Intrepid........................... LIV-N-HOOT
Randy Scism............................... MO 42’ MTI..............................................MTI
Mark Palanchian......................... FL 102’ Maiora.... NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES
Craig Hargreaves........................ WA 42’ MTI................. SPOOLED UP SUPPORT
Eric Glaser.................................. FL 60’ Midnight Express.MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
Brian Johnson............................. MD 42’ MTI..............................................MTI
Scot Conrad................................. FL 43’ Midnight Express..........SLT Collection
Ray & Jill Kowalik....................... MO 42’ MTI............................ BIKINI BOTTOM
David & Jenny Landsman............ MD 43’ Midnight Express...... GAME CHANGER
Jake Nossaman........................... OK 42’ MTI.................................... WIRED UP
David Carey................................ MD 37’ Midnight Express.......... HARD EIGHTS
Fred & Judy Reavis...................... SC 42’ MTI................................ BLEW BY U 4
Michael Tandoi............................ NY 35’ Motion......RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
Michael & Angela Rorie............... FL 42’ MTI................................... TIME FLY’S
Derek Wachob............................. OK 52’ MTI..........................BLACK DIAMOND
Jeff & Marilyn Whitlock............... AL 42’ MTI........................................... DO IT
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Nate & Robin Michel.................... LA 40’ MTI..................................... CLOUD IX
Red Reynolds.............................. WI 80’ Nor-Tech............................ LADY LISA
Brian Metcalf.............................. CA 40’ MTI..................................NATIVE SUN
Garry & Nancy Robertson............ ME 52’ Nor-Tech.......................MY DIAMOND
Mark Krytiuk............................... Canada 40’ MTI....................... SPEED RACER
Barry & Stephanie Henson.......... TN 50’ Nor-Tech............................ NOR-TECH
Craig & Paula Ackerman............. GA 34’ MTI......................................... SEA YA
Cody & Veronica Lovins............... TX 45’ Nor-Tech................ SPECIAL PURPOSE
Bo & Bilge Gregory..................... AZ 34’ MTI................................. THE SWITCH
Henrik Margard / Schou............. FL 45’ Nor-Tech............................ NOR-TECH
Derek Wachob............................. OK 34’ MTI............ BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS
Jesse & Stephanie Neumann....... MN 45’ Nor-Tech..........................SALTY WIFE
Thomas Freund........................... NY 34’ MTI....................................NEW DEAL
Alex Pratt.................................... MI 45’ Nor-Tech............................ NOR-TECH
Burton Kirsten............................. MI 34’ MTI.........................................L’IT JET
Curtis Watkins............................. FL 45’ Nor-Tech........................EVIL WOMAN
John O’Loughlin.......................... NY 34’ MTI.........................UNFORGIVEN TOO
Roger & Pam Anderson............... TX 39’ Nor-Tech.....................EASY MONEY II
Brandon Purkiss.......................... CA 34’ MTI............................. WEED WACKEN
Jim Bradley................................. TX 39’ Nor-Tech....................ROAD WARRIOR
Taylor Scism................................ FL 34’ MTI..............................................MTI
Greg Bent................................... LA 39’ Nor-Tech............................HELL BENT
Kevin Primmer............................ Canada 34’ MTI......................................MTI
Preston & Hailee Collins.............. TX 39’ Nor-Tech....................... IN REEL DEEP
Shannon & Alicia Hamilton.......... GA 50’ Mystic..........................LOW ALTITUDE
Andre Flottmann......................... FL 39’ Nor-Tech............................ NOR-TECH
H. Neil & Cindy Campbell............ FL 42’ Mystic..................... BODACIOUS, TOO
Jimmie Harrison.......................... FL 39’ Nor-Tech.......................FJ PROPELLER
Frank & Toni Esposito.................. NJ 42’ Mystic.................................... MYSTIC
Steve Lyman............................... AZ 39’ Nor-Tech......................NICE PACKAGE
Doug & Sheri Falcone.................. NJ 42’ Mystic..................MARINE UNLIMITED
Dave Raisbeck............................. FL 39’ Nor-Tech......................RAISERS EDGE
Matt Garland............................... KY 42’ Mystic.............................DOWNTOWN
Geoff Tomlinson.......................... MO 39’ Nor-Tech...MIDWEST BOATING CENTER
Ray & Kristine Gremaux.............. NY 42’ Mystic................................BIG SHOT!
Pierre & Meghan Brousseau........ CANADA 39’ Nor-Tech...............THE STOOGES
David Rudiger............................. OH 42’ Mystic....................................... OHIO
Jukka Murto............................... Finland 39’ Nor-Tech................ ALGOTS VARV
Jimmy & Gina Smith................... CA 42’ Mystic.......................... tt CRESCENDO
Hans Othar Blix........................... NORWAY 39’ Nor-Tech................... 2TWENTY5
Simon Williams........................... FL 42’ Mystic..................................... GoGPS
Johan Andersson......................... Sweden 39’ Nor-tech........................JOY RIDE
Benji/Chris Mastronardi.............. Canada 42’ Mystic............. DOUBLE DIAMOND
Todd & Heidi Anne Chartier......... MI 39’ Nor-Tech......................... SIDE CAR XL
Bernie Neuhaus.......................... NJ 38’ Mystic........ MARINE UNLIMITED SALES
David Gordon.............................. FL 39 Nor-Tech...................... MISS TREATED
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Rick & Charolene Milstead........... AL 36’ Nor-Tech........... CAT GOTCHA TONGUE
Michael Lund.............................. MA 42’ Outerlimits............. SEAGULL SIZZLER
Kenny & Myna Mungle................ TX 39’ Nor-Tech........................ GONE AGAIN
Jared Hardin............................... CA 39’ Outerlimits................HUNDRED PLUS
William Pater.............................. MI 36’ Nor-Tech........................GOOD TO GO
Mike Bolin.................................. CA 39’ Outerlimits.............................. ROSIE
Tom & Rachel Regan................... TX 36’ Nor-Tech..............................ELEANOR
Bruno & Rebecca Perree.............. FL 39’ Outerlimits.....................MEGAWATTS
Frank Scheelen........................... FL 36’ Nor-Tech.............................. TOP FUN
Craig & Franca LaScola................ MA 37’ Outerlimits......................... LA SCALA
Oystein Tenold............................ Norway 36’ Nor-Tech..................... NOR-TECH
Jorge Carlos Fernandez............... FL 43’ Pardo Yachts...SEA SEÑOR POWERBOATS
Rob & Kerri Turner...................... MI 34’ Nor-Tech.......................... TURNER UP
Randy Kent................................. MO 37’ Pillini Marine..... MIDWEST BOATING CTR
Dean Albanese............................ RI 34’ Nor-Tech................... HAMMER DOWN
J.T. Byrne.................................... TX 33’ Power Play.......... OH FOR FIN’S SAKE
Jerry & Chamaine Bennish.......... MI 34’ Nor-Tech....................... ROCK N ROLL
George (Klaus) & Martha Takkula..... Switzerland 46’ Predator.......PREDATOR 447
Daniel & Lana Dickert................. FL 34’ Nor-Tech...........................LADY LANA
Geoff & Sue Wanamaker............. MD 34’ Regulator....................... REGULATOR
Brian Forehand .......................... NC 50’ Outerlimits........................ B FORE U
Stephen Sweet............................ IL 42’ Scout..............................SWEET SPOT
Dr. Michael Janssen..................... CO 53’ Outerlimits...CENTER FOR SPINE & ORTHOP
Andrew (Rocco) Rocco................. NH 52’ Skater......................TIME CONSCIOUS
Dan Kleitz................................... RI 52’ Outerlimits....................OUTERLIMITS
Joe & Nikole Gilstorf................... MI 50’ Skater..............50 SHADES(UPDATED)
Anthony Rosciti........................... RI 50’ Outerlimits...........................STEALTH
Jeff Layton.................................. AL 48’ Skater..................LAYTON CHEVROLET
Richard Szesnat........................... NY 50’ Outerlimits..........POOR DIRT FARMER
Todd Fountain............................. MI 46’ Skater................................... TOMCAT
Chris Mastronardi........................ CANADA 50’ Outerlimits............OUTERLIMITS
Elias Delatorre III........................ FL 46’ Skater.................................... SKATER
Ron Roman Ricucci...................... NJ 47’ Outerlimits........................ PURE EVIL
Jonathon & Amy Azoulay............ TX 44’ Skater.............................FLIGHT TIME
Chris Mattingly............................ KY 46’ Outerlimits....................OUTERLIMITS
Don Doty.................................... MI 42’ Skater............................. 1YR SKATER
David Beach................................ NJ 44’ Outerlimits................. ROCK & RYE IV
Chip / Don Miller / Doty............. MI 40’ Skater...............................LET ‘ER RIP
Greg DelMonte............................ NJ 44’ Outerlimits.............HARD TO HANDLE
Bob & Kari Blanford.................... FL 38’ Skater........... UNITED HOMEBUILDERS
Larry Hill.................................... FL 44’ Outerlimits...................... BAD LARRY
Chris & Angela Bradley............... TX 38’ Skater..............................RAINMAKER
Jim & Lynne Archambault............ GA 43’ Outerlimits............... KEEPIN’ IT REAL
James Branton............................ LA 38’ Skater................................. VOO DOO
Jeb & Stephanie Bradshaw.......... NC 42’ Outerlimits....................OUTERLIMITS
Michael & Nicolle Pierce.............. LA 38’ Skater.......................PURE PLATINUM
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Joseph Castellana....................... NY 38’ Skater.........AWESOME MOTORSPORTS
Joel Begin................................... Canada 40’ Sunsation............CANADIAN GIRL
Dan Desantis............................... MA 38’ Skater....................MCLAREN BOSTON
Wraith & Lisa Drake.................... FL 34’ Sunsation.....................SUNSATION II
Jukka Murto/Sebastian Mefsamaki.Switzerland 38’ Skater SIPULI RACING SUPPORT TEA
Keith & Karen Rockman.............. FL 34’ Sunsation........................ SUNSATION
Beau and Tiffiney Renfroe........... GA 36’ Skater.......................... DIRTY MONEY
Chris Colson................................ NJ 32’ Sunsation................................... HTO
Mike & Angela Goldbaugh........... AL 36’ Skater........................... LATE FEE$ x2
Justin & Erin Lucas...................... TN 32’ Sunsation. CONTROLLED AGGRESSION
William Grannis.......................... MI 36’ Skater........................................OPA! Chris LaMorte.............................. NJ 36’ Skater............................... SKATER 36 Eric & Ashley Matzen................... NY 36’ Skater........................... PIPE DREAMS Chris Ryder................................. NY 36’ Skater............... CRISIS MANAGEMENT Greg Harris................................. FL 32’ Skater............................. MAD PROPS Michael & Debra Alexander......... NY 32’ Skater...................TJA MOTORSPORTS
Hugo Domingez.......................... FL 30’ Vandalize Boat Work .VANDALIZE BOAT WKS Michael Carravetta...................... Canada 23’ Worldcat...................WORLDCAT Win Farnsworth........................... FL 42’ Wright Perf............. DOIN’ IT WRIGHT Matt Borcina............................... NY 36’ Wright Perf MC ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS Daren Kittredge.......................... MA 36’ Wright Performance........LITTLE WING Mark & Nancy Tuck..................... VA 36’ Wright Performance..........TIMBERCAT
Robert Lockyer............................ FL 32’ Skater...................... PATRIOT MARINE Gary & Jen Nelson...................... FL 30’ Skater....................................STREGA John & Tracy Wittenberger SR..... NJ 36’ Sonic.......................... ON THE ROCKS Chris Miller................................. OK 30’ Spectre......................NEVER ENOUGH John Wittenberger Jr................... NJ 30’ Spectre........................BAD DECISION Todd Werner................................ FL 38’ Statement........................ STATEMENT Steve & Lisa Young...................... AL 38’ Statement!.................... NAUTI HABIT Nick Buis..................................... FL 38’ Statement!..................... STATEMENT! John & Suzanne Stella................ NY 38’ Statement!............................SEND IT Jason & Melissa Hill.................... MO 35’ Statement!...................... STATEMENT Barry & Suzie Hadlock................ OK 35’ Statement!..................................RFR Jason & Krisha Tolliver................ OH 40’ Sunsation............................TOLLIVER
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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FEATURED KEY WEST 2019 DIAMOND SPONSORS MERCURY RACING
BIOKLEEN
Mercury Racing returns to the Key West Poker Run as our Presenting Sponsor. Visit their Mobile Marketing Display at the Key West Poker Run Village and speak to team members about the latest products including the new V8 450R outboards, QC4 Stern drive products, and Mercury Racing propellers. www.MercuryRacing.com
BioKleen produces quality high-performance boat and marine cleaners that safely break down and eliminate dirt without harming you or any negative impact on the environment. All Key West Poker Run captains bags contain a complete BioKleen sample kit, so try these products and you'll see the difference! www.Biokleen.com
OFFLEASE ONLY
CIGARETTE RACING TEAM
Offlease Only has one again offered the Key West Poker Run Grand Prize valued at $ 25,000. The poker run winning team can use this voucher to purchase any one of 5,000+ quality vehicles at Offlease Only's five Florida locations. See an assorted of vehicles on display at the Key West Poker Run Village. www.offleaseonly.com
Cigarette Racing Team was founded in 1969 by the legendary Don Aronow, and continues its legacy as an iconic high-performance boat brand, with the continuous release of new models from their first-class Miami production facility. Come celebrate 50 Years with Cigarette Racing, and see the latest Cigarette GTR center console model at the Key West sponsor dock. www. cigaretteracing.com
AO COOLERS
CONCEPT BOATS
AO Coolers is a leading supplier nationwide of high quality, soft-sided beverage coolers which are ideal for boating, off-roading and outdoor lifestyles! Visit AO Coolers at their display in the Key West Poker Run Village. www.aocoolers.com
Concept Boats continues to build some of the most versatile powerboats on the market-known for unbeatable performance, lasting construction, and signature custom graphics. See the all-new Concept 4400 at the Key West Poker Run Village sponsor dock. www.conceptboat.com
BLACKWATER BOATS
CONCH REPUBLIC SEAFOOD COMPANY
Blackwater Boats is a Miami-based builder of center console performance boats, and has introduced several new models in the last three years. Look for their latest 39' and 43' models at the Key West Poker Run sponsor dock! www.blackwaterboats.com
Conch Republic Seafood Company will once again host the Key West Poker Run Village. This landmark restaurant boasts the best location for boaters with scenic views of the Key West Historic Seafood, and the freshest seafood anywhere, with fresh catch offloaded daily from local fisherman! www.conchrepublicseafoodcompany.com
BRAND X Brand X High Performance specializes in performance marine service, rigging, storage and poker run support. Trust Brand X for all your poker run service needs, including emergency parts and transportation. Visit the Brand X team at the Key West Poker Run Village, where their mobile support team is on hand for the entire Key West event. www.brandxpmarine.com
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DEEP IMPACT BOATS Deep Impact Boats has evolved as a leading manufacturer of performance center console boats, built one-by-one with the attention to details and the structural integrity to withstand the rigors of salt-water offshore powerboating. See the latest 399 and 369 models on display at the Key West Poker Run Village. www.deepimpactboats.com
FACTORY BILLET
HARDIN MARINE
Factory Billet has been a leading manufacturer in billet aluminum marine hardware for the wakeboard industry and more recently, emerged on the performance marine trade with revolutionary high performance bio-fuel engines with outstanding horsepower. See the new Factory Billet Cigarette Huntress 42' at the Poker Run Sponsor dock. www.factorybillet.com
Hardin Marine manufactures and is an authorized re-seller of an extensive line of highperformance marine hardware, to spice up any high-performance boat from bow to stern! Speak to the Hardin Marine professionals at their impressive tractor-trailer mobile display rig, at the Key West Poker Run Village. www.hardinmarine.com
HAULOVER MARINE CENTER
Florida Powerboat Foundation: Since it's inception in Fall 2018, Florida Powerboat Foundation has raised more than $ 100,000 for local charities through poker run fundraising activities. With the recent Hurricane Dorian destruction in The Bahamas, FPF will focus on Key West fundraising activities to send much needed supplies and equipment to the Bahamas Relief effort.
Haulover Marine Center is South Florida's largest "big boat" dry storage marine facility, capable of racking over 500 powerboats and conveniently located just one mile from Haulover Inlet, gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. Once again HMC will host the North departure staging location for the Key West Poker Run, with it's professional staff focusing on the needs of the Key West Poker Run participants. Visit HMC company representatives at their exhibit in the Key West Poker Run Village. www.haulovermarinecenter.com
GLASSTREAM POWERBOATS
HCB CENTER CONSOLE YACHTS
Glasstream Powerboats based in Dothan, Alabama has been building a full line of quality recreational boats for three decades. More recently, their 32' and 36' Center Console models which feature an inverted-stepped hull, have emerged on the poker run scene as the lowest priced (under $300,000) way to enjoy a brand new Mercury Verado-powered performance boat for reliable poker run fun! www.glasstream.com
HCB Center Console Yachts has evolved as evolved from the very successful Hydrasports brand, creating a new breed of performance center consoles including the popular 53' Suenos model , and the new 65' Estrella powered by (5) Seven Marine 627HP. HCB Center Console yachts takes the concept of the "custom" center console to a whole new level, with heavy layup, extended range, and creature comforts that make it the ideal offshore shore cruiser for the very discrimating buyer. www.hcbyachts.com
FLORIDA POWERBOAT FOUNDATION
GROVE HARBOUR MARINA Grove Harbour Marina returns as an Official Marina for the Key West Poker Run, providing launching, fuel, and overnight staging for poker run attendees. Its ideal location in Coconut Grove puts attendees on the doorstep to vibrant nightlife in "The Grove" and at the starting point for card # 1 and the Southbound leg of the poker run to Key Largo. www.groveharbourmarina.com
MTI-MARINE MTI-Marine Technology Inc continues to build a full line of high-quality, performance catamarans and center consoles, with no signs of slowing down. With the popularity of the Mercury Racing outboard lineup, including the Verado 400R and the new 450R, MTI has enjoyed great popularity of its SV42 Center Console model, along with the more recent 34 Cat, and a new cat model release, which is forthcoming at the Key West Poker Run, Nov 5th, at Haulover Marine Center. See new MTI models on display at the Key West Poker Run Sponsor dock. www.marinetechnologyinc.com
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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FEATURED KEY WEST 2019 DIAMOND SPONSORS CENTER FOR SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS
MYCO TRAILERS
Center for Spine & Orthopedics is a spinal surgery practice under the leadership of Doc Michael Janssen & associates, based in Denver, CO. The Center for Spine and Orthopedics (CSO) combines practicing medicine with research and training spine surgeons from around the world. When not performing spinal surgeries, Janssen is more affectionately known around the poker run community, as an avid performance boater and former professional offshore racer. www.centerforspineandortho.com
Myco Trailers is known for its quality performance aluminum marine trailers, manufactured with the finest materials and by the best welders and fabricators in the business. From their Bradenton Florida facility, they serve the entire continent and are the chosen trailer for leading manufacturers like Nor-Tech Hi Performance and Cigarette Racing. Myco Trailers partnered with FPC on the Project 1080HP Cigarette in 2019, building a painted aluminum triple axle trailer which performed flawlessly on a 5,000-mile FPC summer poker run tour from Florida to Canada and back. www.mycotrailers.com
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS BOATS Midnight Express Boats is a Miami-based builder of high-performance center console boats, ranging from 34 feet to their newest 60' Pied-A-Mar, powered by quad Seven Marine 627's. Their popular 37' and 43' models populate the South Florida waterways extensively, and to illustrate their focus on custom builds, no two Midnight Express models are ever identical. In a gesture to thank their loyal customers, Midnight Express factory owners staged an upscale Bimini Renedezous in April 2019. www.midnightboats.com MARINE CONCEPTS Marine Concepts created a solution to the unpleasant "dirty boat" by designing a unique cover that is easy to use for even the largest of cruisers and performance boats. . With a Marine Concepts boat cover one person can easily cover a 50 foot boat in about 60 seconds. Protect your valuable boat from the elements and always have a clean boat, ready to use, in just seconds. Visit the Marine Concepts display at see the "Worlds Best Boat Cover" at the Key West Poker Run Village. www.marineconcepts. MARINE UNLIMITED Marine Unlimited is headquartered in Toms River NJ, and is a factory dealer for Mystic Powerboats and carries an inventory of quality used powerboats. Dry storage, service, part department and in water slips during season are among the full line of services offered by Marine Unlimited. Their latest expansion includes opening a new South Florida sales location at Gateway Marina in Boynton Beach, FL. Look for the two latest Mystic models, a 3800 Center Console and a new 38' Cat powered by Mercury Racing 450's, at the Key West Poker Run sponsor dock. www.teammarineunlimited.com
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NEXTERA ENERGY MARKETING NextEra Energy Marketing returns to the Key West Poker Run, with a stellar crew of over 35 "Power executives" who will enjoy a front-row seat to the Key West Poker Run, from aboard the 105' Leopard Motoryacht, "Negociator". Mark Palanchian heads up this VIP crew, which will hand off the "Bonus Poker Card" in Marathon on the Thursday run. NextEra Energy Marketing delivers clean energy across much of North America, helping provide sustainable solutions to meet evolving energy needs. www.nexteraenergyresources.com
NOR-TECH HI PERFORMANCE BOATS Nor-Tech Hi Performance has broken all the barriers by being one the only boat builders to have created recreational performance boats and yachts in virtually every category over its nearly 30 years in business. From the stepped-bottom Supervees that won factory-class racing titles in the 90's, to its extensive line of V-bottoms and stylish catamarans that won over the poker run enthusiasts, Nor-Tech has always proven its ability to go one-step beyond. See the latest NorTech 450 Center Console, powered by Mercury Racing 450R's, at the Key West Poker Run sponsor dock. www.nor-techboats.com
OUTERLIMITS POWERBOATS
SUNSATION POWERBOATS
Outerlimits Powerboats based in Rhode Island, prides itself on being the only performance powerboat manufacturer in the world exclusively using carbon fiber post-cured epoxy in all their vessels, resulting in stronger and lighter boats which maintain their integrity despite extreme use and intense conditions. The result is performance and brute speed, as documented by their 2014 V-bottom World Speed Record of 181 mph! See the latest SL50 Outerlimits at the Key West sponsor dock, and drop by their dry-land display at the Key West Poker Run Village. www.outerlimitspowerboats.info
Sunsation Powerboats is a Michigan-based powerboat builder that has been on the forefront of the poker run scene for more than two decades, with a full line of stylish V-bottoms up to 43 feet, that feature outstanding performance, design and colorful paint schemes. With the growing trend towards center consoles, Sunsation nailed it when they engineered the 34 and 32 CCX models, which soon dominated their entire production. At Key West 2018 Sunsation debuted their new 40 CCX center console, and they will feature another new 40CCX in Key West this year, along with a dealer-displayed 32CCX in the Poker Run Village. www.sunsationpowerboats.com
PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER Performance Boat Center has emerged as one of the nation's leading performance boat dealers, representing top brands including Cigarette, Sunsation, MTI and their exclusive line of Wright Performance cats. With the Lake of the Ozarks headquarters in Osage Beach, MO and their more recent Hollywood, Florida sales & service center, Performance Boat Center is able to support it's wide base of customers with first class service, extensive parts department, and the ability to turn dreams into reality, by getting you and your crew into the right boat, so you don't miss the next poker run! Visit PBC both inwater and at the Poker Run Village display, where they will be well-represented with their newest models! www.performanceboatcenter.com
PERFORMANCE MARINE TRADING Performance Marine Trading has an extensive track record of servicing the most demanding of powerboat clientele, from offshore powerboat racers to island-hopping adventurers who seek long-range reliability and rough-sea modifications. Taking a twenty year old boat and redesigning it for modern day use is typical day-at-the-shop for the PMT staff, as proven by re-rigging the FPC Project 1080HP, a 2000 Cigarette Top Gun that came out of PMT as a completely new 2018-spec boat! So whether it's a Mercury Racing stern drive repower, outboard rigging, scheduled maintenance or secure boat storage, PMT can provide an endless array of services from its Fort Lauderdale location. www.outdrives.com
SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS INC Superior Communications Inc based in Annapolis Md is a leading supplier of Garmin, Icom, Standard and David Clark brands of electronics to the marine industry, government institutions, and is a product-partner on the Project 1080HP 38 Cigarette. SCI returns to Key West as a proud 15-year prize sponsor, offering a Garmin chartplotter and ICOM radios as poker run prizes. The team will be attending with the company mascot, a Fountain 48' Express Cruiser, Team Spec Ops IV. www.scicommo.com
WILSON CUSTOM COMPOSITES Wilson Custom Composites has combined 50 years of powerboat racing and boat building knowledge with DD compound, the most innovative and ground breaking composites company worldwide. The result is stronger yet lighter hull construction and composite components that translate to speed and performance. Combined with their drive and propulsion tuning skills, WCC will squeeze every last bit of MPH out of any boat. Facebook: wilsoncustomcomposites
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FPC EVENT CALENDAR DEC 14 2019
| FPC PERFORMANCE BOAT SHOWCASE AT THE EXOTIC CAR TOY RALLY: POMPANO GOODYEAR BLIMP HANGAR
JAN 24-26
| WINTER POKER RUN: FARO BLANCO, MARATHON
FEB 13-17
| MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW: VIRGINIA KEY
FEB 20-23
| 25TH ANNUAL MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN: MIAMI TO KEY LARGO
MAR 12-15
| MTI OW N E R S FU N RU N : FLO R I DA K E YS
MAR 20-22
| SPRING POKER RUN: FLORIDA KEYS
MAR 26-29
| PALM BEACH BOAT SHOW: WEST PALM BEACH
APR 16-19
| 10TH A N N UA L TA M PA BAY P O K E R RU N : TA M PA- S T. PE TE R S B U RG
MAY 27-31
| ORANGE BEACH POWERBOAT WEEK: THE WHARF, ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA
JUNE 4-9
| 29TH A N N UA L BA H A M A S P O K E R RU N : B I M I N I , C H U B C AY, N A S SAU, E X U M A S
JUNE 12
| FP C S U M M E R P O K E R RU N TO U R B EG I N S ! MULTIPLE EVENTS NATIONWIDE THROUGH AUG 2020.
AUG 12-16
| FPC EMERALD COAST POWERBOAT POKER RUNDESTIN- FORT WALTON BEACH
SEPT 18-20 | FALL BIMINI BLAST- NORTH MIAMI TO BIMINI OCT 9-11
| COLUMBUS DAY FUN RUN- EVENT DESTINATION TBA
NOV 4-8
| FORT LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW: MULTIPLE VENUES
NOV 10-16
| 28TH ANNUAL KEY WEST OFFSHORE POKER RUN- MIAMI TO KEY WEST
DEC 12 DEC 28-30
| SEMINOLE HARD ROCK WINTERFEST BOAT PARADEFORT LAUDERDALE, FL | HOLIDAY SEASON FUN RUN: FLORIDA KEYS
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.
AMERICAN CUSTOM MARINE........................................ 35 AO COOLERS................................................................. 67 BLACKWATER.............................................................. 13 BRAND X...................................................................... 67 CIGARETE......................................................................11 CUSTOM MARINE......................................................... 73 DEEP IMPACT................................................................. 5 DEEP IMPACT............................................................... 45 FOR SALE NOR-TECH 36' SUPERCAT............................. 47 FOR SALE NOR-TECH 50'.............................................. 77 FPC MEMBERSHIP........................................................ 61 JETDOCK...................................................................... 53 LITTLE SWITZERLAND.................................................. 87 LIVORSI.........................................................................51 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 2020................... 63 MERCURY RACING........................................................IFC MIDNIGHT EXPRESS..................................................... 15 MYCO TRAILERS........................................................... 59 NOR-TECH.................................................................... 19 OFFLEASE ONLY.......................................................... IBC OUTERLIMITS............................................................... 17 PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER...................................... 21 PMT.............................................................................. 25 SCI SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS................................ 39 TNT.............................................................................. 29 WESTREC MARINAS..................................................... 55
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NOVEMBER 6-11 | 2019 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