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 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