Powerboating In Paradise Vol23#2

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB LIFESTYLE

WINTER FUN RUN

Kicking off the 2023 season with Key Largo Style!

MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN

A Sensational fleet returned to Islamorada where it all began 28 Years earlier!

SPRING KEY WEST POKER RUN

Perfect Spring weather made this 4-day fling a memorable escape to paradise!

TAMPA BAY POKER RUN

Big Horsepower combined with Big City lights for this bay-romping blast!

And .... Our Lovely FPC Girls

WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM

THANK YOU to our Team, Nor-Tech Family, Partners, and the Marine Industry as a whole for your care and support during Hurricane Ian Relief Efforts.

A Magazine Showcasing The Florida Powerboat Club Lifestyle

2023#2 SPRING/SUMMER

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Stu Jones stu@flpowerboat.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lina Montes fpclina@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Pete Boden

Jerry Wyszatycki

Stu Jones

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com

Megan Smith admin@flpowerboat.com

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Stu Jones

Ryan McCoy

Joe Kotrady

DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO

Florida Powerboat Club 1214 SW 6th St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

Tel: 954.545-1414

Fax: 954.782-2452

www.FLPOWERBOAT.com

POMPANO OFFICE HOURS

Monday - Thursday

10 AM - 5 PM

Summer is upon us and for many powerboating enthusiasts around the nation, it is the beginning of an exciting adventure with poker runs, shootouts, fun runs and raft up parties on every weekend agenda. For the Florida Powerboat Club, including our marine trade partners and the 180+ registered teams that joined us over the span of the last four months starting last January, it is time to his the “reset” button…and make the pilgrimage home for the summer season!

While our fellow powerboat friends in more northern climates are counting the days to the Memorial Day Weekend so they can hit water with their engines already idling, the trailering snowbirds who did the South Florida winter with FPC, logged thousands of miles from Miami through the Florida Keys and on Tampa Bay for mid-April fling. For these boaters, many are squeezing in late Spring service appointments for their Mercury Racing hardware and getting their boats on trailers to head back to homeports across the United States and Canada, from Texas to New England and beyond.

Let me begin by thanking all those teams that supported our fall and winter season by attending one or more of our FPC events, and we wish you all the best over the summer season, as you return to your homeports. Now, I am pleased to share the following news about our exciting 2023 FPC Summer Tour!

boating family. The FPC 38’ Cigarette formerly known as Project 1080, received a new set of Mercury Racing 565’s with ITS and XR drives, and since the Key West Poker Run last November, has been making waves throughout Florida as the re-named, TOP GUN Flight 1130. Taking this double-anniversary celebration to the next level, I am pleased to announce the most aggressive cross-country summer tour that we have embarked on in many years. With my wife Jackie as first mate, we will be transporting the 2000 Cigarette Top Gun and attending six major poker runs in as many states June through September! With some much-needed logistics support from professional haulers along with the miracles of modern-day jet travel, we will manage this 8,000+ mile roadtrip while still staging our four FPC poker run events May through September. Please see our calendar for the 2023 FPC Summer Tour, Presented by Mercury Racing on the back page of this issue, or visit the home page of our FPC website at flpowerboat.com

We hope to see all of you over the summer months, and my final request is that you PLEASE make safety a top priority this summer, and always wear your life jacket! It doesn’t work if you’re not wearing it!

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Warm Way to Chill

FPC members from northern climates waited eagerly for this January

opener to escape the cold winter chill, soon discovering this smaller event provided a much different kind of Chill…. the vibe that comes a casual agenda, tropical warmth, and a first-class destination in paradise.

Story by Stu Jones

After the Key West Poker Run every November, there’s a long 9-week stretch of not much going on in the FPC world, partially due to the December holiday season, but realistically, it might be attributed to the fact that the FPC management team takes a little while to hit the “reset” button after this epic fall event. It appears that the logical reboot date falls comfortably after the beginning of the new year, and the Winter Fun Run to the Florida Keys has filled the gap nicely for almost three decades. And, for this annual season opener, there is something that separates it from the rest.

For one, the Winter Fun Run is measurably smaller. By comparison, with an average of 20-25 registered teams versus its Key West counterpart in November with over 250 registered poker run teams, the Winter fling draws a small crowd, covers a short distance, and visits an upscale, family friendly destination called Playa Largo Resort & Spa, located a mere fifty miles from Miami.

Secondly, the formalities of staging a poker run event format, with card checkpoints and a formal dinner party to play out the cards, is traded for a fun run with a more casual, Laissez-faire approach. While FPC still offered evening cocktail happy-hour parties at the open-air Sole by the Sea restaurant overlooking the boat docks, it remains more of a come-if-you please agenda, which attendees seem to enjoy.

The third benefit, from an organizer’s standpoint, is that having just twenty powerboats on the roster, allows FPC to step outside the box with boating daytrips, because smaller groups are just easier to manage when it comes to high-performance boating events! This gave attendees the opportunity to explore some of the most scenic waterways in the Florida Keys, an adventure that many agreed was the highlight of their weekend escape to paradise.

The 3-day event kicked off from Grove Harbour Marina Friday morning, after many teams had overnighted at the Coconut Grove

FPC season

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facility, which offers a variety of indoor and outdoor dry-storage options, plus a substantial number of wet slips for big yachts. After the dockside breakfast, it was a quick romp across Biscayne Bay, with the FPC chopper crew in hot pursuit, capturing the first round of FPC images to kick off the 2023 calendar year and celebrate the club’s 30th anniversary. Gilberts Key Largo hosted the lunch stop, which went off nicely, and by early afternoon the teams were taking a short ride, just ten miles further south through winding mangrove waterways to the opposite end of Key Largo. Our destination was Playa Largo Resort & Spa, a luxurious resort that is proudly marketed by Marriott as an Autograph Collection property. In addition to its expansive, well-manicured grounds, the resort offers a welcoming pool area with well-staffed bars, private cabanas, spa facilities, on-site dining, and amazing views over the colorful bay waters, providing breathtaking sunsets daily. That is only the beginning, because the resort offers such a unique variety of accommodations, including balcony water view suites, two story bungalows, and for the fortunate few, a private two-

story home with its own pool, which was happily scooped up by FPC guests, who celebrated a very festive 60th birthday bash for club member Deris “DJ” Ceresa.

The weekend continued with a fun run Saturday through the scenic Key Largo backwaters from Blackwater Sound, through the Marvin Adams cut, Largo Sound and Pennekamp Coral Reef Park, followed by a short cruise in the Atlantic to Islamorada’s Postcard Inn & Marina. If nothing else, it was the perfect opportunity for FPC members to have a sneak peek at the NEXT destination for the 2023 FPC season, with the annual Miami Boat Show Poker Run returning to this landmark location just a month later. The good news is, that event is also featured in this issue of Powerboating in Paradise Magazine, but don’t jump ahead too soon!! Take your time and enjoy our feature coverage of this smaller boutique-ish winter season opener, where the warm tropical escape combined with the chill vibe appeared to be the winning formula for everyone in attendance. SJ

Photos by: Jerry Wyszatycki and Stu Jones

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Stu & Jackie Jones with FPC Girls Jackie and Hannah

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Grove Harbour Marina provided a great staging location for the Winter Run, while major docking expansion project was underway, as management prepared for the Mercury Racing launch party in February during the Miami Boat Show.

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Stu & Jackie Jones joined by Team BE FIRST, Tory Robson & friends

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Big 60th Birthday celebration weekend for DJ Ceresa! Deris Ceresa | FL | Team PHANTOM BLACK | 43' Midnight Express

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Steve Behnke | MI | Team WRIGHT PERFORMANCE | 36' Wright Performance

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ANOTHER BAD DECISION Crew

Albert Franko | FL | Team SKIPPER | 42' Skipper Mark & Eileen Fischer Team Deep Impact joined by friends for a lunch rendezvous at Postcard Inn. Teams enjoying lunch at the world famous Tiki Bar at Postcard Inn

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Playa Largo Resort docks provided an impressive boat show as a backdrop for amazing sunsets.

Postcards FromParadise!

Florida Powerboat Club’s return to the landmark Postcard Inn & Marina in Islamorada for the 28th Miami Boat Show Poker Run was a welcome change to the 2023 event calendar, bringing back fond memories of the 20-year run that started in the early 90’s.

Story by Stu Jones

Pe ople around the FPC boating scene may often wonder why events occasionally shuffle around to different venues on the annual poker run calendar, and there are often many reasons why. But one reason is becoming more prominent, as FPC organizers respond to forces that appear to be beyond their control. To that point, the last decade has seen many changes in the Florida hospitality industry, illustrated by a revolving door of new resort ownership groups and new management teams on the Florida tourism scene. It’s anyone’s guess as to what corporate conglomerate or private equity group might arrive in the Sunshine State with a thirsty appetite for acquisitions and millions in their checking accounts. Such was the case with the Postcard Inn & Marina in Islamorada, the once popular destination for FPC’s annual Miami Boat Show Poker Run, which took over every hotel room, boat dock and bar stool in this rustic resort known for rumrunners, from the mid-90’s to well past 2016. Then along came a new ownership group, that chose a business model that eliminated the big group buyouts and special event business, leaving FPC organizers to find a new home for the annual February event.

Over the next six years, FPC experimented with other destinations,

favoring a Key Largo-focused event using Gilberts Resort, Mariners Club and Playa Largo Resort & Spa as event destinations, but the magic of the “one-stop” venue just wasn’t the same, until an opportunity came along. New ownership at Postcard Inn & Marina and a changing of the guard, opened the doors to FPC for the 28th anniversary of this festive February poker run, and participants were pleased to discover a fresh new polished look. Gone were the once-popular Tiki Bar, Rumrunners on the Beach, and original Raw Bar, but the replacements featured open air dining, excellent food, friendly bartenders, and those famous rumrunners were every bit as good as they were twenty years earlier. More importantly, the rooms throughout the property had been renovated thoroughly, the grounds had a major facelift with lush landscaping, and most noticeable were the improvements to the marina, which had new finger piers and deck hardware to make docking so much easier on the inside basin. It was here that FPC Series Sponsors showed off their latest hardware, with many display boats coming directly from the Miami Boat Show, just a few days earlier. (Unfortunately, the outside bulkhead which accommodated several boats rafting, is still very much in need of repairs and dredging, but FPC is in current discussions with resort managers to get some of these issues corrected for 2024.)

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Poker card #1 from the docks at Grove Harbour Marina (Note new floating dock and yacht pilings recently installed)

For those of us who recalled the old Holiday Isle days, it was a bittersweet change to the rustic property we once knew and adored, and nonetheless these upgrades that were much needed, bringing the caliber of the property up several notches from the by-gone days.

For 2023, the Miami Boat Show Poker Run kept its popular 4-day format with the Thursday departure, after organizers eliminated the optional Friday departure just a couple years earlier. Apparently, most powerboaters agree that if you are taking time away to visit the Florida Keys in the dead of winter, why mess with a threeday format, when you can easily have four days of fun? This has worked out well for everyone at the event, because after all the teams arrive in Islamorada on Thursday, this essentially gives all attendees two full days to play in the Keys. The itinerary offers a variety of boating daytrips to destinations beyond including Duck Key, Marathon, and Key West, all of which may be reached along the protected back waters of Florida Bay and Lower Keys. For other attendees not so eager to venture to faraway destinations, the local raft-up parties were the ideal way to drive less, and party more. FPC designated Friday for the raft-up at the nearby sandbar

off the Whale Harbor Channel (half-a-mile from the resort), while Saturday was scheduled for a private raft-up party at the Key Largo home of J.R Adan, co-owner of Doug Wright Powerboats. And yet there were others who were quite content to leave the boats tied up and venture off in flip-flops to the oceanfront pool at PostCard Inn, where the February sun remained on duty all day long, as did the bartenders tending to the fun loving poker run teams, many of whom had just escaped the clutches of Mister Winter, and were quite content to soak in equal amounts of Florida Keys sunshine and rum-laced refreshments.

For the evening agendas, FPC hosted a cocktail party at the Tiki Bar Thursday, followed by a Friday night dinner and awards party at the Rumrunners Beach outdoor venue, which was beautifully arranged by the Postcard Inn special event staff. With the sand in their toes, attendees were treated to incredible food, two fully staffed bars, an entertaining DJ team, plus poker run videos playing on the big screen. Light winds and mild temperatures made this the perfect outdoor event, as sponsors were recognized, the President’s Choice Awards presented, and poker run winners crowned. FPC congratulates all the winners! Continuedonpage20

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Photos by: Jerry Wyszatycki, Pete Boden and Stu Jones

To wrap an amazing weekend, the format for Saturday evening was laissez faire, as attendees made good use of the FPC shuttle and local Uber drivers to venture off to local area restaurants. Thankfully, Islamorada has no shortage of fine dining choices, including Pierre’s, Chef Michaels, Ziggy & Mad Dog’s, and Marker 88 to name just a few.

Overall, most in attendance would agree that the return to Postcard Inn & Marina in Islamorada was a good call for this popular FPC February event, which falls immediately after the famous Miami International Boat Show. Aside from the benefits of a midwinter escape to tropical paradise, this event format provides our marine trade partners with the opportunity to display their newest models in a casual, festive atmosphere. FPC is happy to report that the venue is already booked for 2024, with even more upgrades and renovations promised for our return. SJ

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Tom Archer | NJ | Team LAUGHING GIRAFFE | 41' Skater

Steven Fernandez 954-655-6498

Braden Verkaik 954-651-8535

Official rigging shop for the TOP GUN FLIGHT 1130

EXTREME INDUCTION Crew

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Bruno & Rebecca Perree | FL | MEGAWATTS | 39' Outerlimits

FPC Girl Chloe 26 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

Nick Evans | IN | Team RECOVERED MONEY II | 36' Statement

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Thursday lunch at Gilbert’s Key Largo

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Cliff & Mellissa Anderson | AZ | Team AIR SIGN | 34' MTI

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TEAM SMOKIN-SECOND PLACE WINNERS

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TEAM HANG N' BANG-THIRD PLACE WINNERS

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TRIPLE J'S Crew

30' 39' Eric@conceptboats.com www conceptboats com (305) 635-8712 @ C O N C E P T B O A T S L I N E U P 32' 36' 44' CABIN 44' OPEN

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Rick Spade | OH | Team SPADEMADE | 33' ARTH

Shawn Aksamit | AZ | Team ZERO DISCIPLINE | 38' Skater

ZERO

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Joe & Amy Lee Celello | FL | Team DOUG WRIGHT | 39' Doug Wright

DISCIPLINE - Sexiest Crew Award

JR Adan | FL | Team

DOUG WRIGHT | 38' Doug Wright

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PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER Sexiest Crew Award

Eric Glaser | FL | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 52' Midnight Express Jorge Arellano | FL | Team 151 EXPRESS | 35' DCB

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Farthest Trailered Award: Grant Bernardy | MN | Team WAVEMAKER X3 | 37' DCB

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FPC Girl Chloe

FPC Girls Chloe & Maddie

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The Postcard Inn and Marina, Islamorada was a welcome venue change for this 28-year FPC event .

FPC WELCOMES DOUG WRIGHT POWERBOATS

2023 SERIES SPONSOR

On Friday morning, a two hour photo and video session with the helicopter crew was provided for all of the manufacturing and dealer sponsors. With amazing water conditions offshore, this provided an excellent opportunity for sponsors to invite customers and group up the boats for that spectacular Money Shot!

Team PLANTATION BOAT MART | 39' Deep Impact Greg & Jennifer Connell | TX | Team LEGEND MARINE GROUP | 39' Nor-Tech LEGEND MARINE GROUP Crew

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SPONSOR AWARDS - PLANTATION BOAT MART & DEEP IMPACT

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PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER Crew

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FPC Girl Hannah

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GRAY AREA Crew

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Best Poker Run Boat Award: Scot Conrad | FL | Team SLT FT LAUDEDALE | 43' Canados

Saturday Night Awards Party

Sponsor Award - Performance Boat Center Team Sponsor Awards - Legend Marine & Nor-Tech Powerboats Farthest Traveled - Frank Bulte - Team SHARK RIDER 44' MTI Sponsor Award - Fountain Powerboats Sponsor Award - Statement Marine Sexiest Crew - Ladies of ZERO DISCIPLINE - 38' Skater Sponsor Award - Cigarette Racing Team Farthest Trailered - Grant Bernardy Team WAVEMAKER X3 - 37' DCB Best Catamaran - Jorge Arellano Team ORANGE CRUSH - 47' Victory FPC Girls: Chloe, Maddie, Hannah Best Paint & Graphics - Steve Presley Team - EXTREMINDUCTION - 48' MTI Sexiest Crew - Shawn & Shelby Aksamit Team - ZERO DISCIPLINE - 38' Skater Best Dressed Crew - Chris & Lori Nazetta Team - BLU GATTI - 48' MTI Best Team Name - Alex Alanis Team - NEVER KNOT WORKING - 36' Carrera Good Samaritan Award - Simon Williams Team - FOUNTAIN - 38' Fountain Best Poker Run Boat - Scot Conrad Team - SLT FT LAUDEDALE - 43' Canados Best Center Console - Eric Graser Team - MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - 52' Midnight Express

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Best Perf V-Bottom - Rick Riggle Team - SMOKIN - 42' Cigarette

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Twenty One PILOTS!

Sometimes SIZE matters but not for the 2023 edition of the Spring Key West Poker Run, where twenty-one poker run captains led their teams on a four-hundred-mile roundtrip from Miami to Key West, discovering that smaller events offer unique advantages!

Story and photos by Stu

Jones

Completing a long run of four separate FPC adventures to the Florida Keys that began in November, the Spring Key West Poker Run gave twenty-one poker run teams the chance to enjoy four days of incredible boating to a destination that is world famous for having fun. And, if visiting Key West at the height of the Spring Break season isn’t enough reason to celebrate, consider that this third event of the FPC 2023 calendar fell directly in synch with St Patrick’s Day, which happens to be a very popular occasion for thousands of enthusiastic visitors in this very festive vacation hotspot!

In addition to the local Key West festivities, there was far more to celebrate for the attendees over this four-day boating adventure. Like the Winter Fun Run that took place just two months earlier, the Spring Key West Poker Run reaps the benefits of the “less is more” scenario, where smaller events provide less stress

over docking and over-crowded functions, and more quality facetime with fellow FPC members. And not, we might add, the kind of facetime one uses with a mobile device. The fact that twenty-one teams and about eighty participants are in close quarters with each other during the four-day fling, accounts for many new friendships being created, and an event experience that is very different from the event’s counterpart, the 275team November Key West Poker Run, which takes place during powerboat race week.

On this mid-March weekend in Key West, absent from the mix are 250 of the other FPC teams, dozens of offshore powerboat racing teams and thousands of fans that crowd the streets and bars, so the Spring Key West event mood is more casual and chill in so many ways.

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Boca Grande Key, just ten miles from Key West, provided a great setting for the Friday fun run.

The other bonus that comes along with the smaller fleet, is the advantage of visiting the popular island getaways in the Mule Keys, including Boca Grande Key which is typically closed by National Refuge authorities every November during the Key West Poker Run. Seizing that opportunity and making the best of the incredible spring weather, FPC’s Friday agenda included a fun run to Boca Grande, with the FPC photo and video crew flying overhead in a locally based Robinson R44, capturing some amazing imagery. With double-digit winds gusting from the southeast, the ocean conditions for the short 10-mile ride were far from perfect, but that didn’t deter these weekend warriors, who feathered the throttles and rode the humps, knowing that safe harbor was just around the corner. And indeed, it was, because the bumpy conditions had kept many other local boaters back in their home ports, and for the first time in recent years, FPC

took over the protected and pristine beaches of Boca Grande, to enjoy a picnic in paradise.

The fun continued both on-water and off, as cocktail parties were hosted every evening at FPC’s hospitality tent, situated at the landmark Conch Republic Seafood company in the Key West Historic Seaport. With the majority of the FPC fleet docked at the Conch Republic venue, this made for a great backdrop, that included a formal Saturday evening dinner party in the courtyard, where everyone gathered to celebrate this wonderful weekend, and enjoyed the fun and games of playing out the poker cards and taking part in the awards presentations. Thanks to all those who attended, and we hope you enjoy all the incredible images in this Powerboating in Paradise feature. SJ

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Hannah and little sis, Emily, at Conch Rep Seafood Co.

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Rachael Garnett, Team INTO THE MYSTIC, receiving card #1 Grove Harbour Marina

This Sunseeker Superhawk was purchased as a low-hour fresh water boat from Michigan and completely refit in 2022 with new components and systems including diesel generator, bow thruster, new trim tabs, Dolphin battery charger, JL Audio System and a completely updated helm with new shifters, gauges and electronics. The entire boat was refinished in 3M vinyl by Boatwraps, and outfitted with new canvas and extended bimini top to cover the helm, then finished with extensive U-Dek flooring over the entire deck, cockpit, cabin and swim platform. This triple 502Efi Sunseeker is maintained by FPC marine partners and stored at Jones residence in Pompano Beach on a 40k hydraulic boat lift.

$139,000 half interest | Ownership through a registered Florida LLC corporation. Annual maintenance, insurance and storage budget of $ 30,000 is split 50/50 with a low cost of $ 1,250/month.

* The boat is privately owned and no longer offered for charter.

Fractional partnerships are the smart way to own and operate a powerboat, aircraft or yacht! Call Stu Jones 954-684-9333

This

a great opportunity to own a luxurious performance cruiser at a fraction of the cost!

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Mike & Olivia Lopez | IL | Team BAD CHOICES | 42' MTI

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FPC Girl Emily

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Team X PRINT X-THIRD PLACE WINNERS

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 mens OGIO club polo shirt.

• 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.

$499.00/year*

GOLD MEMBERSHIP

Membership suggested for married couples Includes all of the Standard Membership benefits

COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIP

Membership Includes:

• Discounted rates on FPC Magazine advertising

• Discounted rates on all web advertising/banner programs.

• Access to all FPC events and parties.

• Second membership for spouse/partner included

• Premium mens OGIO Club Polo Shirt.

• Premium womens OGIO Ladies Tank Top

PLUS: $399.00/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.

$299.00/year*

• Business listing on our website affiliate section.

• Business card introduction Ad in FPC magazine. Commercial Members also have the opportunity to run promotions and discounts through FPC events.

$399.00/year*

Membership Includes:

• Club T-shirt in your choice of colors.

• Powerboating in Paradise Magazine subscription.

• Access to FPC parties

• Discounted Boat Show tickets.

$99.00/year*

and international memberships will have a slightly higher rate to compensate for mailing/shipping costs. 954-545-1414 | FLPOWERBOAT.COM | ADMIN@FLPOWERBOAT.COM

SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP *Overseas

Saturday Night Awards Party

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Most Enthusiastic Team - Dominick & Christy Boscaglia - Team - CHUMLORD - 38' Scout Best Center Console - Ivan Lopez Team NAVIVAN - Nor-Tech 390 Sport Broken Propeller Award - Frank Bulte - Team SHARK RIDER 44'MTI Sponsor Award - Matt & Liz Neely - Matts Sports & Ammo Farthest Trailered - Ryan & Rachael Garnett Team - INTO THE MYSTIC - 38' Mystic FPC Girls: Abbey & Hannah Best Performance V-bottom - Bently Thompson Team - MADHATTER - 39' Cigarette Top Gun Membership Appreciation Award - Pam & Roger Anderson Team - WILD HORSES - 39 Nor-Tech Best Dressed Crew - Dwayne Reith Team - FLY MTI - 34 MTI Good Smaritan Award - Ivan Lopez Team - NAVIVAN - 39 Nor-Tech Best Paint & Graphics - Mike & Olivia Lopez Team - BAD CHOICES - 42' MTI

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THUNDER on the BAY!

Tampa Bay is certainly known for high levels of year-round boating traffic from recreational boaters and commercial traffic alike. But only once yearly do these bay waters come alive with over sixty poker run teams, as they push the throttles and roar from shore to shore, for this amazing display of high-performance hardware and adventurous weekend warriors!

Story by Stu Jones

Now in its 13th year, the Tampa Bay Poker Run seems to have found its place on the map, after FPC moved event headquarters from St. Petersburg across the bay to Downtown Tampa five years ago, where abundant hotels, adequate docking facilities and a vibrant backdrop of dining and entertainment options were just steps away for the 300+ participants that attended this mid-April rendezvous. If there was one poker run on the FPC event calendar that had the Big City theme, the Tampa Bay Poker Run would win this credit by a landslide. In sharp contrast to the previous four FPC events that visited rustic Florida Keys destinations from Key Largo to Key West, the Tampa event is situated in the heart of a metropolitan city with a population that hovers around three million residents, boasts three major league sports franchises, and hosts A-list concerts and sports tours including the likes of WWF Smackdown, and musical royalty like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band. Did we mention Taylor Swift, with her three back-to-back gigs

at Raymond James Stadium on the same three nights that the Tampa Bay Poker Run was in town? Oh, “that’s just splendid”, said the FPC members who procrastinated long enough to miss the registration cutoff date, which would have assured them $ 300 per night rooms at the Westin Tampa Waterside or the Tampa Marriott Water Street. On the contrary, when the 30-day hotel contracts expired with FPC, the Swifties drove the rates to $ 1,000 per night in about a 24-hour span! Yes indeed, this caught many attendees off guard, and it hit their wallets with a swift blow! So, just a helpful note to those who want to book for the TAMPA BAY Poker Run next year; register before the 30-day deadline or get out your wallet big spender!

The good news is, regardless of the price of the hotel rooms, this 2023 edition of the Tampa Bay Poker Run weekend may have reported some of the best weather and boating conditions we have seen in recent years. The handful of earlybird visitors that

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arrived Wednesday, probably got more area boating in than anyone else, getting their boats in the water in time to enjoy a Thursday shakedown run to area hotspots. FPC organizers kicked off a structured program Thursday afternoon, by opening poker run check-in at the Westin Waterside resort and later staging a 7PM captains meeting, so participants could get all the preevent details squared away, giving them two full days on Friday and Saturday to partake in the FPC boating agenda.

The Friday fun run was primarily a casual lunch excursion, with no structured poker card checkpoints. Due to the size of the fleet, with 62 registered teams, a total of three lunch locations had been set up on Tampa Bay, including the popular Getaway along the Gandy Blvd causeway, the new Doc Fords Rum Bar & Grille, situated at St. Petersburg Pier, plus a hidden gem called FINNS, located in the heart of the Apollo Beach boating community, across from St. Pete on the eastern shore of Tampa

Bay. By all reports, everyone enjoyed the casual fun run format, which made best use of some of Tampa Bay’s most popular waterfront hotspots. The Saturday poker run took on a more structured format, with a scheduled 10:30 am start time from the docks at Tampa Convention Center, with the first poker card handoff from the FPC Girls, and a robust poker run course. The modified course offered five checkpoints that covered all four corners of Tampa Bay, explored Gulf coastal waters to Egmont Key, visited two St. Petersburg checkpoints at Indian Key and Vinoy Basin, along with a final fifth poker card near Hula Bay Club, a Saturday lunch stop.

While about half the teams settled in at Hula Bay for lunch, the remaining 30+ teams continued north to Old Tampa Bay, reaching the popular Whisky Joe’s Bar & Grill, where boats were nestled into the soft sand, and attendees enjoyed a casual lunch rendezvous under a special event tent. Continuedonpage64

Photos by: Pete Boden and Stu Jones FPC Girl Kitty

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Barefoot Lunch: Whisky Joe's in Tampa has everything that boaters love, with a long stretch of beach that made for the perfect rendezvous location.

After an incredible day of boating fun, poker run teams re-united at the Tampa Westin Waterside for the Saturday night dinner and awards party. The once formal captain meeting room was converted to the fun zone, with the three basic ingredients to keep poker run teams entertained: A fully stocked bar, poker run videos playing on the big screen, along with Hannah and her team of FPC Girls playing out the poker cards! What more could anyone ask for?

The usual festivities included Sponsor presentations, Presidents Choice Awards and selecting the top three poker run winners from the poker hand playing boards. FPC thanks all those attending, and we are happy to report that 2024 events dates are already blocked off with the same popular hotels, and Tampa Convention Center management promises that all construction projects along the Riverwalk and event docks will be completed for next year’s event. With other promised repairs to the Marjorie Park docks (near the fuel dock) FPC estimates this event could easily reach 75-80 registered teams for 2024! SJ

Kitty became very fond of this new Deep Impact 369. Hula Bay Club docks as boats arrived for Saturday lunch stop. Midnight Express owners raft up for the Hula Bay lunch.

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Statement! Marine has a great turnout with ten boats on the event roster.

FLEXIBLY RUGGED, SERIOUSLY FUN, HONESTLY REAL WWW.AOCOOLERS.COM #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO #AOANDGO BUILT FOR EVERY DAY ADVENTURE

Chris LaMorte | NJ | 36' Skater

Stu & FPC Team | FL | Team TOP GUN FLIGHT 1130 | 38' Cigarette

Joseph Castellana | NY | Team AWESOME | 38' Skater FPC Girls Maddie, Hannah, Kitty & Chase

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FPC Girl Maddie

Robert McAtee | OK | Team STATEMENT | 36' Statement

FPC Girl Kitty POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 67

Best Performance V-bottom Award: Red Reynolds | FL | Team LADY LISA | 55' Nor-Tech 550 Flyer

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Farthest Traveled Award: Frank Scheelen | GERMANY | Team TOP FUN | 36' Nor-Tech Supercat

FRIDAY FUN RUN

With most of the teams in town by Thursday, the Friday lunch run was well attended, and required three different lunch locations to accommodate the large group. The Getaway in St Petersburg has always been a favorite for local boaters, and made the ideal lunch stopover for about 25 poker run teams.

Greg Collinson | ON | Team STATEMENT | 35' Statement!

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FPC Girl Kitty 70 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE

TRIPLE J'S Crew

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FPC Girl Hannah

Midnight Express owners took charge during their chopper time, getting these three 43's lined up in nice formation for the Money Shot!

Jon Lynch | FL | Team FOUNTAIN | 38' Fountain

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Are You Ready For Your DREAM JOB?

Florida Powerboat Club is pleased to announce that new management positions are available for young candidates who are passionate about boating and would love to pursue a lifestyle career with this established thirty-year organization.

We are seeking individuals with a desire to train and be engaged in many aspects of event management, safety programs, course logistics, marina staging and docking coordination, membership recruiting and activation, lodging and reservation activities, catering and party planning, as well as media management across multiple social and digital platforms.

WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING FOR TWO POSITIONS:

GENERAL MANAGER - EVENT OPERATIONS

Working behind the scenes of event planning, this individual will be in close contact with event partners that include marina management teams, safety program first responders, and law enforcement agencies in the jurisdictions for each event. Before and during events, this individual will oversee the logistics of event staging, acting as liaison between FPC members/attendees and facility management teams, to coordinate safe and efficient movement of trucks, boats and attendees, through the hosting venues. For event management, this team leader oversees all operations that relate to the movement of the boats over the poker run course, including the pre-event captains meetings and/or coordinating the event safety guidelines, course maps, poker run checkpoints, including fuel and lunch stopovers. This position will require travel to every poker run event, which may involve extensive travel, from five to seven days for every event. A USCG captain's license would be a tremendous asset for this position, along with substantial previous experience boating on Florida's waterways.

Compensation: Training period up to six months: $ 1,000/week salary

Completion of Training Period: $ 2,000/week ( $ 100,000 annual + plus event revenue incentives )

LODGING & HOSPITALITY MANAGER

This position requires an individual with tremendous communication and customer service skills, and involves the daily management of all event-related hotel reservations for all FPC events, as well as catered food & beverage functions for all poker runs. Candidates must have previous hotel and/or restaurant industry experience, and be available to travel to FPC events for on-site duties at least 8-10 times annually, within the Sunshine state. Requires experience negotiating and managing large-scale, high-dollar value lodging and catering agreements for events that are typically attended by several hundreds of guests. FPC is an IATA accredited travel agent, working with major hotel chains, therefore travel industry experience would be an asset, as well as any hospitality industry certifications.

Compensation: Training Period up to three months: $ 750/weekly salary

Completion of Training: $ 1,500/week ($75,000 annual + commission incentives)

EQUITY PARTNERS: Florida Powerboat Club is actively seeking ownership partners at this time. Please call Stu Jones for information: 954-545-1414

Office hours: Mon-Thurs 10am to 5pm

Stu@flpowerboat.com

Powerboat Club is a Florida corporation, registered in 1993, with headquarters in Pompano Beach Florida. 1214 SW 6th St. Pompano Beach, FL 33069 www.flpowerboat.com

STU@FLPOWERBOAT.COM

or email;

Florida

PLEASE SEND RESUMES ONLY TO:

( NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE)

FPC Girls Chase & Hannah

POKER CARD#1TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER Team ALL HAIL- 43 Midnight Express Thomas Klein & Crew - Nor-Tech 390 Sport Team STIMULUS PLAN - 38 Fountain Team MAIDEN AMERICA - 42 Fountain Team Concept with Miss Priscilla reaching for Card #1

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Hagen Glaser - Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

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George Olson | TX | Team LAST ONE | 38' Cigarette

Best Paint & Graphics Award - Thomas Freund | NY | 39' MTI

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Eric Lemoine | FL | Team TIMEKILLER | 43' Midnight Express

Brad Hancock | FL | Team ALL HAIL | 43' Midnight Express Best Team Name Award: Mike Boyle | FL | Team CATTITUDE | 39' MTI

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FPC Girl Maddie

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Julian Colson | FL | Team CREAMSICLE | 38' Donzi

Chris & Shelby Mattingly | KY | Team ANOTHER ONE | 43' Midnight Express

ANOTHER ONE Crew

Good Samaritan Award: Robert Bushea | FL | Team DIVEOCEAN | 36' Front Runner

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David & Jenny Landsman | MD | Team GAME CHANGER | 43' Midnight Express

TAMPA 2023 / POKER CARD CHECKPOINTS

Bill Waters arranged for this lovely crew to hand off poker card #4, at the Vinoy Basin checkpoint in St.Petersburg. Hannah, Chase & Jackie - Poker card checkpoint # 3, Princess 72 Motoryacht Princess 72 Motoryacht, INVICTUS IV, courtesy Jim Morton

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JOINTVENTURE Crew

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Eric & Hagen Glaser - Midnight Express Crew

Jorge Arellano | FL | Team 151 EXPRESS | 39' Outerlimts Jorge Arellano | FL | Team 151 EXPRESS | 39' MTI

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Tony & Jessica Gielow | FL | Team NINO | 43' Midnight Express

Craig Millett | FL | Team WRIGHT TIME | 36' Wright Performance

Poker card #2 handed off from Team Y-KNOT, 65 Viking at Egmont Key / Courtesy: Steve Turner Team Y-KNOT Crew poker card # 2 checkpoint

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Three Fountains get together for some great photos

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Wes Johnston | TX | 38' Statement

Poker Card Checkpoint #5 - Near Hula Bay Club Sean McClash & friends, at Tampa Bay Yacht Management. Safety boat and poker card boat courtesy Sean McClash & friends.

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FPC Girls Maddie & Kitty

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WELL ADJUSTED Crew

Brett & Trisha Patterson | FL | Team DEEP INNER | Deep Impact 369 FPC Girl Hannah on Deep Impact 369

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Marty Reisky | FL | Team GREAT WHITE | 44' Concept

Florida Powerboat Club offers a “Commercial Member” program which is designed for individuals or companies that are engaged in some form of commerce that relates to the marine industry. In many cases these members provide special discounts and offers to FPC members, so we invite you to contact them and keep your boating-related needs within the FPC family. Join us in RECOGNIZING these FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB COMMERCIAL MEMBERS:

RICHARD GARCIA

Boat Depot | 305-587-3094

boatdepotonline.com | boatdepot@live.com

JON BELLEMARE

Dynamic Boats | 305-518-7338

dynamicboats.us | jon@dynamicboats.us

4238

NW

KYLE GREENFIELD

BoatWithMe Inc. | 512-627-2026

browardmotorsports.com | kyle@boatwithme.com

101500 Overseas HWY | Key Largo | FL 33037 111 Craigen Rd | Liberty Hill, TX 78642

JEFF JOHNSON

DCB Performance Boats | 619-442-0300

dcbperformanceboats.com | jeff@DCBracing.com

Hamilton Marine Finance | 470-248-2655

hamiltonmarinefinance.com | jody@hamiltonmarinefinance.com

3231 Lake McGinnis Dr | Suwanee | GA 30024

ED MILLER

Hi-Tech Marine | 410-375-1638

www.hitechmarine.com | hitechmarine1@gmail.com

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MEMBERSHIP

FPC

MARKETPLACE

1468 N. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon, CA 92020 37th

Ave| Miami | FL 33142

JODY HAMILTON

2023 River Road | Baltimore | MD 21221

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FPC MEMBERSHIP MARKETPLACE

JOHN CLARKE

Jaguar Powerboats LLC | 954-673-8961

CONRAD KRAY

Sportboats Marine | 239-770-2744

jaguarpowerboats.com | dawn.clarke@jaguarpowerboats.com

1437 Cunningham Brick Yard Rd | Thomasville | NC 27360

JORDAN LAMPKIN

Lampkin Marine Services | 242-376-3066

lampkinmarine.com | jordan@lampkinmarine.com

1323 SE 17th st | Fort Lauderdale | FL 33316

GREG CONNELL

Legend Marine Group | 214-676-6885

8500 Colony Trace Drive | Ft Myers | FL 33908

STEPHEN MILES

Stephen Miles Design | 270-570-4442

stephenmilesdesign.com | propainter7970@yahoo.com

3854 Griffin Ave | Owensboro | KY 42301

BRANDON MAYER

Sweetwater Landing Marina | 270-570-4442

sweetwaterlanding.net | bmayer14@yahoo.com

1835 Forms Dr #100 | Carrollton | TX 75006

ALBERT FRANKO

Marine Connection | 646-785-0125

16991 St Rd 31 | Ft Myers | FL 33905

DAVID SHAEFFER

T&D Custom Painting | 616-841-1086

tanddcustompainting.com | david@tanddcustompainting.com

9500 Henry Ct Suit 50 | Zeeland | MI 49464

ANDY IMHOF

legendmarinegroup.com | greg@ legendmarinegroup.com marineconnection.com | albert@marineconnection.com mdoffshore.com | info@mdoffshore.com

1410 W 24th Street | Miami Beach | FL 33140 235-A Derwood Cir | Rockville | MD 20850

FRANK SCHEELEN

Maryland Offshore Marine | 301-294-5936

REESE BROWN

Miramont Interests | 832-691-1581

Scheelen-Racing | 239-450-2931

scheelen-racing.com | topfun@me.com

Mallory Court 397 | Naples | FL341100

JOHN HERMAN

Total Marine | 201-741-6817

totalmarine.com | tcaruso@totalmarine.com

160 Water St | Norwalk | CT 06854

VINCENT ODDO Office Furniture Connecti | 832-368-2066 ofconnection.com | voddo@ofconnection.com

750 Almeda Genoa Ste. A | Houston | TX 77047

LES & KAYLA VOUDRIE

Precision paint worx | 618-972-3513

reese@mt-tx.com macgyver2491@gmail.com

ANDREW POKORNY

Powerstroke Performance | 239-910-4169

RICK SPADE

Spade Kreation | 513-383-6825

spademade.com | rick@spademade.com

Dallas Boulevard | Cincinnatti | OH 45231

STEVE SPRAGUE

Tuppen's Marine | 561-252-6105

tuppens.com | boatking@earthlink.net

5999 Homeland Rd | Lake Worth | FL 33449

JOSEPH LABON

Ultimate Marine | 407-276-5800

ultimatemarine.com | zoie@ultimatemarine.com

DAVID DELEZENNE

sportboats.com | conrad@sportboats.com powerstrokeperformancespecialties.com | andrew.pokorny@gmail.com

Unique Custom Marine | 954-980-4887

ucmarinevault.com | uniquecustommarine@gmail.com

3419 WD Judge Dr #150 | Orlando | FL 32808 2044 NW 25th Ave | Pompano Beach | FL 33069

Membership Info: 954-545-1414

9595

1074

Dr

Osage

Six Pines Dr Ste. 8210 | The Woodlands | TX 77380

Armory

|

Beach| MO 65065

5660 Division Drive

| Fort Myers | FL 33905

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11308

Saturday Night Awards Party

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PARADISE

First Place Winner - Chad & Nadya Van Tilburg Team - HIGH LIMIT - 44' Concept Second Place Winner - Jerry & Susan Hartmann Team - HER ULTIMATE STATEMENT - 38' Statement! Third Place Winner - Jorge Arellano Team - 151 EXPRESS Best Center Console - The Couto Family Nor-Tech 390 Sport Sponsor Award - Mark & Eileen Fischer - Team Deep Impact Poker Run teams enjoying Saturday dinner party at Westin Sponsor Appreciation Award - Geoff Tomlinson Nor-Tech Erickson Family & friends - Lady Lisa Crew Broken Propeller - Team MAXON AUTO Simon Williams 1st Mate Dee with the FPC Girls FPC Crew: Chase, Hannah, Nicholas, Maddie, Kitty Thomas Klein & Crew - Nortech 390 Sport

Best Poker Run Boat - Simon Williams Team - CORTEZ COVE FOUNTAIN - 38' Fountain Member Appreciation & Sponsor Award - Nick Buis - Statement! Sponsor Award - Eric Glaser - Midnight Express & Best Sound System David Landsman - Team - GAME CHANGER - 43' Midnight Express Farthest Trailered - John Van Dyck - Michigan Best Performance V-bottom - Red Reynolds Team - LADY LISA - 55' Nor-Tech Best Classic Boat - Captain Austin for Alan LimaTeam GROVE HARBOUR MARINA - 38' Cigarette Sponsor Award - Eric Avila - Concept Boats Most Enthusiastic Team - Team - HIGH LIMIT - 44 Concept Best Catamaran - Robert McAtee - Team STATEMENT - 36' Statement! Sexiest Crew - Girls of Team Fountain Best Team Name - Mike Boyle - Team CATTITUDE Farthest Traveled - Frank Scheelen - Team TOP FUN - 36' Nor-Tech

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Sexiest Crew - Hagan & the girls of Midnight Express

AO COOLERS 65 BIG THUNDER MARINE .................................................. 11 CIGARETTE RACING TEAM ...................................... 76-77 CONCEPT BOATS ......................................................... 33 CORTEZ COVE YACHT SALES ......................................... 7 DEEP IMPACT CUSTOM BOATS.................................... IBC DEEP IMPACT CUSTOM BOATS..................................... 13 DOUG WRIGHT POWERBOATS 41 FOUNTAIN POWERBOATS 7 FOUNTAIN FOR SALE 93 FPC MARKET PLACE 93/95 FPC DREAM JOB 73 FPC MEMBERSHIP 57 FPC SUMMER TOUR BC MERCURY RACING 2-3 MIDNIGHT EXPRESS BOATS 15 MYCO 59 NOR-TECH HI PERFORMANCE BOATS 4 OUTLAW CHALLENGE .................................................. 61 PIRATES OF LANIER ..................................................... 87 PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER ..................................... 27 PLANTATION BOAT MART ............................................ 75 SD MARINE GROUP ..................................................... 19 SUNSEEKER FOR SALE ................................................ 53 TNT CUSTOM MARINE 23 TOP GUN PERFORMANCE 37 98 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE