VOL 19#1 SUMMER 2019
A MAGAZINE SHOWCASING THE FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB LIFESTYLE
WINTERING IN THE KEYS
FPC Members Kick Off 2019 With An Escape to Paradise!
NINE MONTHS ! Project 1080 Cigarette Completed & Starts Its Tour of Duty!
SMOOTH OPERATORS
Miami Boat Show Poker Run Returns To Key Largo
TAMPA
SPRING FLING
Downtown Tampa Had Everything For These FPC Fun Seekers
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
RENDEZVOUS
Midnight Factory Team Rolls Out a 1st Class Bimini Event!
FORT MYERS
POKER RUN
Record Turnout For This Island Hopping Adventure
ORANGE BEACH SNEAK PEEK
Highlights From the New Alabama Double-Header Hosted by The Wharf! WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
NATURAL PROGRESSION QC4 860 STERNDRIVE The naturally aspirated QC4 860 shares all of the high performance running qualities of its turbocharged siblings. Designed, developed and manufactured inhouse, the 9.0-liter V-8 engine pumps out 860 horsepower on 89 octane (Rec 90) pump fuel. Mercury Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS) technology provides luxury-carlike drivability. All of this with an unprecedented 2-year limited factory warranty.
MercuryRacing.com/860
A Magazine Showcasing The Florida Powerboat Club Lifestyle CONTENTS SUMMER 2019 4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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6 WINTER POKER RUN
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20 MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN:
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48 TAMPA POKER RUN
EVENT MANAGEMENT
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Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com
Going "Downtown" has special meaning for members of the Florida Powerboat Club who enjoyed a second year in a row at the new Downtown Tampa poker run headquarters.
VIDEO PRODUCTION
68 MIDNIGHT EXPRESS OWNERS: BIMINI RENDEZVOUS
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78 FORT MYERS POKER RUN:
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92 PROJECT 1080 UPDATE:
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Vol. 19#1
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Stu Jones stu@flpowerboat.com
OFFICE MANAGER
Alyssa Caiazza alyssa@flpowerboat.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Lina Montes fpclina@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHY Jerry Wyszatycki Stu Jones
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
FPC President Stu Jones reflects on a safe 2018 year of poker runs and outlines some of the highlights of new and exciting events on the 2019 calendar. There's only one place in the world, in the middle of January where over 20 powerboats take flight to paradise, and it's FPC annual Winter Poker Run to the middle Keys. The best reason to spend a week in Miami in the middle of February, would be to attend the Miami Boat Show. But if you have a few extra days to spare, it might make sense to stick around for a the FPC Miami Boat Show, and here's why!
This Miami boat builder has made a big splash with its full line of performance center consoles, and it was time to give back to the Midnight owners, with their very own factory-sponsored Bimini Rendezvous event!
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! After five poker runs, and 75 hours of running time on the new Mercury Racing 540's, Stu Jones made some minor modifications and has the boat running like a champ..WIDE OPEN!
On the Cover: After nine months in rigging at Performance Marine Traiding in Fort Lauderdale, the Mercury Racing sponsored Cigarette restomod Project 1080, was launched in January and began it's official duties on the FPC Poker Run calendar. FPC GIRLS: We recruited some new talent at the Fort Myers Poker Run 2019 and the girls looked great in their FPC bikinis. Visit the feature on page 78 for more great shots. FPC Pompano Beach Headquarters Traveling? Need to lighten the load? Enjoy the digital version of this issue of Powerboating in Paradise Magazine on...
https://www.facebook.com/flpowerboat https://www.youtube.com/user/FLpowerboatClub
All copyright laws apply. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the publisher
SEE THE COMPLETE DIGITAL EDITION OF POWERBOATING IN PARADISE MAGAZINE AT WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
Letter
Max, Jackie, Tyler & StuJones
FROM THE PRESIDENT
B
y the time this issue of PiP Magazine reaches you, summer of 2019 will be well under way, with dozens of poker runs in full swing across the nation. As I write this, i’m already musing over two recent performance boating accidents, one in Missouri (that involved a fatality) and one in Texas, that resulted in minor injuries, yet totaled a brand new performance center console. In one incident, alcohol was confirmed to be a contributing factor, the other unsure, because the captain vacated the scene. Either way, nighttime performance boating were primary factors contributing to these tragic results. A third gut-wrenching fact that was filed in the accident reports, in the Missouri collision none of the occupants were wearing life jackets. While the blame and legal recourse for the bad judgement to driver underthe-influence and late at night, will ultimately be the burden of the boat driver, the choice to NOT wear PFD’s by the passengers was the individuals’ choice. So the question I ask is…Why would nobody getting on those boats say…”Hey where do you keep your life jackets, I’d like to wear one!” The point is… that along with the captain, crew members must also make a few decisions before that boat ever left the dock or the raftup! 1.“Do I get on this boat, when I know the captain has been drinking heavily?”
2.“ If I do decide to take my chances, maybe it would be prudent for me to find and wear a life jacket?” And finally, if indeed it is dark, and you know the captain has had a few drinks… wouldn’t you want to get up there at the helm and be an extra set of eyes to help him with the challenges of low light and impaired vision? We are all adults and we have to use some common sense in these situations, and if you are a parent with children on-board, you are going to have to make these important decisions on behalf of your children also. This rule of thumb applies to ALL boating situations, whether day or night, performance boat or cruiser, and even when the negative influence of alcohol is not a factor. Boating on congested waterways takes extra eyes, ears and sound judgement to comply with Rules of the Road, and meet the challenges that ensure the safety of the boat and its crew. If you’re a passenger, be more pro-active when you’re on board…you just may help to avoid a very, very bad situation from occurring.
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On a more positive note, we’re happy to be coming off a whirlwind of FPC poker runs and new events that began back in late January, and rolled right through the early stages of summer. Over a 20-week stretch, we’ve logged a total of seven major events including the one-week Miami Boat Show, and we staged the 1st Annual Midnight Express Rendezvous to Bimini for the owners of the company.
We also launched an entirely new event, the Orange Beach Powerboat Week which was hosted by the Wharf in Alabama, and had a great turnout with 46 registered teams!
We’ve had strong participation on all these events, and we are now excited to take a well-deserved break in the action for the month of July, so the Jones family can finally bust out of South Florida and take a shortened Summer Poker Run Tour, with the new Project 1080 Cigarette in tow. Of course, we are right back in the saddle by mid-August with FPC’s Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run, where we expect over 100 poker run teams to join us for that VIP experience headquartered at the upscale Emerald Grande Resort. It’s also full-speed ahead on registration for the 2019 Key West Poker Run, so if you’re planning to join us, jump on the FPC website, download those forms, and let’s start planning an epic adventure with your fellow FPC Members! We’ll see you on the water!! Stu Jones
WINTERING IN THE KEYS
FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB RALLIED JUST OVER TWENTY TEAMS, MANY ESCAPING THE WINTER CHILL IN NORTHERN CLIMES, TO WARM THEIR BONES IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND KICK OF THE FPC 2019 EVENT CALENDAR WITH SOME HIGH-SPEED FUN!
STORY: STU JONES
H
awks Cay Resort, in the middle Keys, was back on the recreational boating charts after being closed for over a year, when it sustained heavy damage in the Sept. 2017 Hurricane Irma. The group of 22 poker run teams assembled Friday morning at Haulover Marine Center in North Miami, kicking off the FPC 2019 boating season with a nice mix of cats, performance vees...and about nine center console models. Among those, two Deep Impact 399’s, two Mystics, two Nor-Techs, a Concept 4400, and a Blackwater 43....all boasting Mercury Verado power! If lined up in a rafting scenario, the nine would yield a powerful row of over 33 Mercury Marine 350 Verados and Mercury Racing division 400R outboards! Performance cats also made a big showing, especially the twin outboard cats powered by Mercury Racing 400Rs...one new Mystic 38 cat, two Wright Performance 36's, and one 34 MTI. Naturally, with their triple digit speeds, the outboard cats soon became the front- runners when the fleet took to the open ocean from Haulover Inlet at Bal Harbour. Poker Cards
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were handed out, first at Haulover Marine Center, then Grove Harbour Marina...and again at Gilberts Resort Key Largo, during the lunch stop. The January weather was fantastic, with warm temperatures and light winds, seemed more like Spring weather to many of the attendees. More importantly, the delightful temperatures in the 80’s were a big relief for the many northerners who had come down to Florida to escape the winter’s deep freeze! New to the poker run fleet, was Stu Jones’ newly completed Project 1080, an old-school 38 Cigarette, which was a partnership with Mercury Racing, and powered by a new set of Mercury Racing 540 Stern drives. For its first shakedown poker run, the straight-bottom vee, a nineteen-year-old hull refitted with 2018 hardware and power, ran extremely well. More importantly, Stu was pleased to receive repeated compliments from the FPC members, many of whom had been following the #project1080 on social media and were happy to be present when the newly famous Cigarette finally performing its duties as an official paceboat for FPC.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JERRY WYSZATYCKI & STU JONES
Friday night, the group all got together for a nice meal at the waterfront restaurant, Angler & Ale on the Hawks Cay Resort property...and on Saturday it was time get out an explore the local waters. A helicopter joined in as the boats headed south from Duck Key towards Marathon....and the choppy seas slowed many of the boats down to a 35-mph pace, while others braved the rough chop and powered through the seas to the landmark 7-Mile Bridge. With the chopper in hot pursuit, the fleet gathered up for the money shot....as each boat passed under the spans of the 7-Mile bridge. Then, with a wide turn to starboard, the group headed north on the more protected bay waters on the Gulf side, settling in for lunch at an area hotspot, the Island Fish Company in Marathon. Later that day, teams stopped by the FPC hospitality suite at their Hawks Cay villa for a happy hour and to play out their poker cards. Congratulations to Barry & Stephanie Henson from Tennessee, who pulled the best poker hand and won FPC prizes along with a customized AO COOLER.... although their Nor-Tech 43 Supercat had an engine failure a day earlier and was trailered back to Miami. Thankfully, FPC rules that
were established more than twenty years earlier, welcome all registered teams to be eligible to play out their poker hands, despite equipment failures and DNF’s. Sunday saw a turn in the weather as a major cold front pushed through in the early morning hours, bringing teaming rain and 20-degree colder temperatures. Some teams did not heed weather forecasts which predicted rain stoppage by 12 noon, and instead left in the earlier morning hours, only to be showered on for much of the way home. For others, including the FPC Project 1080 crew, an 11:30 departure proved to be well-planned, as the sun emerged, and it was clear skies for the 100-mile trek home. SJ FPC thanks all the attendees and sponsors for taking part in the first 2019 event of the calendar year. Contrary to many promises by Hawks Cay resort management prior to the FPC visit, the resort and much of its marina were still fully engaged in construction and were not fully operational. The Winter Poker Run will not be returning to Hawks Cay Resort & Marine in 2020, so new destinations are currently under consideration.
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 7
Stu & Jackie Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2-Mercury Racing 540
Max, Jackie & Tyler Jones
Two couples enjoyed the ride from Miami to the Keys on Project 1080, in exchange for major charity donations in 2018. Fpc thanks Dane Michael & Jordyn Howell along with Seth & Prudence Leverence for their generous support.
SUNSATION 36 Crew
Jorge & Ann Arellano | FL | Team SUNSATION 36 | 36' Sunsation / 2-Mercury Racing 540
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Team PHANTOM SV | 32' Phantom - Owner: Jorge Arellano
Melissa & Kevin HEAT HER UP Crew
Kevin & Melissa Welch | MA | Team HEAT HER UP | 35’ Cigarette
John O’Loughlin | NY | Team LITTLE VENGEFUL | 34’ MTI / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Ray & Kristine Gremaux | NY | Team BIG SHOT | 42' Mystic / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 350
Noel & Gretchen Speranza | NY | Team RETAINAGE | 44' Concept / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 11
Jimmie Harrison | GA | Team FJ PROPELLER | 39' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Robbie & Anjum Ullah | FL | Team LAKESIDE MARINE | 32' Glasstream / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 350
Matt Borcina | NY | Team LOW SEA | 36' Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Kevin & Oksana Kline EASY MONEY II Crew
Roger & Pam Anderson | TX | Team EASY MONEY II | 39' Nor-Tech/ 4-Mercury Racing Verado 350
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Mark & Susan Munro
Prudence Leverence & Jordyn Howell
Sara Christine & Eileen Fischer
Max, Tyler & Stu Jones POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 15
Sponsor
Mark and Eileen Fischer | FL | Team DEEP IMPACT | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
In Memory of David Postill Sadly David lost his battle with cancer in June 2019. Along with his wife Lorie the couple attended numerous FPC Poker Runs for over a decade. David will be missed dearly by everyone in the powerboat comunity from Michigan to Florida.
David Postill | MI | Team MAYHEM | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R See our next issue of PiP for a celebration of Davids life.
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John Tumino | NJ | Team MYSTIC | 42’ Mystic / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Mark & Susan Munro | NJ | Team ON YOUR MARK | 42’ Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
PACKIN HEAT Crew
Kevin & Oksana Kline | CO | Team PACKIN HEAT | 43’ Donzi
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DOUBLING DOWN
In Key Largo
AFTER MAKING THE CITY OF MIAMI THE EVENT HEADQUARTERS FOR THE MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN A YEAR EARLIER, IT REMAINED A CLEAR FOCUS OF FPC MANAGEMENT TO GET THE 24-YEAR EVENT BACK ON TRACK WITH A FLORIDA KEYS DESTINATION THAT WOULD HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. THE SOLUTION WAS A TWO-VENUE KEY LARGO BASED EVENT WITH TWO UPSCALE NEW WATERFRONT RESORTS AS HOME BASE AND WITH THE 52-BOAT, 300-GUEST EVENT ROSTER, THE NEW FORMAT WAS A HIT!
STORY: STU JONES
R
ising from Hurricane Irma’s roadside debris along US1 in the Florida Key and countless sunken sailboats that littered Florida Bay from the Upper Keys to Key West, it appeared that Key Largo was the ideal destination for the FPC’s 2019 edition of the Miami Boat Show Poker Run. An event that once thrived with an average of 90-teams in Islamorada for over fifteen years, had since moved its headquarters to Marathon, and later to Miami, as organizers weighed options and locked in the best-case scenarios for the twenty-four-year poker run. Fortunately, with new resort properties coming online in Key Largo, including the Playa Largo Resort (Marriott-affiliated) and the just-opened Bakers Cay Resort (Hilton- affiliated) it was clear that a two-venue Miami Boat Show Poker Run would be the best fit for 2019. Coming off the heals of the Miami Boat Show, which ended Monday February 25th, it was evident that the Thursday &
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Friday departure format was again going to be well-suited for the event. Participants were given two important choices as they registered for the run, to select (1) their departure day preference and (2) their resort preference. Either way, FPC office staff took care of all the details, including lodging in Miami before departure, logistics, catering and safety management for the ride down, and of course, the lodging and docking reservations at the chosen resort in Key Largo. It was no coincidence that both the Playa Largo Resort, and the newly opened Bakers Cay Resort made up the double-header, since each offered similar quality of accommodation and guest experience, and yet were located less than a mile from each other, on the protected bay waters along the southern reaches of Key Largo. The 52-boat roster featured a tremendous variety of performance boats and center consoles, many of them coming directly from the docks of the Miami Boat Show in Virginia Key.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JERRY WYSZATYCKI & STU JONES
Just over thirty teams chose the Thursday departure, which gave these crews an extra play-day in the Florida Keys, as the balance of the fleet made the Friday run to the Keys. While neither of the two luxury resorts offered fullyprotected marinas with break walls or bulkheads to tame the incoming surf, it was comforting to know that easterly winds would prevail throughout the weekend, keeping the somewhat-exposed marinas in calm waters and suitable for docking and rafting the expensive offshore toys. With about 30 boats settled in at Playa Largo Resort, the remaining 20 teams were situated less than a mile south at Bakers Cay Resort, which had essentially opened its doors just a week prior to the Florida Powerboat Club’s arrival. In some ways it was a leap of faith that event organizers took to contract a special event with such a newly opened
resort, but FPC had been working closely with the resort’s management team for several months, monitoring progress along the way and preparing for Plan B, if the resort for some reason did not make its soft open in time for the Miami Boat Show Poker Run. Friday night offered a lavish dinner presentation for all the participants at the Tavernier Ballroom at Playa Largo Resort, as guests from the Bakers Cay Resort were shuttled over by van and by pontoon boat provided by FPC. Alternatively, the Saturday night poker card party which as staged at Bakers Cay Resort, provided the same transportation services to the guests from Playa Largo Resort, giving guests the added convenience of not having to rely on Uber or local taxi service to attend the functions.
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 21
Rene Hoppe | GERMANY | Team GERMANY | 38' Donzi ZRC
Sal Olivia | NY | Team X-SCAPE FROM NY | 42' Cigarette
ALL INN Crew
Thomas G. Toto | NJ | Team ALL IN | 42' MTI / 4 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
David & Jenny Landsman | MD | Team BREAKIN' BALLS | 44' Mystic
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Mark Stoddart | ON | Team MTI | 48' MTI
Barry & Stephanie Henson | TN | Team NOR-TECH | 43' Nor-Tech
Kim & Annalisa Collins | FL | Team DONZI | 38' Donzi ZRC
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Eric & Maggie Glaser | FL | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 60' Midnight Express
Alex Tembelis | NY | Team MCMONSTER | 43' Black Thunder
Brian & Leslie Blount | OR | Team WP 360 | 36' Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
James E. Lee | KS | Team DOUBLE TAKE | 46' Skater FREEDOM US1 Crew
Dale Rayzor | CA | Team FREEDOM US1 | 46' Skater
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Curtis Watkins | FL | Team EVIL WOMAN | 45' Nor-Tech / 5- Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Tom & Wes Abraham | NY | Team MIAMI TWO-STEP| 38' Cigarette
Pablo & Kathy Sabater | FL | Team KL5 | 39' Cigarette / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 350
Kim & Annalisa COLINS | FL | Team STATEMENT! | 35'Statement
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Sponsor
Mark & Eileen Fischer | FL | Team DEEP IMPACT | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R Todd & Karen Whitman | FL | Team ALL STAR | 38' Cigarette
Doug & Sheri Falcone | NJ | Team MARINE UNLIMITED | 42' Mystic / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Mark Stoddart | ON | Team MTI 48' MTI / Mercury Racing 1350
Sponsor
Bryan Mullinax | MD | Team SEAKEEPER | 35' Contender
Matt Borcina | NY | Team LOW SEA | 36' Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Michael Carravetta | ON | Team ROUGH RIDER | 46' Cigarette
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Your Nor-Tech Experience Begins Here... 7941 Mercantile Street North Fort Myers, FL 33917 nor-techboats.com 239-567-5030
Haulover Marine Center provided the ideal launch pad for the Miami Boat Show Poker Run with its modern Wiggins forklift trucks, floating docks for overnighting, 93 octane fuel, and a professional staff to roll out the welcome mat to FPC members. Prior to 2019, we had never used the marina as the first poker card checkpoint, so we gave it a try. For back -to-back poker runs in January & February our
energetic FPC girl Marissa Everhart, handed off poker card #1 as a touch-n-go. This has proven to be a great source of fabulous video content and photos for the magazine, as the spirited teams are revved-up for the exciting weekend ahead. Special thanks to Haulover Marine Center and the team at Grove Harbour Marina for facilitating these high-energy poker card hand-off segments.
Marissa Everhart
Ron Szolak | FL | First Poker Card at HMC
Team NOR-TECH: 390 Sport CC / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Grove Harbour Marina poker card team
Andy Renne - Team SEVEN SEAS YACHT SALES
Friday group - Haulover Inlet
Joe Balistreri- 33 Everglades - Safety Boat
Friday departure from Haulover Marine Center
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 35
Brian & Leslie Blount | OR | Team WP 360 | 36' Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
WP 360 Crew
SEVEN SEAS YACHT SALES Crew
Andy Renne | FL | Team SEVEN SEAS YACHT SALES | 42' Mystic / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Joseph Castellana | NY | Team AWESOME MOTORSPORTS | 38' Skater
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In Memory of David Postill
David & Lorie Postill | MI | Team MAYHEM | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Terry Sobo | FL | Team NOR-TECH | 39' Nor-Tech / 3 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Mark & Susan Munro | NJ | Team ON YOUR MARK | 36' Wright Performance / 2 Mercury Racing Verado 400R
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 37
DONZI Crew Ron Szolack | FL | Team FLIGHT CLUB | 36' Skater
Deris Ceresa | FL | Team DONZI | 38' Donzi
Chris & Quinn LaMorte | NJ | Team SKATER | 36' Skater
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HEAVY DUTY PICKUPS
SPONSOR OF:
Address: 719 S 75 E Warren, Indiana 46792 www.wallstrailersales.com Phone: (866) 356-9255
Visit T.D. Wall at major FPC Poker Run events in 2019! Better yet, make a deal on their display truck and drive it home! Trades considered! Call 260-358-6517
Stu & Jackie Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2 Mercury Racing 540's Stu & Jackie Jones PROJECT 1080 HP Crew
Kevin & Melissa - HEAT HER UP Crew
Kevin & Melissa Welch | MA | Team HEAT HER UP | 35' Cigarette
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PACKIN HEAT Crew Kevin & Oksana Kline | CO | Team PACKIN HEAT | 43' Donzi
SKATER Crew
Robert Lockyer | FL | Team SKATER | 32' Skater / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Stan & Nikki DeMartinis Jr | FL | Team BELLA VITA | 53' HydraSports Custom
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 41
Win Farnsworth | FL | Team STATEMENT | 38' Statement!/ 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Jimmie Harrison | FL | Team FJ PROPELLER | 39' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Derek Wachob | OK | Team Plan B | 42' Cigarette / 5-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Derek Wachob | OK | Team BLACK DIAMOND | 52' MTI
Derek Wachob | OK | Team BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS | 34' MTI / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Stephen Barker | NY | Team FOR MY GIRLS II | 43' Nor-Tech
George Fragedis | NY | Team CIGARETTE | 46' Cigarette
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 45
Anthony Augello | NY | Team FOUNTAIN | 38' Fountain / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
DOUBLE R PERFORMANCE Crew
Greg Harris & Yvonne Aleman | FL | Team MAD PROPS | 32' Skater
Raymond Roberts | CAN | Team DOUBLE R PERFORMANCE | 36' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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SATURDAY RAFT-UP PARTY
S
aturday offered a relatively casual format, with a number of options. Participants were given a variety of options to cruise further south to local waterfront restaurants for lunch in Islamorada, Duck Key or Marathon, or they could stay much closer to home-base by attending a raft up party at a private residence located about a mile from the resorts. This option proved to be a very special occasion, as poker run guests were shuttled from the raft up by pontoon boat, to the residence of Eric Peterson, a south Florida attorney who had often provided services to Florida Powerboat Club over the last decade. Eric himself tended to the BBQ and made all the FPC guests feel welcome at his home, a gesture that sadly for all of us, we will never be able to repeat again. Just three days after the completion of the Miami Boat Show Poker Run, Mr. Peterson and three other attorneys from his law firm perished in a horrific airplane crash in Central Florida. It was a tragic outcome for a gentleman who was passionate about the Florida boating lifestyle, and very generous with his time and legal expertise provided to Florida Powerboat Club for so many years. Peterson, who resided in Lighthouse Point, Florida, left behind his wife, along with an adult son and daughter, and he will be sadly missed by all of us at FPC who were lucky to know him. SJ
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 47
TA M PA
SPRING FLING
KICKING OFF THE SPRING EVENT CALENDAR FOR FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB, THE 9TH ANNUAL TAMPA BAY POKER RUN RETURNED TO DOWNTOWN TAMPA FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, AS FPC MANAGEMENT CONTINUED TO SECURE ADEQUATE DOCKAGE AT THE TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER AND PLENTY OF LODGING AT TWO MAJOR DOWNTOWN TAMPA HOTELS FOR THE 40BOAT FLEET. WITH NO MENTION BY ATTENDEES THAT THEY “MISSED” THE PREVIOUS VENUE AT THE VINOY RESORT IN ST. PETERSBURG, IT APPEARED THIS NEW TAMPA FORMAT WAS ON COURSE FOR A CERTAIN FUTURE WITH FPC. STORY BY STU JONES
T
he late March event was the third poker run on FPC's 2019 poker run calendar and pulled a sizable roster of powerboats from over 20 states, with major marine sponsors on boards including Blackwater, Deep Impact, Midnight Express and Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats. Even the Indiana-based truck sponsor T.D. Wall, which sells Sportchassis haulers, returned to Tampa for its second year, after selling a brand-new Freightliner Sportchassis truck to a Florida Powerboat Club member on its previous Tampa visit. Poker run teams arrived as early as Thursday, taking advantage of a newly designated boat ramp facility on the Davis Islands, located just ten minutes from the Downtown Tampa poker run headquarters. With about fifty percent of the teams taking advantage of the early arrival program, it wasn't long before several weekend warriors were on hand at the landmark American Social, a waterfront hotspot that hosted the Saturday
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night dinner party for the 2018 event. The friendly vibe made for a great kick-start to an exciting weekend, which would enjoy three continues days of fabulous spring weather. The poker run boating activities started on Friday with a lunch run to the popular Getaway in North St. Petersburg and it was clear that FPC made the right decision to visit on a Friday, as the poker run fleet utilized every foot of transient dockage available. Later Friday, the teams checked in at the Tampa Marriott for their poker run goody bags and attended the captains meeting that outlined safety procedures and coursemap guidelines for the Saturday poker run. The evening was pleasantly capped up as about half the teams gathered at the new Harpoon Harry's Restaurant in downtown Tampa, just a block away from the Marriott, adding to the convenience of the new venue.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BLAINE BARDEN & STU JONES
Saturday morning delivered another beautiful spring day, as warm temperatures and light winds were sure to provide the ideal boating conditions for the 85-mile run. At 10:30am as planned, the boats began gathering up their first poker card from the docks at American Social Restaurant, then proceeded from Downtown Tampa to the Tampa Bay waters. Part of the morning mission was to re-attempt the popular " money shot" as the fleet passed under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, although poor positioning by the helicopter pilot did not yield the results that the organizer sought. (writer promises the heli-crew will nail it again in 2020!) The poker run continued with card pickups at Egmont Key, The new Getaway at IGY Maximo Marina, Vinoy Basin, and from Hula Bay Restaurant at the north end of the poker run course. Most of the teams returned to the docks by late
afternoon, and for evening festivities, the group assembled at Jacksons Bistro a popular Tampa hotspot, walking distance from both hotels. The open-air venue proved to be the ideal setting for the awards ceremony, where the FPC staff presented sponsor appreciation plaques to all the loyal event sponsors, followed by a series of highly prestigious President's Choice Awards. When the final poker cards were played out, the Grand Prize was awarded to George Takkula and crew on the Predator 447, a team that had shipped their 45-foot v-bottom and traveled across the Atlantic from Finland to attend the Tampa Bay event for their first time. It was a funfilled weekend for 40+ poker run teams that included over 160 attendees, and Florida Powerboat Club thanks all those decided to join in on the fun!
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 49
It appears that FPC event planning revolves around hurricane and storm damage quite often lately, often limiting destination choices. A recent storm had ruined the docks at the popular Hula Bay Club, which had been a crowd favorite for the Tampa Friday Fun Run in recent years. Fortunately, The Getaway was ready for business, and with a new kitchen on property, this turned out to be a great lunch destination. With the limited amount of transient dockage, visiting on Saturday would have been out of the question, but for that lunch stop, the great news was that The Getaway had recently opened a new St Petersburg location at the massive IGY Maximo Marina, making this a Getaway double-header for the Tampa Run for the first time, which was a winwin for everyone involved!
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The downtown Tampa waterfront skyline was a great backdrop for poker card #1, as crews pulled up alongside the docks at The Point, an entertainment complex that houses both Jacksons Bistro and the new American Social restaurant. Just across the harbor, the landmark Tampa Convention Center, which hosts the Tampa Boat Show and the marine industry’s IBEX trade show, was able to supply FPC with adequate dockage for the club’s 2nd year in the downtown core. With a little construction dust to put up with for the 2019 event, Tampa Convention Center management promises a completely new waterfront for 2020, with a newly renovated SAIL Restaurant and modern waterfront boardwalk. Combined with a new JW Marriott hotel a block away, the downtown Tampa poker run venue just keeps getting better! SJ
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 51
Keith & Patricia Stansell | FL | Team NOR-TECH | 34' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Verado 300
Geoff Mowry | MD | Team GLADIATOR | 36' Concept
Chris & Kimberly Erickson | MD | Team ERICKSON MARINE | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Verado 350
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Ron Szolack | MD | Team FLIGHT CLUB | 36' Mystic / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
DIXIE NORMOUS Crew
John Chrysler | MD | Team DIXIE NORMOUS | 47' Fountain
BODACIOUS, TOO Crew
H. Neil & Cindy Campbell | FL | Team BODACIOUS, TOO | 42' Mystic / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Be A Part Of The Action!
State Of The Art Dry Storage For Boats To 60’ In Length Adjacent To Haulover Inlet • Completely Enclosed Category 5 Storm Rated Building • Minutes To Everywhere You want To Be
This multi-million dollar marina facility, located directly on the Intra-Coastal Waterway, offers the latest technologies and innovations in dry storage. With one call your boat will be ready for you to blast out the inlet and be in the ocean in minutes.
Call 305-945-3934 to be a part of the action! Check us out at www.haulovermarinecenter.net New home of Midnight Express and Marine Technology Inc (MTI) performance boats.
WWW.WESTREC.COM
Stop by and see all that we have to offer: 15600 Collins Avenue, North Miami Beach, FL 33154
Entrance along scenic waterway to Maximo IGY Marina in St. Petersburg
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POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 57
Sponsor
Stu Jones with Eric & Maggie Glaser
Eric & Maggie Glaser | FL | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Jimmy & Carrie Wright | MD | Team SEND IT | 36' Concept / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Don Doty | MI | Team 1YR SKATER | 42' Skater / Mercury Racing Verado 1350
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Sponsor
Mark & Eileen Fischer | FL | Team DEEP IMPACT | 36' Deep Impact / 3-Mercury Verado 350
Stu Jones with Mark, Eileen Fischer
Bill Robbins | TX | Team CENTER OF ATTENTION | 39' Cigarette / 3-Mercury Verado 350
BLACK BOATS MATTER Crew
Jason & Christy Stross | FL | Team BLACK BOATS MATTER | 38' Statement / 3-Mercury Verado 350
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Team PHANTOM SV 32 | 32' Phantom -Owner Jorge Arellano
CIGARETTE Crew
Brian Teyssier | PA | Team CIGARETTE | 30' Cigarette
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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.
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 63
Sean and Channing McArthur | FL | Team DREAM HUNTER | 36' Blackwater / 3-Mercury Verado 350
Jorge & Ann Arellano | FL | Team OGP | 35' DCB
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR Crew
Greg Tolson | FL | Team ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR | 32' Sunsation
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Daniel & Lana Dickert | FL | Team LADY LANA | 34' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Stu & Jackie Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2-Mercury Racing 540's
Matt Borcina | NY | Team LOW SEA | 36' Wright Performance / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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PROBLEM CHILD Crew
Michael & Lori Smith | FL | Team PROBLEM CHILD | 41' Cigarette / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Gary Nelson & Jen Voss | FL | Team STREGA | 30' Skater
PREDATOR 447 Crew
George Takkula | FINLAND | Team PREDATOR 447 | 44' Predator
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WITH A GROWING SURGE TOWARDS LUXURY CENTER CONSOLES FOR RECREATIONAL BOATING AND POKER RUNS, MIDNIGHT EXPRESS BOATS, BASED IN MIAMI HAS TAKEN A LEADING ROLE IN BUILDING SOME OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING CENTER CONSOLE MODELS ON FLORIDA’S WATERWAYS. AFTER TAKING THE REINS AND RE-INVENTING THE BRAND THROUGH THIRTEEN YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, TWO YOUNG BROTHERS WHO PURSUED THEIR PASSION DECIDED THAT IT WAS TIME TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR LOYAL OWNERS, WITH A VERY SPECIAL EVENT. THE FIRST ANNUAL MIDNIGHT EXPRESS OWNERS RENDEZVOUS IN BIMINI WAS CREATED, AND FPC WAS PUT TO TASK TO DELIVER THE FUN.
STORY: STU JONES
E
ric Glaser anf brother Harris Glaser are the youngest family duo of boat builders on the Florida boating scene, and yet their latest designs including the popular 43 open and all-new 60’ Pied-A-Mar, have garnered global attention and have fueled the growing demand for this sexy and stylish performance center console brand. With the factory operating at full capacity and many customers ordering their second or third new Midnight Express model, it was apparent to the Glasers that customer loyalty was a big factor in the company’s growing success, and there was no better way to reward that loyalty than with an owner’s rendezvous to a destination in paradise. Mid-April was selected as the
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target date, and FPC was charged with the role of staging the company’s first Bimini rendezvous event, which included planning the logistics, lodging, customs documentation, slip reservations, catering, media coverage, video production and some waterborne activities for guests to enjoy. Essentially, a weekend format much like a regular FPC event, and while guests were responsible for paying their hotels and docking fees, Midnight Express offered to take care of all the rest. Resorts World Bimini was the perfect choice of venue, and the event launched out of Haulover Marine Center at approximately 8am on Friday April 12th, with fifteen Midnight Express models on the roster.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JERRY WYSZATYCKI & STU JONES
Choosing an April weekend for a gulf stream crossing might have been a little iffy due to mid-spring weather patterns, and fortunately the seas cooperated with 2-3 footers for most of the crossing, which took just over an hour. All the teams had met on the night prior to go over the tedious task of completing the Bahamas customs and immigration papers, so when the group arrived at Big Game Club, the captains were ready for the task. A power outage at the Big Game Club forced the resort to close, but Bimini customs officers gathered at picnic tables in the shade to process the incoming captains, and when the customs tables were filled, the FPC organizer led the other captains up the road to the
Immigration office for clearance. The entire process, which can often take hours to complete, took just over one hour, which set a new FPC record time for customs & immigration for a group of this size. By late morning, Midnight owners were on site at Resorts World Bimini, many of them getting checked into their hotel rooms, and clearing luggage from the boats to make for a much easier fun-run later in the day. The afternoon agenda took the crews to the landmark Honeymoon Harbor south of Bimini, where a controlled stingray feeding gave everyone an up-close encounter with these amazing creatures.
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The fun continued back at the resort, as the group assembled for a very special dinner in the scenic Monkey Business ballroom high atop Resorts World Bimini, offering views of the ocean to the east and to the west. A junkanoo-inspired Bahamian menu included an incredible array of both surf and turf, along with an open bar for guests to enjoy. It was a wonderful finale to an otherwise perfect day, and both Harris and Eric took a moment to thank their guests for taking them up on the invitation to participate in the company’s first big rendezvous event.
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Saturday continued with great weather, as the group took a short excursion to the beaches of North Bimini, where they set anchors and rafted up along the soft sandy shoreline, to enjoy yet another day in paradise with their fellow Midnight Express owners. The Sunday crossing back to Miami was a little on the bumpy side, as winds had built overnight and shifted from the south, but every captain managed the conditions well, and all crews returned safely without incident. It was a memorable weekend for all who attended, many making new friends, and taking part in this historic occasion that will set the course for a many more Midnight Express owners’ events to come.
JOSHUA Crew Lee Grammas | OH | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Mark Tupler | FL | Team JOSHUA | 37' Midnight Express / 3-Mercury Verado 350
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REEL EASY Crew
Robert Zielinsli | FL | Team REEL EASY | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Eric & Magie Glaser | FL | Team MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Steven & Jane Lempera | FL | Team FUTURE | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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OREO Crew
Shawn Zarbatany | FL | Team OREO | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Richard & Linda Caso | FL | Team BARE BOTTOM | 37' Midnight Express / 3-Mercury Verado 300
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Travis & Theresa Nicholson | NY | Team EQUINOX | 43' Midnight Express / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Joe Cole | FL | Team ROYAL FLUSH II | 37' Midnight Express / 3-Mercury Verado 350
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POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 77
WITH EVENT HEADQUARTERS AT THE PINK SHELL RESORT ON ESTERO ISLAND, FPC MEMBERS ENJOYED A THREE DAY BOATING AGENDA OF SCENIC CRUISING TO A VARIETY OF PLEASANT RUSTIC ISLANDS. SANIBEL ISLAND, NORTH CAPTIVA, CABBAGE KEY, BOCA GRANDE AND THE UPSCALE PRIVATE CLUB AT USEPPA ISLAND PLAYED HOST TO THIS ANNUAL GULF COAST ADVENTURE.
STORY: STU JONES
F
PC returned to the luxurious Pink Shell Resort & Marina as home-base for the Fort Myers Poker Run, and it was clear to participants why this might be the perfect headquarters. The luxurious beachfront condominium rentals provided spacious accommodations with living rooms and fully equipped kitchens, and stepping outside from the front entrance, it was just a few strides to the floating dock marina that accommodated the entire poker run fleet. Adding to the convenience of the location, it was merely a five-minute idle speed ride to the Matanzas pass, gateway to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and a ten-minute ride to the protected bay waters of Pine Island Sound. Most of the visiting poker run teams took advantage of the Thursday arrival format, launching boats at Salty Sam’s Marina just two miles from the resort, where marina management rolled out a large welcome mat and provided a very attractive $50 weekend parking pass for all participants. From there, it’s just a short idle-speed ride
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along the scenic Fort Myers Beach waterfront, which is part commercial fishing fleet, part residential and abundant with waterfront dining options. The Friday fun run format provided a casual cruising format, and offered a number of options for lunch including Barnacle Phil’s on North Captiva, the popular Cabbage Key Inn, and for those who reserved in advance, a limited number were able to dine at the Tarpon Bar, on the member-only Useppa Island. Friday also marked the culmination of Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boat’s dealer meeting, which had been headquartered at a nearby Cape Coral Resort earlier in the week, and Useppa Island hosted their Friday dealer lunch, which had been designed to coincide with the FPC outing. A few more teams joined in by late Friday for the captain’s check-in and safety meeting staged at the Pink Shell Resort, and there was clearly a wide variety of performance boats represented in every category.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETE BODEN & STU JONES
From the big power cats that included two 48 MTI’s and the outstanding 50 Mystic “Envy”, to the robust fleet of over ten Nor-Tech models, including the newest 56’ center console powered by quad Cummins turbo diesels, it was almost impossible to capture a full-framed snapshot of some of these mammoth boats without stepping back several feet! The Saturday run departed on schedule, and the fleet took flight from the Matanzas pass with an offshore route along the coastal shoreline of Sanibel Island. The Project 1080 Cigarette and safety volunteer Tim Hill followed up the rear with Fort Myers Fire Dept rescue staff on board, and soon the rooster tails of the frontrunners disappeared on the horizon. Offshore conditions were certainly underestimated in the weather reports, and soon the swells deepened to four & five feet, slowing down the pace and making it an easy decision for most teams, after getting their poker card at Redfish Pass, to continue to the lunch stop along the protected waters of Pine Island Sound. It’s the ability of a captain to alter is course from open water to protected
waters, that makes these Southwest Florida cruising grounds so popular with recreational boaters. The lunch stop returned for its third year to the Eagle Grille at Boca Grande Marina, where marina and restaurant staff greeted the poker run with a warm welcome, plenty of transient dockage, and a spectacular lunch. A north-bound run after lunch took teams to Gasparilla Marina for a touchn-go poker card pickup, followed by a stopover at Useppa Island’s Tarpon Bar, rounding out the course to just over 100 miles, a distance that most agreed was the perfect length for a great day of cruising fun! Saturday evening provided a first-class venue at the Pink Shell ballroom where teams enjoyed a fabulous dinner, President’s choice awards, sponsor presentations and played out their poker hands. FPC congratulates all the winners, and thanks participants and sponsors for their continued support of this small-but-intimate poker run setting, that made for a great spring adventure for everyone! SJ
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 79
Tyler Jones with FPC girls
Stu Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2 Mercury Racing 540's BAR-NONE Crew
Tom Beagle | MI | Team BAR-NONE | 36' Sunsation
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Jorge & Ann Arellano | FL | Team OGP | 35' DCB
Matt Borcina | NY | Team LOW SEA | 36' Wright Performance
Chris Cox | NY | Team MYSTIC | 50' Mystic
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Dan Desantis | MA | Team MCLAREN BOSTON | 38' Skater
MCLAREN BOSTON Crew
GERMANY Crew
Carston Bohlebke | GERMANY | Team GERAMNY | 36' Nor-Tech
Pierre Brousseau | CANADA | Team CENTRAL TIME ZONE | 40' Nor-Tech
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MY DIAMOND Crew
Garry & Nancy Robertson | ME | Team MY DIAMOND | 52' Nor-Tech
Sponsor
Trond Schou | FL | Team NOR-TECH | 45' Nor-tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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Raymond Roberts | FL | Team DOUBLE R | 56' Nor-Tech
Sponsor
Greg Bent | LA | Team NOR-TECH | 39' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Nils & Sarah Johnsen | FL | Team NOR-TECH | 34' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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NOR-TECH Crew
Dave Raisbeck | FL | Team RAISERS EDGE | 39' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Jonathon Miller | FL | Team NOR-TECH | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Geoff Tomlinson | FL | Team NOR-TECH | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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After an offshore romp in the choppy gulf swells, teams were relieved to turn into Redfish Pass, where Antonio Swad and his crew awaited on board "Chingona" a SeaRay L650 Express that was our platform for poker card #2. Captains were given the opportunity to return to gulf waters for the northbound run to Boca Grande, but there was widespread consensus, that the protected waters of Pine Island Sound would be the better choice for a smooth ride to the lunch stop. Special thanks to Antonio and his crew for attending their very first FPC poker run event!
Chris & Jennifer Grant | ON | Team PAIN RELIEF | 42' Fountain
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Lane Christianson | TX | Team FAST LANE V | 48' MTI
Daniel & Lana Dickert | FL | Team LADY LANA | 34' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
David Gordon | FL | Team MISS TREATED | 39' Nor-Tech / 3-Mercury Racing Verado 400R SUNSATION 36 Crew
Team SUNSATION 36 | 36' Sunsation -Owner Jorge Arellano
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Raymond Roberts | FL | Team DOUBLE R PERFORMANCE | 36' Nor-Tech / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Team PHANTOM SV 32 | 32' Phantom - Owner Jorge Arellano
William Betz | NY | Team EXCUSES | 48' MTI
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Sponsor
Mark & Eileen Fischer | FL | Team DEEP IMPACT | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Frank Schultz | PA | Team DONZI | 32' Donzi ZF / 2-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Jim & Lynne Archambault | GA | Team KEEPIN' IT REAL | 43' Outerlimits
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 89
Noel & Gretchen Speranza | FL | Team RETAINAGE | 44' Concept / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Paul Bertucci | PA | Team BEER MONEY TOO! | 39' Deep Impact / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Stoddart Stoddart | ON | Team MTI | 48' MTI
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K
icking off its tour of duty, the Project 1080 Cigarette Top Gun, sponsored by Mercury Racing, made its 2019 Poker Run debut in January with the Winter Poker Run to the middle Keys. During the next five poker run events and a few family boating weekends, Stu Jones spent the first fifty hours of run-time on the Mercury Racing 540’s, experimenting with various propellers, and eventually settling for a change in the Bravo XR lower units. With some help from TNT Rigging in Miami and Howard Marine in Pompano Beach, the standard Bravo XL lower units were switched out to Mercury Racing sportmaster lowers, raising the propellers up two inches closer to the surface, with proved to be an ideal modification for the Mercury ITS set up. Matched with Bravo 4-blade 28 pitch propellers from FJ Propeller in Fort Lauderdale, the boat is now performing very well, with top speeds in the high seventies, at approx. 5350 Rpm, and great mid-range cruising economy. On recent family 60-mile boat ride with
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four people on board and full fuel tanks, the Mercury Racing Vesselview 703 was reporting fuel consumption at 52 gallons per hour, with the boat cruising at about 58 miles per hour. These numbers clearly indicate that the twin Mercury Racing 540’s are delivering reliable fuel efficient performance at just over 1.1 mpg, which is an acceptable number for the 11,000 pound straight bottom Cigarette v-bottom. While there are certainly many more options to explore with X-dimension and propellers in the future, Jones is quite comfortable with the current performance of the boat, and ready to hit the road with the family for some summer poker run events. “I didn’t build Project 1080 to be a race boat….I wanted a reliable performance V-bottom that offered the panache of an old-school Cigarette, and the reliability of the latest Mercury Racing propulsion technology. The 540’s were the perfect match and I couldn’t be happier!”
Fineline Interiors recently completed the cover-girl cabin with Cigarette embroidery and forward V-berth cushions.
The Canvas Factory just installed a custom Bimini for summer time runs to escape the hot sun.
Bulletproof Decking installed Marine Mat throughout the boat from forward deck to swim platform.
The Bravo XR drives were re-fitted with Sport Master lower units and Bravo 28 4-blade props.
JULY 12-14 | BOYNE THUNDER POKER RUN, Boyne City, MI JULY 17 |
Summer Tour
WERTZ WARRIORS FUN RUN, Lake St. Clair, MI
JULY 18-21 | WMO ROCK THE COAST, Grand Haven, MI JULY 20-27 | Lake Ontario Family boating
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE | 93
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
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For more information, visit w w w. myc o t r a i l e r s . c o m
S E L L I N G // THE SOUTH FLORIDA L I F E S T Y L E //
Alyssa Caiazza R e a l t o r //
954.607.2102 // AlyssaCaiazza@gmail.com
SellState Partners Realty | 3335 N University Dr #1 | Hollywood, FL 33024
ORANGE BEACH POWERBOAT WEEK
I
t was a long time in the planning which began two years earlier, and the wait was well worth it! Headquartered at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, the new Orange Beach Powerboat Week offered a five-day event format and attracted 40 poker run teams from California to New York. The event kicked off with a Trucks N Boats Parade at The Wharf, and featured Thursday fun run, followed by a dual-poker run format Friday and Saturday. Enjoy these highlights, and PiP promises feature coverage in our next issue!
Stu & Jackie Jones
Stu & Jackie Jones | FL | Team PROJECT 1080 HP | 38' Cigarette / 2-Mercury Racing 540's
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Scott Favre | LA | Team GAME ON | 50' Outerlimits
Chris Bazor | AL | Team GRANDER MARINE | 43' Fountain / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Gunner Adams | FL | Team HUNTRESS | 42'Cigarette / 4-Mercury Racing Verado 400R
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FPC EVENT CALENDAR JULY AUGUST
| 2019 SUMMER TOUR WITH PROJECT 1080
J U LY 12-1 4: B OY N E TH U N D E R P O K E R RU N , B OY N E C IT Y, M I J U LY 17: W E RT Z WA R R I O RS FU N RU N , L A K E S T. C L A I R , M I J U LY 18 -21: W M O RO C K TH E COA S T, G R A N D H AV E N , M I J U LY 25 -27: L A K E O NTA R I O FA M I LY B OATI N G
AUG 14-18
| FP C E M E R A LD COA S T P OW E R B OAT W E E K Emerald Grande, Destin. Featuring the Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run 5 day event featuring the Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run
SEPT 27-29 | FA LL B I M I N I B L A S T - R E S O RTS WO R LD BIMINI
Enjoy the quaint Bimini vibe without sacrificing luxury!
OCT 11-13
| FLORIDA KEYS FALL FUN RUN-UPPER KEYS & MARATHON
NOV 6-12
| 27 T H A N N UA L K E Y W E S T P O K E R RU N FPC's signature Run! Multiple Departures & variety of lodging options!
DEC 14
| THE WINTERFEST BOAT PARADE FORT LAUDERDALE FPC members invited to join PROJECT 1080 Cigarette
PAST EVENTS JAN 18-20
| WINTER POKER RUN TO HAWKS CAY RESORT
FEB 21-24
| 24TH ANNUAL MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN TO KEY LARGO
MAR 21-24
| 9TH ANNUAL TAMPA BAY POKER RUN DOWNTOWN TAMPA
APR 25-28
| FO RT M Y E R S P O K E R RU N - P I N K S H E LL R E S O RT & M A R I N A
MAY 2-13
| 2019 FPC EUROPE POKER RUN
MAY 29JUNE 2
| O R A N G E B E AC H P OW E R B OAT W E E K
JUNE 7-12
| 28TH BAHAMAS POKER RUN-BIMINI -NASSAU-EXUMA
ALYSSA CAIAZZA -SELLSTATE PARTNERS REALTY..... 95 AMERICAN CUSTOM MARINE........................................ 27 AO COOLERS................................................................. 91 BLACK WATER.............................................................. 31 BLACK WATER.............................................................. 65 BRAND X...................................................................... 91 CIGARETE....................................................................... 9 CUSTOM MARINE......................................................... 13 DEEP IMPACT............................................................... 17 DEEP IMPACT............................................................... 23 DEEP IMPACT.............................................................. IBC FPC MEMBERSHIP........................................................ 63 LIVORSI........................................................................ 19 MERCURY RACING........................................................IFC MIDNIGHT EXPRESS..................................................... 71 MYCO TRAILERS........................................................... 94 NOR-TECH.................................................................... 33 OFFLEASE ONLY............................................................. 5 PIRATES OF LANIER CHARITY POKER RUN.................... 61 PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER...................................... 53 PMT.............................................................................. 29 SCI SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS................................ 59 T.D. WALL..................................................................... 39 TEAGUE CUSTOM MARINE............................................ BC WESTREC MARINAS..................................................... 55
ADVERTISING DEADLINE: NEXT ISSUE SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
SUBSCRIBE TO POWERBOATING IN PARADISE MAGAZINE DELIVERED 4 TIMES A YEAR
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.
CONTACT US: 954-545-1414 | FLPOWERBOAT.COM | STU@FLPOWERBOAT.COM FOLLOW US: @florida powerboat club @florida powerboat club @stufpc 98 | POWERBOATING IN PARADISE