See the complete digital edition of this publication online at www.flpowerboat.com FALL 2012 Vol. 12#3 EDITOR/PUBLISHER Stu Jones stu@flpowerboat.com
EVENT MANAGER
Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGNERS Juan C Grisales fpc.mag@gmail.com David Vaccaro fpc.art@gmail.com
MEMBER SERVICES
Laura Schrader fpcservices@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHY Stu Jones Jim Wenger Jay Nichols James Emery Stan Fitch Mike Shea
EVENT COORDINATORS Jackie Jones jackie@flpowerboat.com Rachel Babitt fpcevents@gmail.com Darin Gleichmann Drew Kravitz
MARINE COORDINATOR
Captain Chris Pelly captchris@flpowerboat.com
MEDIA SALES
NOW HIRING stu@flpowerboat.com
TV & VIDEO PRODUCTION Stu Jones David Steele Bruno Koplin RJ Murdock
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jason Johnson jajo2327@gmail.com
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
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CONTENTS
A Magazine Showcasing the Florida Powerboat Club Lifestyle
4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 6 SMOKIN’ THE SOUND—BILOXI, MS
The popular powerboat race on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, is now an exciting race & poker run double header, with round-the-clock fun on land & sea!
19 | 30 | 44 | 75 | 105 GIRLS OF FPC
We love the boats. We love the poker runs. But it’s those Girls of FPC that complete the equation!
20 JACKSONVILLE POKER RUN
The River City played host to this fabulous weekend of fun afloat for this late May fling!
50 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: BILL ROBBINS
Discover how this native Texan has made powerboating a big part of his fast-paced lifestyle.
54 BAHAMAS SMUGGLERS’ RUN
Miss Castaway - Lake Lanier - Georgia
To celebrate the club’s 21st summer of boating to the Bahamas, the Bimini Smugglers Run took a nostalgic look at the colorful history of this unique chain of islands.
60 TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE
From its early beginnings as a “Shootout” event, the Texas Outlaw Challenge is all grown up now...with an established reputation as a popular summer poker run in the land of BIG!
64 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: TOM ABRAHAM
To feed his passion for performance boating & sportfishing, this ten year FPC veteran can change his boat-dejour in a New York minute.
68 BOYNE THUNDER POKER RUN
Scenic Northern Michigan provides the ideal setting for this popular summer poker run, now in its 9th year.
72 PIRATES OF LANIER POKER RUN
There’s only one place to escape Atlanta’s summer heat, and that place is Lake Lanier, home of the 4th Annual Pirates of Lanier Poker Run.
74 EMERALD COAST POKER RUN
After two decades this big summer blockbuster just keepson giving, as it reached the $2 Million dollar milestone for youth charities! ON THE COVER: Mark Fischer’s 36 Deep Impact and Derek Wachob’s Cigarette 42 Huntress were the center of attention at the Emerald Coast Poker Run, with Panhandle Helicopter’s R44 in Hot Pursuit!
FPC Pompano Beach Headquarters
All copyright laws apply. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the publisher
Main Street Bridge - Jacksonville
74 Emerald Coast Poker Run - Destin Harbor
MODELS: Contestants from the Miss Boat Week ( Emerald Coast Poker Run) and the Miss Castaways Bikini Contest (Pirates of Lanier) stole the show at these popular summer events.
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letter from the
PRESIDENT I
Stu & Jackie Jones
GOT A COMMENT FOR ME? E-MAIL ME AT STU@FLPOWERBOAT.COM
t’s been a wild white-knuckled ride all summer season, as many of us took a tight grip on steering wheels, shiny throttles, grab rails or hand straps to secure ourselves for adrenaline pumping adventures. In Biloxi, at the Smokin the Sound poker run, it was the afternoon winds that kicked up the Gulf coast waters for a short but bouncy sprint from Shaggy’s to Biloxi Harbor. In Jacksonville, it was the heart-pounding speeds of the fast cats on the perfectly calm St Johns River, that may have caused just a few back seat passengers to take a tighter squeeze on the “ohsh*t straps!”. And indeed, for the September round of the Bahamas 2012 roller coaster adventure, it was the occasional ten foot swell that forced all aboard to imitate human transformers, as hands became tightly wrenched vice-grips on any part of the boat that was firmly attached. So where is all the fun in this? Well first of all, before answering this perplexing question, remember that for the most part, Florida Powerboat Club poker run venues are geared towards a fair-weather, enjoy-the-ride approach. No human can endure constant pounding of rough seas, unless of course they are a sucker for punishment or training for the navy seals. Equally, no production offshore powerboat and all the equipment on board, can endure hours and hours of constant pounding from rough sea conditions, unless of course it’s maybe a military built offshore tank…in which case that’s Ok because they are built to protect our borders and catch the bad guys. So what IS IT, that makes this stuff OK? I’m going to take the easiest, simplest approach in solving this mystery. It just makes us feel ALIVE! Taking a ride in an offshore powerboat …when put to its test… is simply an amazing experience! Whether it’s joining the 150mph club on a finely tuned
Fall 2012 cat with Mercury Racing 1350’s, or carving a rugged vee-bottom through the wrath of eight foot seas while crossing the gulfstream to the Bahamas…an offshore powerboat is capable of delivering an experience like no other! The complete 2012 summer tour is featured in this issue of Powerboating in Paradise Magazine, and in many ways, these events represent a good cross section of the “offshore powerboating experience”. But none of this would ever be possible, without the cast of fun-loving, adventure seeking enthusiasts, who pursue this experience with passion. Thanks to all of you, for keeping this sport Alive! As we launch this Fall Issue at the 53rd Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the Florida Powerboat Club prepares to celebrate our 20th Annual Key West Poker Run. From my perspective, as club’s president and founder, this birthday marks a very special milestone for our organization, considering all of the challenges that we have faced along the way, to build this event to what it is today. What started as twenty powerboats going to Key West for a Sonic owners rally, has transformed into a weeklong boating festival, with close to a thousand participants, a four day performance boat show in Key West, and media exposure around the world for our sport. It’s the type of event that entices people to get into our sport, and it’s the kind of event that keeps the wheels of business turning for many members of our performance marine community. The real bonus now, is that FPC is continuing to expand our speed classes to make it possible for so many to attend, and feel welcome! Whether you own a single engine twenty-five footer, sport cruiser, or performance cat, the Florida Powerboat Club has a format that accommodates your boat, and the Key West Poker Run is the ideal event to join in for this big 20th Birthday celebration! Sincerely,
Stu Jones
President & Founder, Florida Powerboat Club
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Poker Run
Above:
Rick & Dana Day (AL) Team TIDES PRIDE 42’ Fountain
Below:
Mark Graubart (AL) Team VIAQUA 38’ Fountain
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With the top names in the casino world and miles of open waterways in all directions, Biloxi Mississippi once again proved to hundreds of poker run enthusiasts and offshore racers to be the ideal destination for a mid-Spring rendezvous. STORY & PHOTOS: STU JONES
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hether you were a poker runner with a thirst for adventure or a powerboat racer with racing fuel in your veins, organizers of the April 2012 Smokin’ the Sound event set the stage for a horsepowercharged weekend. The best part, Florida Powerboat Club was invited to return and capture all the excitement of three fabulous days on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. W. Carroll Smith (TX) Team Dealer Ship 42’ Fountain
Inset: Mark Graubert & Crew, Team VIAQUA
Biloxi is easy an easy destination to reach from many southern states, whether one flies or drives. For those trailering their boats to the event, as the majority did, it’s just a hopskip-and-jump off I-10. Flying into town isn’t difficult either, with major airlines servicing Gulfport (sister city to Biloxi) and Mobile, Alabama, which is just an hour drive to the east. Upon arriving, we were happy to see the event move to a central headquarters at the Palace Casino, which had recently undergone major renovations and offered modern, well furnish rooms, dockage and boat ramp in a protected marina, and a new feature many enjoyed…a smoke-free casino and sports bar! Great rates and fantastic hospitality from our resort host
Keith Crosby made this the ideal venue for the joint poker run/offshore race event. For more information visit: www. palacecasinoresort.com The events ramped up Thursday evening with a reception hosted at the landmark Beau Rivage Casino, where poker runners and powerboat race teams gathered with organizers, fans and media, to get reacqainted and plan out their weekend strategies. For offshore racers entered in a variety of OSS race classes, that strategy may have been to gain a competitive edge to win their class. For the poker runners, their strategy was more likely to gain more chips at the poker tables and squeeze as much fun as possible for the weekend! Friday was a play day, with many poker runners taking off to various fun-run destinations, while others were just getting into town and ramping the boats into the water. By early evening the entire group routinely gathered at the Hard Rock Resort & Casino, which was wild with energy and excitement as well over a hundred Smokin the Sound guests enjoyed the festive spirit at the main casino lounge. continued on next page
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Saturday morning, the poker run fleet had swelled to over two dozen teams from several states, as the group prepared for the run. Organizers had thought the course details through, running the group offshore into the gulf waters in the morning, and eliminating a couple of the checkpoints that reduced the overall mileage. Most agreed it was an ideal change in format, and by noon, the poker run fleet was rafting up at Shaggy’s a popular waterfront eatery just twenty or so miles west of Biloxi. After a low country boil of shrimp, corn and BBQ ribs, the pack headed east…make an orchestrated high-speed pass through the OSS race course along Biloxi’s casino lined shoreline, and grabbing two more poker cards along the way. The run then made a turn into the protected backwaters and weaved through the scenic bayou to a Prop Stop, where the extended dock provided enough space to raft up the entire fleet.
The Palace Casino in Biloxi proved to be an ideal headquarter for the Smokin’ The Sound event, with many of the poker runners and racers taking advantage of the attractive participant rates. The non-smoking casino was a big plus, and poker runners loved the boat ramp and docking facilities which were right on same property! Big thumbs up!
Shaggy’s offered a casual, rustic vibe as the designated lunch stop for the poker run. Boiled shrimp, corn and BBQ made for a robust lunch!
After a short stopover, the boats headed just a few miles further to the west, culminating at The Dock, on Gulfport Lake, where every soon settled in for a chance to unwind from a perfect day on the water. The poker run festivities continued later in the evening at the Palace Casino, where resort staff rolled out the red carpet with a lavish spread of complimentary food and beverages, while the poker run footage shot from the helicopter played continued on next page 16 8
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The PROP STOP Daquiri Bar is way back up in the bayou, and it made for a perfect late afternoon stop. There was plenty of dockage for the entire fleet to raft up.
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1. Michael Bowers (MS) Team SCARAB RACING 29’ Scarab 2. Weston Bass (LA) Team BAM BAM 33’ Scarab 3. Bruce & Babs Box (MS) Team BAD BOY 43’ NorTech
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4. Paul Bertucci (MS) Team BEER MONEY 43’ NorTech Organizer/Sponsor 5. Keith Nunez (LA) Team HOT PURSUIT 40’ Skater
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1. Cass Shewbart (TX) Team LIQUID PROZAC 38’ Cigarette Top Gun 2. Shawn Berger (LA) Team 2 BAD ATTITUDES 38’ Donzi 3. W. Carroll Smith (TX) Team DEALERSHIP 42’ Fountain 4. Dolph Williams (LA) Team VIPER & VIXENS 38’ Donzi 5. Myles Holcomb (MS)
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Team JOINT CUSTODY 35’ Cigarette Event Organizer
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1. Henry Pounot (LA) Team SLOW MOTION 25’ Motion 2. Rick Milstead (AL) Team CAT GOTCHA TONGE 30’ eliminator
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3. Josh & Shellie Divin (TX) Team ALL OUT 38’ Yellowfin 4. Prahngar & Regina Draper (LA) Team TENACIOUS 26’ Baja outlaw 5. Ronald Johnson Sr (LA) Team SCARAB 27’ Scarab 3
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on the giant flat screen tv’s. We’re not sure of their name, but a fabulous rock band entertained guests throughout evening as the poker cards were played out, with the top three poker hands receiving cash and prizes at well over $ 5,000. Congratulations to Matt & Gail Rohl from Chicago, who rode aboard Team Beer Money and had lady luck on their side, taking home half the pot, a $ 2,500 cash prize! Unfortunately we were unable to stick around for coverage of the APBA Sanctioned OSS races on Sunday, which also included the P1 Superstock Series race staged by Martin Sanborn and his associates, but Ellen Greenleaf reported that it was a fabulous day of racing and a great season opener. We’d like to thank Smokin the Sound promoters Woody Bailey, Rusty David and FPC member Paul Bertucci for inviting Florida Powerboat Club to join in and be a part of this fabulous powerboating weekend on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. If you missed it this year, you have to mark it on your calendar for 2013…this is the ultimate playground both on water and off!!
The DOCK Restaurant at Gulfport Lake was the ideal end-point of the run. Plenty of dockage, great food and live music made for a perfect happy hour party!
Participants couldn’t miss the landmark Trinity Yachts shipyard in Gulfport MS. rinity is the nations leading builder in aluminum/steel megayachts.
FPC member Paul Bertucci welcomed us for a visit to his first-class FEB Distributing facility in Gulfport MS. 99 truckloads of beer on the wall...
SJ For more info: www.smokinthesound.com This editorial coverage was sponsored by: FEB Distributing, Gulfport MS, distributors of domestic and import beers, along with a full line of other quality beverages. For more information visit: www.febdistributing.com 16
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Phillip Rizzuto (LA) Team PIER PRESSURE 36’ NorTech Supercat
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1. Chris Bradley (TX) Team RAINMAKER 40’ Nor-Tech
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2. Brian Walls (LA) Team HAWAII FIVE OWE 34’ super hawaii 3. Peter Tufaro (LA) Team RED ROCKER 39’ MTI 4. Angelo Phillip (LA) Team LIL BLUE 30’ Eliminator 5. AJ Philip (LA) Team NO PLANS 40’ Skater
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Girls of
FOR MORE GIRLS OF FPC PLEASE LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
BILOXI
JACKSONVILLE Poker Run Extraordinary boats and memorable gatherings give a boost to the 11th Annual Jacksonville River Rally Poker Run 2012.
The poker run start on the St Johns River gave the fast cats a jump on the pack, as they roared to triple digits speeds in just seconds!
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THE 11TH ANNUAL JACKSONVILLE RIVER RALLY POKER RUN IN MID-MAY WAS A WELCOMED RETURN FOR FPC MEMBERS WHO HAVE COME TO ENJOY THIS GREAT VENUE. STORY: JASON JOHNSON I PHOTOS: JIM WENGER
For 10 years, Bill Pyburn Sr. was the backbone to the immensely popular Jacksonville River Rally Poker Run. Pyburn, a retired Jacksonville, Fla., firefighter who was born and raised in the majestic city that’s split by the St. Johns River, helped start the poker run that was originally called the Jacksonville Firefighters Poker Run. But this year Pyburn got to enjoy himself in a completely different capacity—as a participant while the Florida Powerboat Club (FPC) organized the 11th annual Jacksonville River Rally Poker Run in mid-May. “I think the event took steps forward this year,” said Pyburn, who rode in a Donzi 38 ZFX center console. “The weather was pretty nice so it worked out good moving the event up a few weeks earlier from the first weekend of June. I really enjoyed the Friday afternoon raft-up that was sponsored by PowerboatNation.com, and I think (FPC president) Stu Jones hit a home run from the food to the parties.” If there’s one thing you can count on when it comes to the Jacksonville River Rally, it’s a rockin’ good time, and Jones and company proved that again in 2012. Not only did the Friday and Saturday evening functions at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Restaurant and Pub provide a brilliant social setting, the fun lasted well into the evening at the other hot spots within The Jacksonville Landing, a downtown nightlife paradise. And while the boat count didn’t come close to topping 100 as it had in the event’s heyday, the fleet did include an impressive assortment of boats. The uniqueness of the boats on hand, as
well as the wide-open freshwater river, proved that the poker run is a far cry from the runs to the south. “This area is great for boating because it has everything,” said Bill Pyburn Jr., the owner of Pure Platinum, a 38-foot catamaran from Douglas Marine/Skater Powerboats. “There’s so much to do on the water here and we have very few nowake zones. You have the river, which runs south for about 200 miles, and you’ve got the Intracoastal and the open ocean. “I think that’s what people have enjoyed about this run in the past—you can run hard for a long way in a safe environment,” the Jacksonville native continued. “For his first time putting the event together, Stu did a good job. I think he’ll be able to build upon it next year.” Between Pyburn’s 180-plus-mph cat, a 1975 Bertram Competition 38 race boat owned by Kurt Bloom and Gene Crowley’s beautiful Donzi Marine 22 Classic, the variety of boats was very apparent. It’s not often you’ll find a cruiser, a turbine-powered cat, a center console and a canopied V-bottom race boat all running in the same event. “It’s been a few years since I’ve done the run, and while it would have been nice to see a bigger turnout of boats, I think the event was fun and well organized,” said Mike Fountain, who ran his newly acquired 34-foot catamaran from Doug Wright in the poker run. “It was nice to see a little bit of everything represented out there. As usual, the lunch stop was great, as was the pool party at the last stop.” POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
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Party at
One of two stops after lunch at the distinct Outback Crab Shack in St. Augustine, the Ortega Landing Yacht Club on the Ortega River provided a great spot to cool off and catch up with other poker runners during the pool party. From there, the boats headed back to the cityowned Metro Park Marina, which was just upriver from the host hotel—the gorgeous Hyatt Regency. Between The Jacksonville Landing and the Hyatt, the riverfront location was ideal. But beyond the downtown atmosphere, the opportunity to explore some of the more rustic scenery and wide-open waterways is what attracts the boating enthusiasts. “Jacksonville is a different run since it’s not in the ocean, and it’s kind of neat because of that,” said Tommy Hofstetter, of SkaterNation, PowerboatNation. com and Chief Performance fame. “It’s a nice, relaxing type of poker run with good, safe water. Obviously the whole downtown area provides a great venue and place to hang out.” Hofstetter was at the helm in a classic— the 47 Apache Broken Arrow, which is powered by three turbocharged 1,200hp Chief Performance engines. “The Apache is a wave crusher, so in the river we just pushed the throttles up, sat back and cruised,” said Hofstetter, who lives in Fort Lauderdale. “It was very relaxing. We also had the 40 SS Skater out there. Dave (Meadors) was driving it.” Hofstetter and company sponsored the Friday afternoon raft-up party, which included a substantial barbecue spread along with wings from Bill Pyburn Jr.’s Continue in page 28
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JACK
SON VILLE
RAFT
UP
Bill Pyburn Jr. (FL) 388 Skater - PURE PLATINUM (2) Chief 1350 SCI World Record holding “Pleasure Cat” @ 186 mph on 93 octane pump fuel
1. Chad Collier (TN) Team GET YOUR ROLL ON 40’ MTI Power: Mercury Racing 850SCi
2. Jason Bergstrom (GA) Team FOOLISH 34’ Nordic Power: Mercury Racing 700SCI
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3. Tom Abraham (NY)
Team MTI 36’ MTI Power: Mercury Racing 700SCI
4. Mike Fountain (FL) Team DOUG WRIGHT 34’ Doug Wright 5. Kenny Armstrong (TX) Team PHANTOM 48’ MTI Power: Mercury Racing 1350 Xtreme Wings restaurant. Fortunately a rainy forecast never amounted to much and everyone had a blast. “Having these raft-ups has become a popular thing,” Hofstetter said. “You get to hang on your boat, do a little swimming, talk to different people, walk from boat to boat, whatever you want. It’s just a great way to get together on the water.” Steve McEachern of Concord, N.C., said running his boat to the sandbar for the raft-up was a lot of fun. “It’s just cool to tie up with everyone and see the boats out in the water like that,” said McEachern, who has been a regular at the poker run over the past five years in his 36-foot Skater Roostertails ’n Cocktails. “Overall, Jacksonville is one of my favorite poker runs.” McEachern may be biased since he had the second-best poker hand and won a pair of Ocean LED lights and other accessories. Taking first and winning a Garmin GPSMAP 5012 chartplotter courtesy of Superior Communications and other marine products, was Bob Eppl, who brought his Team Velocity 39-foot V-bottom from Indiana for the event. For local resident Charles Kelly, who took third place after completing the poker run Continue in page 32
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GIRLS OF FPC
FOR MORE GIRLS OF FPC PLEASE LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
Brittany
Makayla
Kaleigh
Contestants from the Jacksonville River Rally Poker Run Bikini Contest
Lola
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Christine
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1. Michael Buddecker (FL) Team Big Dawg 35’ Cigarette Power: Mercury Racing 500EFI 2. Kort & Jessica Wittich (LA)
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Team NO CEILINGS 43’ Sunsation Power: Mercury Racing 700
3. Glenn Salyer (KY) Team RED RIVER RANCH 47’ Outerlimits Power: Mercury Racing 1075
4. Kurt Groom (FL) BERTRAM COMPETITION 38’ Bertram Power: Custom built 5. Jason Taylor (TN) Team REVOLVER 32’ Sunsation Power: Mercury Racing in his 41-foot Velocity American Player, the enjoyment of restoring his boat and being able to showcase it amongst all the other boats—old and new—brought exhilaration to him and his son, Charlie. “It’s so much fun to see all these boats and all these people taking care of them,” Kelly said. “You can tell they’re proud of them, just like us. Everyone out here respects each other.” Speaking of respect for boats, Kurt Bloom, who drove his classic Bertram Competition 38 in the poker run for the third time, said he loved seeing the 47 Apache Broken Arrow on the water. “I’m biased to the old sleds,” said the DeLand, Fla., boater who restored the original Needle Nose III race boat, one of only 15 built by Bertram. “That thing is probably the coolest thing I saw all day.” Between V-bottoms from Cigarette, Fountain, Outerlimits or Sunsation and catamarans from MTI, Nordic, Skater, Spectre and more, the event had a little of everything. Included in the mix was Kenny Armstrong’s caravan, which included the Clear Lake, Texas, resident’s 48-foot MTI Phantom and 74-foot Viking Sportfish High ’n Dry. Continue in page 34
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1. Leonard Thomas (MA) Team GOLD DIGGER 50’ Outerlimits Power: Mercury Racing 1075SCI
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2. Dan & Kim Jape (GA) Team SCRAPPY CAT 36’ Eliminator Power: Mercury Racing 700SCI 3. Marc & Micheline Gendron (FL) Team XCLUSIVE 42’ MTI Power: Griffen 900 4. Michael Lattomus/Deluca (DE) Team 44’ MTI 5. John O’Neill (GA) Team GERITOL 40’ MTI Power: Mercury Racing 700SCI As expected, Armstrong’s 74-footer welcomed many guests throughout the weekend as it was docked on the St. Johns River in front of The Jacksonville Landing with the picturesque Main Street bridge behind it. “When people think of running on a river, they don’t realize how wide the St. Johns River is,” said Kevin of Direct Connection Marine in Jacksonville. “They also don’t know how scenic it can be. The equipment that comes to the event every year is top notch, but this event is really about giving back. When we originally started it we gave to the children of fallen firefighters and police officers, and for many years we’ve been raising money for kids recovering from burn injuries.” This year’s event raised more than $5,000 for Camp Amigo, a non-profit organization that runs a summer camp near Port St. Joe, Fla., for kids living in Northern and Central Florida who are burn survivors. And that’s the real reason so many of these exceptional boats get together each year for a wild run on the river. JJ
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1. John Woodruff (GA) Team WINDSHIP 48’ MTI Power: Mercury Racing 1350 2. Jules Tremblay (FL) Team TURBINE EXPRESS 44’ MTI Power: Turbine Marine 1500
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3. Peter Marton (FL)
Team AVANTI 33’ Avanti Power: Mercury Racing 525EFI
4. Bill Pyburn JR. (FL) Team PURE PLATINUM 38’ Skater Power: Chief Engines 1350 5. Bob / Ryan MacDonald (FL) Team WHITE NOISE 38’ IMAGE CAT Power: Mercury Racing 700
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6. Tommy & Kate Hofstetter (FL) Team SKATER NATION 40’ Skater Power: Chief Engines 1300
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Party at
The Friday and Saturday evening functions at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Restaurant and Pub provide a brilliant social setting. The fun continued well into the evening at the other hot spots within The Jacksonville Landing.
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1. Gary Jones-Eldon Trimmingham Team SUNCOAST POWERBOATS 42’ Fountain Power: Mercury Racing
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2. Charles Kelly (FL) Team AMERICAN PLAYER 41’ Velocity Power: Custom 750 3. Don Gardner (FL ) Team MOTION 30’ Motion Power: Mercury Outboards 4. Eric Belisle (FL) Team WHY WALK WHEN YOU CAN RUN 32’ Spectre Power: Mercury outboards
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5. Benny D’Angelo (CAN ) Team HOUDINI 38’ Cigarette Power: Mercury Racing 525
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1. Tom Hoffstetter (FL) Team BROKEN ARROW 47’ Apache Power: Chief 1200 Turbo 2. Bob Blanford (FL) Team BOB 39’ Cigarette Power: Mercury Bradas 300
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3. Steve & Betsy Britton (FL) Team SHAKE N BAKE 30’ Cigarette Power: Merlin 600HP 4. Brent & Denise Buford (LA) Team OVA KILL 47’ Outerlimits Power: Mercury Racing 1075 5. Mike & Angela Goldbaugh (AL) Team LATE FEE$ 38’ Donzi Power: Mercury Racing 700
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GIRLS OF FPC
FOR MORE GIRLS OF FPC PLEASE LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
Makayla
Christine
Contestants from the Jacksonville River Rally Poker Run Bikini Contest 44
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Kaleigh
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1. R.B. & Fran Hixson (TN) Team FRANTASTIC 42’ Fountain Power: Mercury Racing 1075SCI
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2. Bill Robbins (TX) Team ACES FULL 38’ Fountain Power: Mercury Racing 525 3. Gene Crowley (FL) Team DONZI 22’ Donzi Classic 4. James & Jennifer Mills (IA) Team BAD BOY BILLY II 45’ Sonic Power: Mercury Racing 500EFI
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5. Bob Eppl (IN) Team VELOCITY 39’ Velocity Power: Mercury Racing 700SCI
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JACKSONVILLE Party & Awards
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MTI on its tilt trailer, with its aviationlights and LED’s creating an impressive light show. Curious spectators soon wandered into the courtyard to see the impressive boats, and at the height of the evening, the visuals resembled in some way a “miniature” of the Key West Poker Run Village....something that quickly prompted picture taking for next year’s planning. Always have to be thinking of the next big event!
HE SATURDAY EVENING festivities returned to Fionn MacCools, although the format for guests was modified to a private function, as close to 150 participants enjoyed a lavish dinner spread and live music from yet another local rock band that got many of the guests out of their chairs, and onto the dance floor. Powerboats on display included the Windship 48
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1. Heather and Jackie 2. Michael Maggis Team Daver 3. Skater Nation Crew 4. Team Foolish with Jason Berstrom 5. R.B. Hixon with Team Frantastic 6. Erin and Amanda with friend 7. Gary Jones, Eldon Trammsha 8. Gene Crowly with Team Donzi
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Congratulations to the Poker Run Winners: 1. Winner of 1st Place Bob Eppl, (IN) - Team Velocity. Won a Garmin GPS Chart Plotter, courtesy Superior Communications. 2. Winner of 2nd Place Steve McEachern (NC) - Team Rooster Tails & Cocktails. Won Ocean LED Lights for his 36 Skater. 3. Winner of 3rd Place Charles Kelly (FL) Team American Player 4. Heather and Chad Collier Winner of Best Poker Run Boat 5. Team White Noise Winner of Best Dressed Crew 6. Winners Sexiest Crew 7. Skater Nation Sponsor Award 8. Kim Jape Winner of Best Catamaran 9. R.B. Hixon Winner of Best Paint and Graphics with Jackie and Laura 10. Team Bad Boy Billy Winner of Best V-Bottom 11. John Woodruff’s “Wind Ship”
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Generous GENTLEMAN The
Bill Robbins loves poker running to destinations and giving back to the underprivileged with like-minded boaters.
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BY JASON JOHNSON | PHOTOS BY STU JONES
t’s fitting that the third-generation Chevrolet dealership owned by Bill Robbins is located in Humble, Texas. For in the poker-run community, there isn’t a man more humble than the 55-year-old native Texan, whose grandfather founded Robbins Chevrolet— Texas’ first Chevy dealership—in 1928. Robbins, who lives in Kingwood and owns a home on Austin’s Lake Travis, grew up boating on Lake Travis and has fond memories of fishing on Houston’s first reservoir, Lake Houston, which was built in the mid-1950s. “We had quite a few boats growing up, from runabouts to wooden boats with little outboards,” said Robbins, who is a member of the Lake Travis Powerboat Association and the Florida Powerboat Club (FPC). “When I was 15, I asked my dad to let me sell our 18-foot I/O ski boat. The river we skied on was very shallow so I wanted to get a jet boat. Plus that was the coolest thing to have in 1972. “My dad said if I sold it I could buy the boat I wanted, which was $5,200 out the door,” he continued. “I sold it the first weekend and he stood by his word. I had jet boats for the next 10 years. I even started drag racing them.” From there, Robbins took to the fast rides. He owned a 100-mph Youngblood Performance jet boat and his first twin-engine offshore boat was a 1989 Scarab Panther. He’s the last to brag, but nowadays you can find him behind the wheel of one of four boats—a NorTech Hi-Performance Boats 4000 Roadster catamaran, a Fountain Powerboats 38 Lightning V-bottom, a Concept Boats 30-foot center console and a MasterCraft X-Star wakeboard boat. “I keep my Concept in Florida,” Robbins said. “Scott Ryerson (president of Suncoast Powerboat and Yacht Brokerage in Sarasota) takes care of it. He’s been a real help with all of my boats over the years. I also have to give a lot of credit to Brad Schoenwald from Tres Martin’s Performance Boat School. I bought a Nor-Tech 36 Supercat in 2008 and for the first six months, before Brad helped me learn to drive it, I didn’t like it.” A self-proclaimed careful driver, Robbins said the fact of the matter was that he didn’t know what he was doing. Continued on page 50
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Bill started his poker run roll, with Aces Full, a 38’ Fountain, before getting bit by the cat bug. He later acquired a 36’ Nor-Tech Supercat, and eventually upgraded that to the new Nor-Tech 4000 Roadster with Mercury Racing 850’s
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Robbins “Brad basically helped me go through that curve of going from a V-bottom to a cat driver,” said Robbins, who has owned about a dozen Fountain V-bottoms, starting with his first 27 Fever in 1992. “Once you learn how to drive an offshore cat like that, it’s unlike anything else and it’s fun as hell to drive in any kind of water. I don’t think I’ll ever not have a cat; I don’t think I’ll ever not own a V-bottom either.” Schoenwald, who initially met Robbins when he borrowed a water impeller for his Fountain at a poker run, said Robbins had good boating knowledge, but didn’t really know how to set up or trim the catamaran. “He wanted to learn how to drive the boat and understand why,” Schoenwald said. “His son was going to be driving the boat, too, so the school seemed like the right thing for both of them to do at the time.” The two are good friends now and have done quite a few poker runs together—although not nearly as many as Robbins has completed with Craig Kelly, his chief mechanic and close friend. “We broke into saltwater boating together,” said Robbins, aka “BR” to Kelly. “We laugh about it now, but boy have we come a long way. Our first Florida poker run was chaos. But look at us today—Stu (Jones, FPC president) has even asked us to be the pace boat for the Key West Poker Run.” Kelly explained that Robbins, who had been doing poker runs in Texas since 1989, had always cursed the saltwater, but was finally ready to travel to Florida for a poker run in 2004. “The first one we did was in Sarasota,” said Kelly, 44, who met Robbins on Lake Travis when he was 13. “Here’s the CliffsNotes: We missed the first stop completely and ended up being like the third or fourth boat to the lunch stop. Everyone was staring at us like that boat must be fast as hell. We were greener than you could imagine, 52
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Craig Kelley from Texas often accompanies Bill on many FPC poker runs. In 2011, Bill ran an unprecedented five poker runs in a row, completing the Spring Tour. Five for five! Here he is on The Sunny Isles Poker Run, with FPC chopper closing in.
but we had a good time and took in as much as we could. “There’s no telling how many poker runs BR has done,” he continued. “I think one year, in ’08 or ’09, he did all of the FPC runs, and there was a lot back then. I’ve been fortunate to attend a majority of them with BR and every one has been a great experience. I’ve never seen him not step up the plate for the charities at these events, too. And he never does it for the recognition.” Robbins is proud that both of his
Bill’s passion for all boats was well-documented when he made a spontaneous purchase of this Cruisers Yachts express cruiser in Destin in 2009, which got it’s maiden voyage with the girls of FPC on the deck!
kids—Cole, 27, and Chelsea, 25—enjoy boating and attending poker runs with him on a regular basis. He estimated he’s owned between 40 and 50 boats, including an 80-foot Hatteras yacht, a 48-foot express cruiser, personal watercraft and more. Although he loves the Key West and Bahamas poker runs, Robbins said his favorite has to be Emerald Coast (in Destin). “It’s for a good cause, first of all, and it’s such a fun place to boat,” he said. “Not only is it well run, it raises a lot of money for the Emerald Coast Foundation.” JJ
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he 1st Annual Bimini Smugglers’ Run was originally scheduled for late June, as part of the FPC’s annual Bahamas Poker Run. With foul weather coming in from the tropics, the first round was cut short, as about fifteen teams returned to the mainland to avoid the rough seas and rains that followed. Sept. 14th was scheduled as a re-make of the June event, and six poker run teams totalling 30 participants headed out from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to brave the gulf stream crossing. Northeast winds produced seas of 6 to 8 feet, including swells that often exceeded 10 feet, but these crews were bound and determined to make the crossing. Boats ranging from a 33 foot Powerplay to a 42 foot Cigarette, proved tough enough for the mission, and by early Friday afternoon, the entire group settled in at the Bimini Big Game Club for conch salad and rumrunners. Bimini Bay Resort & Marina hosted the group, and with empty slips everywhere, it was apparent that the majority of transient boaters had decided to stay on the mainland for the weekend. But there was plenty on the agenda for the FPC clan, with acContinued on next page
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1. FPC Girl, Amber 2. Junkanoo celebration 3. Patrick Sullivan with Jackie & Laura 4. Team Bad Boy Billy. 5. Holstrom’s Team Country Girl 6. Disguised attendees, unidentified 7. George Fragedis and Team 8. James, David, Eric and Stu 9. Ed & Vicki Rieskamp 10. Entertaining the guests with Bahamian chords 11. Blown Investment 12. Marc, Laurence, Alupis, Axel, Naxence and Alexander of Team Almax 13. David Landsman & Friend 14. Bimini Bay Resort Here We Come! 15. Chad and Shannon Nold 16. David Landsman’s “King of Cars” 17. Michael Pollock’s Team Ms. America
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18 19 tivities on land that included golf cart tours into the quaint villages of Bimini, or relaxing at the Bimini Bay Resort infiiniti pool. Saturday, three of the six boats attending traveled south from Bimini and rafted up at Honeymoon Harbor, for a stringray feeding that brought more than a dozen local rays out for the exciting rendezvous. While it may have been a little intimidating at first for the newcomers, most participants were amazed at the friendly, docile nature of these beautiful creatures, and eventually became courageous enough to try a little hand-feeding.
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18. Team Mia 19. Mark Palanchian 20. Allen & Dana Milarik 21. Team Active Thunder 22. Stu & Jackie 23. Clayton and Lisa Sampson 24. Hector Chiasson 25. Ed & Vicki Rieskamp with Family. 26. Daniel, Kim and Annalisa at the The Sunken Ship
Saturday night took the group back to the Bimini Big Game Club, where the poker cards were drawn, and Anton Holstrom from SC, won the Bimini Smugglers Run with the highest pair. Later, the group cruised the island and visited Big Johns, the town’s favorite entertainment hotspot. At least three of the boats returned to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, reporting back that the seas had laid down and the crossing was much better than the trip over just two days earlier. Continued on next page
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27 One of the remaining boats took to the local waters for fishing, while the crew on board Mark Fischer’s 36 Deep Impact, explored the very exclusive island, Cat Cay..which is just eight miles south of Bimini. Island officials granted a private tour of this beautiful island escape, which features a massive marina, private airstrip, and well over one hundred fabulous homes, many of which are classified as island estates valued at several millions. With membership initiation at $ 25,000 and approximately it’s a great way to escape the crowds, be treated like royalty and enjoy a relaxing getaway in the tropics just fifty miles from Miami.
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Sunday evening, for the final soiree, about a dozen guests enjoyed the hospitality extended by Patrick Sullivan of Performance Marine and incoming member Andrew MacMillan, a New Zealand native who resides in Singapore and traveled half the globe to attend the Bimini Run. Marinated steak and fresh lobster tails were on the menu, along with an assortment of fine wines...a brilliant ending to this late summer Bahamas fling. SJ
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28. Keith Slagle 28. Andrew, Laura, Andrew and Pat Sullivan 29. Deb & Anton Holstrom Won First Place 30. Team S.P.E. 31. Michael & Veronica Voudouris 32. Welcome to Bimini 33. Dave Postil and Friend 34. Lobster Tails at the Sullivans’ 35. Laura Lachowitz and Jackie 36. Keith Slagle with Todd, Julie, Bruce and Candice 37. Feeding the Stingrays 38. Mark & Eileen Fischer with Laura, Mitch and Mike.
PHOTOS BY JOEL VEEDELL AND BY JOHN FROM THE SCENE MAGAZINE
STORY BY PAUL ROBINSON
The Thursday evening STAMPEDE Welcome PARTY was hosted at the Kemah Boardwalk and both registered guests and the general public enjoyed the boat displays and entertainment.
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n Texas, things are BIG! Yes, maybe it’s because it’s one of our largest States, or maybe it just the fact that Texans are some of the biggest hearted and most hospitable people you will ever meet, or it could be due to the sheer size of this Outlaw Challenge party we throw...or the $20,000 first prize presented to the poker run winner this year! As event producer and FPC member, I like to measure success like a Texan—175,400 horsepower stampeded Clear Lake and Galveston Bay throughout the 4-day event this past June! To “foreigners,” that’s 127 teams with over 1000 registered participants from all over the US representing coast to coast participation in a true East Meets West performance boat show-down.
PHOTO BY JAMIE RUSSELL
Marine industry leaders have recognized this demographic as a must attend event with national representation and event sponsorships coming from Mercury Racing, MTI, Pier 57, DCB, Nordic, Livorsi, CMI, Hering, Statement, Supertrucks, Wozencraft, BBlades, West Marine, Legend Marine Group, Fastboats.com, Bullock Marine, Doller Offshore, Victory Marine, and American Offshore…and 35 additional local sponsors Continued on page 60
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including the lakeside towns of Seabrook, and Kemah, and another FPC member, Bob Cummins with his Fasttrac Transportation company returning for the fifth straight year as the events Premier Sponsor! Guest enjoyed all the featured events such as Thursday’s welcoming Stampede Street Party, Friday’s Outlaw 100+MPH Club and Extreme Outlaw speed runs (2012 Big Gun Winner: Bob Bull 48 MTI at 163mph), ending up at FPC member and DH Technology sponsor/host, Ken Armstrong’s waterfront party house with dock and beach parking for over 100 boats including a swimming pool that can hold hundreds of guests), followed by evening “bling” at the Denim & Diamonds Charity Banquet. Saturday activities included the signature Gunslinger Poker Run and GPS ShootOut, with Sunday (for those still in the saddle) closing with the Wounded Knee Raft-Off and pool party at FPC member Allen Swindol’s Channel Ranch on Clear Lake. Next year’s Texas Outlaw Challenge dates have been set for June 20-23, 2012. Hope to see you there!
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Change of
PACE
Despite being a Cigarette Racing aficionado, Tom Abraham has grown accustomed to the high-performance catamaran lifestyle. BY JASON JOHNSON | PHOTOS BY STU JONES
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ust as people became adjusted to the sight of Tom Abraham driving his 36-foot catamaran from Marine Technology Inc. (MTI) at the Florida Powerboat Club (FPC) poker runs over the past couple of seasons, the native New Yorker sold his boat and jumped into a pre-owned 42 MTI with a new set of turbocharged Mercury Racing 1100 engines. “I have some news for you—you got the last ride in the 36,” Abraham told me in a follow-up interview after I spent a day in his 36 MTI at the Jacksonville River Rally Poker Run. “I really wasn’t looking to get rid of the 36 MTI, I think I even joked with you about selling it and getting something bigger with 1100s.” He did. In fact, his quote was: “For the five minutes riding here, I was thinking a 40 with 1100s would be real good, but hopefully I forget about that as soon as we get back on plane.” Unfortunately we never did get back on plane after an electrical issue took us out of the run before the lunch stop. Shortly thereafter, Abraham, 44, found out that the orange, yellow and gray 42-footer with Mercury 1100s and No. 6 drives was available. And the rest is history. “I’ll tell you what, this boat with these new engines is wicked—the power is instantaneous,” said Abraham, who splits time between New York and Miami. “I never owned a cat before the MTI, and while I love Cigarettes, you couldn’t pay me to stand up in a fast boat ever again.” Many people, including Phil Lipschutz of Lip-Ship Performance in North Miami, were a little surprised when Abraham opted to buy the first MTI. When it comes to Cigarette Racing customers, Abraham is about as legendary as they come. An owner of 18 different boats from the world’s most famous powerboat brand—some of which he’s even owned twice—he’ll always be a Cigarette advocate. Continued on page 64 64
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This 36’ MTI was Tom’s first cat, and he loved the performance and the reliability of the Mercury Racing 700’s “I could run all day at a hundred and not break a thing!”
A hard-core, loyal Cigarette owner for years, Tom owned some of the fastest and wildest Cigarettes ever built, like this rare sit-down 45 Maximus, powered by ZUL 1000’s.
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Abraham “I didn’t think I’d ever see him in anything but a Cigarette,” said Lipschutz, who sold Abraham his first twin-engine offshore boat in 1999, a 35 Café Racer, and has taken care of each boat Abraham has bought from his dealership since. “He was very pro V-bottom, but he kind of outgrew the performance—he wanted to be able to cruise at 100 mph effortlessly. The best way to do that is in a cat. It’s just that now he no longer plays in the ocean, he plays in (Miami’s) Biscayne Bay. I’m sure he has his days when he misses it.”
The Cigarette 46 Rough Rider provided Tom with reliable Mercury Racing 1075’s and a cockpit big enough for his buddies and all the kids!
Abraham still owns a 100-plus-mph 20-foot Cigarette that was restored by LipShip Performance as well as a 40-foot center console and an imposing 65 Enclosed Bridge from Viking Yachts, which he often lives on when he stays in Miami during the winter. And he’s proud of the fact that Philly, as Abraham calls Lipschutz, takes care of his MTI. “I’ve had every Cigarette under the sun and Philly was a tremendous part of what kept me coming back,” said Abraham, who has an 11-year-old son, Wesley, who has been immersed in the boating lifestyle since he was a baby. “I’m privileged to have the only non Cigarette Philly takes care of. Philly and his guys make everything so easy.” Abraham gave a lot of credit to his mechanic and good friend, Jimmy McIntyre, who owns Falcon High-Performance Marine Center in Quag, N.Y. “Behind every good powerboater is a good mechanic,” he said. McIntyre, who has been running in poker runs with Abraham for about six or seven years, said that a great friendship has evolved.
The 42’ Cigarette Tiger, Endangered Species, was Tom’s first on the FPC poker run circuit. “It’s more fun than it is work,” McIntyre said. “Tom is full throttle all the time, he takes boating very seriously. I pretty much take care of as much as I can for him so he can enjoy boating. We work well together. As good as I am to him, that is exactly as good as he is to me.” Abraham holds McIntyre accountable for talking him into a visit to Pier 57 in Counce, Tenn., to test drive the 36-foot cat. But all it took was one ride and Abraham was ready to trade in his Cigarette 46 Rough Rider. “We were cruising across the lake at 100 mph and it felt like we were going backward,” Abraham said. “I knew the 36
MTI wouldn’t be that good in the ocean. That’s great because I’m not going in the ocean. I only want to go out on nice days anyway. I’m not doing this constantly like I used to, I have other things going on. I’m busy with work and using my other boats.” A high-end residential real estate developer and owner of the Mill Pond House restaurant in Centerport, N.Y. on Long Island, Abraham grew up boating around Long Island, and remembers getting his first boat around the age of 8—an 8-foot dingy with a 2.5-hp engine. It’s safe to say that first boat wasn’t his favorite, but what was? “I’d have to say Endangered Species because it was such a cool boat,” Abraham said, referring to his 2001 Cigarette Twin Step 42 Tiger with twin Mercury HP575SCi engines. “It was Cigarette’s first stepped 42 and man it was the coolest thing in the country at the time. “Funny story,” he continued. “The day I went to Florida’s Captiva Island in November 2000 with Endangered Species for the sea trials for Powerboat magazine, (MTI owner) Randy Scism was there with his first boat, Dirty Duck. Who knew a decade later, I’d own one of his boats.”
Tom (center) with his son Wesley and #1 crew chief, Jim McIntyre from Falcon Performance, winning a peoples choice award at the Daytona Poker Run. 66
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And who knows, maybe in another 10 years, Abraham will be back behind the wheel of a Cigarette.
Poker Run
Leaving Lake Charlevoix, the poker run boats pass through the small town of Charlevoix before entering the open waters of Lake Michigan.
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STORY: STU JONES l PHOTOS: JAY NICHOLS
f Florida had a “sister state” it would have to be Michigan. A mere glance of each state’s geography would reveal that both states, similar in size, are surrounded by hundreds of miles of shoreline offering recreational boaters endless opportunities to explore. With most of Michigan situated above the 42nd parallel, it goes without saying that the boating season is short. But for three solid months, June through August, the climate is fantastic and Michigan’s diehard seafarers, along with an endless stream of visitors, head straight for the waterways to squeeze every moment of enjoyment from those limited number of weekends. That’s exactly what took place on the beautiful Lake Charlevoix in Northern Michigan this July as more than seventy poker run teams converged on the quaint little towns of Boyne City and Charlevoix. About eight years earlier, a Michigan powerboater named Tracy Nemechek came by the FPC booth at the Miami Boat Show, with brochures and images of this fabulous event, which, at the time, had just completed its first year. It was amazing to see the beautiful coloration of the waters, tremendous participation of boats and incredible scenery, featuring miles of forested rolling hills in the background. After growing up in Ontario, just a couple hundred miles away, I thought to myself, “How could I have possibly missed this?” It was Thursday afternoon when we rolled into the small
town of Boyne City, and already there were signs of poker run preparations. Large tents were erected in a waterfront city park and truckloads of barricades arrived in the small downtown core where a couple of city blocks were about to be closed off for the Friday street fair and boat show. After nine years, the town has preparation down to a science! Our first mission, was to check into our enormous Boyne Mountain Resort, located just a few miles out of town. This is by far the largest resort of its type in the area featuring a long list of outdoor activities in summer months and then converting to a popular ski resort in the winter months. For families, it’s a big hit any time of year, because of the gigantic indoor waterpark. Thursday evening, our first social engagement with poker runners, took place at Robert Burger’s summer home on Lake Charlevoix. Within an hour of arriving, we found that more than half of the guests were avid participants and members of Florida Powerboat Club. There were familiar faces everywhere including Bob & Elle Berg, Robert D’Angelo, Bob Barnhart, Terry Sobo, John Frohlich, along with photographer Jay Nichols, who came all the way from South Florida to photograph the event. In spite of being more than 1,600 miles from Pompano Beach, in no time at all, we felt very much at home in the company of so many longtime boating friends. continued on next page
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The publisher would like to thank Jay Nichols for his oustanding photo contribution to this event. To view or purchase photos visit www.naplesimage.com
Poker Run
Friday provided beautiful weather as the boats continued to roll into town and by late afternoon the Boyne City docks were overflowing with poker run boats. Boats could also be seen on display in the adjacent park which also featured a handful of marine trade exhibits. We stopped in to say hi to Jessica and Ian from Ilmor High Performance, and got a glimpse of their new mobile trailer which was specifically built for poker runs. A display of two colorful Skaters drew us for a closer look where we caught up with Steve Gordon and Ron Szolak, both Michigan natives and regular FPC event attendees. By early evening, when the captains’ party and festivities began, it was a constant stream of friendly faces, welcoming us and showing sincere appreciation that we had made the long journey to the Wolverine State for diehards. It was especially nice to catch up with Michigan couple Ken & Karen Trelfa who have been longtime supporters of FPC. We had the pleasure of being invited to ride along with Ken & Karen on their triple engine 42 Legacy. Having attended this run in the past, they were very familiar with the waterways. Not to mention, Karen is a damn good navigator. The Saturday run took the 70-plus fleet on a parade-like starter lap, giving spectators in boats and along the shoreline an impressive show of the brute horsepower about to be unleashed. Heading northwest through the lake, the boats carved through the small and very scenic town of Charlevoix which proudly boasts the slogan, “Charlevoix the Beautiful.” Which, in this case, is very true. A great day of boating was capped off with a spectacular dinner party and awards banquet. The festive vibe continued as we were invited to the beautiful home of Bob & Elle Berg for hot-tub cocktails and yes, lots of stories about boats! To round out the evening, it was a spontaneous Happy 50th Birthday to Karen Trelfa, and we were glad we could share it with her! 70
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The 70-plus fleet on a parade, giving spectators in boats and along the shoreline an impressive show.
Boats could also be seen on display in the adjacent park which also featured a handful of marine trade exhibits. Make no mistake, this event pulls in some heavy hitters!
Thanks to all who reached out to make our visit to our first-ever Boyne Thunder Poker Run a memorable occasion, and congratulations to the entire Boyne City poker run committee and volunteer staff for putting on a first class event! Next year is the 10th Annual celebration! For more info please visit: www.boynethunder.com STU JONES
Poker Run
S u r r en der ! The B o o ty !
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FLORIDA POWERBOAT CLUB HAS ALWAYS HAD A LOVE AFFAIR WITH LAKE SIDNEY LANIER, SO IT WAS A EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN THIS PAST JULY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PIRATES OF LANIER POKER RUN.
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he Pirates of Lanier Poker Run had its early beginnings in 2009, when a group of North Georgia business professionals decided it was time to get a successful poker run back on the lake. Prior to that, the 38,000 acre Army Corp lake had suffered a few bad years of drought and water management challenges, resulting in water levels that were far below normal, which threatened recreational boating and public enjoyment of this popular summer playground. Club member John Woodruff (Team Windship) who hails from Atlanta, had recently teamed up with event organizers, becoming a board member and lending assistance with sponsorship and participant recruiting for this charity poker run. For 2012, the event received a name change, to the Pirates of Lanier Poker Run, and the momentum began to build early, as many got on board to take part. FPC was more than happy to help promote the late July event to powerboaters across the nation, and the collective marketing efforts pulled a stellar roster of high-performance boats from dozens of states. Another FPC member Dan Jape (Team Scrappy Cat) jumped on board as a major title sponsor, Reliable Heating and Air. Together with John, the two campaigned with all their boating friends, and the roster began to grow to its largest numbers ever. This was evident on the Thursday prior to the poker run, as dozens of powerboats on trailers were parked in the staging lots of Lake Lanier Islands Resort, ready for action. The weekend format began with a Friday fun run, which was very well attended. Jackie and I jumped on board with John & Nancy on the 48 MTI Windship, and it was just a short ride up to the Buford Dam, a landmark in itself, built in 1956 and the sole structure which gave Lake Lanier its very existence over five decades ago.
As boats arrived and congregated, it was apparent that the “powerboat” contingent had taken a solid boost for the 2012 event…as colorful cats and vees of all descriptions arrived for the occasion. The ride was short…perhaps by design, and the group was soon beached along the sandy shoreline of a protected cove, where an army of volunteers awaited, fully prepared to entertain and feed hundreds of weekend revelers with juicy burgers, all the fi xins, and refreshing Coca Cola! Well you wouldn’t expect Koolaid would ya? As a poker runner, (and poker run organizer) I must say this was a nice touch, and in some way reminded me of how in Jacksonville, the Pyburn’s made the Friday afternoon BBQ raftup party a big hit with the participants. It’s not easy to just stage up a major catering effort in the middle of nowhere, but it’s these exact things that take a poker run event to the next level. (note to self!) Friday evening the wow factor continued, as the Captains Party at Holiday Marina featured a poker run village , great food and a spectacular Miss Castaway’s Swimwear Contest. Make no mistake, there were twenty five of the most gorgeous women in this contest, and the only people we may feel sorry for is the judges, who had to actually decide that only ONE of these beauties could win the crown. In my role as official photographer, I was content to take snap shots, while Jackie helped Nancy Hancock (John’s gal) do a little fund raising for the cause! The Saturday poker run got underway by about 11am, and from up in the helicopter, it was soon apparent that big offshore machines can make this lake real small, real fast. The nearly 700 miles of shoreline unfortunately does NOT translate into long hundred mile runs in any direction…more like twenty or thirty miles at the most, which at 100+ mph, makes the BIG FISH in a small pond Continued next page POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
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Ahoy!! theory sort of take over. Nonetheless, there were several checkpoints, enthusiastic dock workers, and brilliant scenery in every direction. From up in the chopper, the vantage point was quite simply, breathtaking. Saturday evening, the festivities at the luxurious Lake Lanier Islands moved over to a popular section of the spacious resort called Sunset Cove, which was ready for the festive mob, with a great live band, poker run awards, friendly staff , fireworks and a spectular laser light show that was world class. Of course in true Windship fashion, the hula hoops were soon lighting up the night as well! While we certainly had Georgia on our minds over the last several years, it was really great to be back at Lake Lanier. Many FPC members have fond memories of attending the Lake Lanier Poker Run back in 2002, an event that was organized by marina operator Barclay Geib. In 2003, when Barclay decided it was time to retire from the poker run biz, he was gracious enough to hand-off the event to FPC…and we had a great time for about three years, staging annual summer events. Turning the page forward, it’s very exciting to see this non-profit group form, and really get behind this fabulous Pirates of Lanier Poker Run event, now in its fourth year. The event organizers donated in excess of $100,000 to three highly respect youth charities from the local area, Camp Sunshine, NSW Kids and Children’s Healthcare. Thank’s to John Woodruff and his associates for allowing Fpc to take part in this exciting event, and we look forward to returning in 2013! For more information, visit: www.lanierpartners.com Stu Jones
GIRLS OF LAKE LANIER
FOR MORE GIRLS OF FPC PLEASE LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM Contestants from the Pirates Of Lanier Poker Run Miss Castaway Bikini Contest
Chelsea Small, 2nd Miss Castaway 2012 Michelle Gibson
Best Pirate Atire Robyn Wilson
Jessica Renee, 3rd
Devan Rose Brackett, 4th
EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012 For two full decades, poker runners have flocked to Northwest Florida to raise boatloads of money and party hardy at the Emerald Coast Poker Run. BY JASON JOHNSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY STU JONES
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here are plenty of reasons why the Emerald Coast Poker Run has raised more than $2 million over the last 20 years for the local children’s charities and youth organizations. Not only is the destination on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast as inviting as they come to boaters, but the community comes out in droves to support the annual fund raiser, which provides an economic impact estimated in the several-million-dollar range. 76
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In actuality, the reason the event is so successful is because everyone involved is a beneficiary. From the participating boaters who travel from 30-plus states and the waterfront establishments that see a surge in business to the local volunteers who are an integral cog in the machine and the sponsors such as IP Casino, Gary Smith Ford, Helen Back Café and Miller 64 that receive thousands of eyeballs of exposure, the event is a win-win across the board. This year was extra special as the Emerald Coast Poker Run celebrated its 20th
anniversary. And as milestones usually do, it triggered reflections on a storied past as well as glimpses into the future. Both Chris Sehman, president of the Emerald Coast Foundation (ECF) and owner of Helen Back Café, and Stu Jones, president of the Florida Powerboat Club (FPC), were quick to point out that the event didn’t get to its current incarnation overnight. “The event started in 1993 and we got involved with it in 1999,” said Jones, who initially brought a group of club members to the event before eventually taking over as the run’s primary organizer. “The event was a pretty fun, loose-format run with a lot of local boats of all kinds. Our involvement brought in some of the real high-per-
World Famous AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar perched upon the bluffs of Destin’s historic inner harbor with spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico.
formance hardware and an improved safety structure. It’s taken us 10 years to get it to the nationally recognized event it is today. “And it’s only been in the past six or seven years that we’ve consistently raised more than $100,000 for charity,” Jones continued. “One thing that hasn’t changed is the fun, relaxed atmosphere of the event and the fact that we’ve always encouraged all kinds of boats to participate.” This year, Stu Jones collaborated with Stan Shipp from Crab Island Boat Rentals to arrange a pontoon boat ride for a group of kids from the Eleanor Johnson Youth Center, a foundation beneficiary. “It was a team effort all the way with a lot of players,” said Jones. “Stan was kind enough to
get us the boat for the day, our FPC staffer Drew Kravits and Captain Chris Pelly took turns at the helm with Chris Sehman providing hospitality and catering. Sehman commented, “That was a definite highlight for me. We got the kids ice cream and took them to lunch at Helen Back. Many of them had never even been on a boat.” Between the poker hands and auction at Saturday night’s Big Bash and the other accompanying Boat Week events, Sehman expected the event to raise more than $100,000 again.
“Economically speaking, the poker run brings several millions dollars into the local communities over the course of the week,” he said. “What’s nice is the people aren’t just coming in for the weekend, they’re coming in on Tuesday or Wednesday and staying the whole week. Ultimately that’s what this is all about. We want our visitors to be able to eat at the spectacular restaurants, stay at the nice hotels and enjoy the beautiful Emerald Coast water. “Turn that around and what we really do this for is the kids,” he continued. “The money we raise from this event goes a long way. This event would not be possible without the support and generosity Continued on next page POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012 of the boaters and the local volunteers, not to mention the Florida Powerboat Club, which at the end of the day is the biggest contributor.” But don’t let the big hearts fool you, the boaters are also drawn to the destination, which provides beautiful stretches of easyto-access beach and Intracoastal water, toptier accommodations, outstanding dining and nightlife, a welcoming community, and enjoyable weather (although not so much this year). Despite the thunderstorms and rain that plagued the days leading to Saturday’s poker run, Jerry Swanson said this year’s event was one of his favorites. Swanson, who lives in Jackson, Miss., has owned a second home in Sandestin for 20 years so he’s familiar with the area, as well as the impact the event has on the local community. “This event is good for the businesses and good for the charities, so obviously everyone here is very receptive to it,” said Swanson, who entered both of his boats—a 46-foot Skater and a 47-foot Fountain—in the run. “We had a lot of fun hitting the stops this year. (The weather) looked pretty ugly early on, but it turned out to be a super day.” Tony Thompson was one of many boaters who hauled their boats from Houston or the Texas area. In fact, although boats arrive from all over the country, the South was whole-heartedly represented with participants from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and beyond. “We have about 40 people here with us from the Houston area,” said Thompson, owner of Extra Strength Pain Killer, a Fountain 47 Lightning powered by triple 600-hp engines. “This is my 12th year at this run. I love the water here and there are so many beautiful, fast boats. It’s just a nicely ran event with a great fund raiser tied in.
Joe’s Bayou Checkpoint - Tripp Tolbert’s dock
David & Leann Branton (LA), Team VOODOO, 50’ Cigarette
Alberto Cruz (TX), Team TAS LISTO, 28’ Pantara
Troy Davis, Team Troy’s Toy, 38’ Donzi
Continued on page 80
Mark & Eileen Fischer (FL), Team BOATS DIRECT USA, 36’ Deep Impact
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012 “This is the only Florida Powerboat Club run I do, but I’m going to do the Key West Poker Run in November,” continued Thompson, who does about 10 poker runs annually in and around Texas. “I’ve been wanting to do Key West for many years—I can’t wait.” Surely Jeff Asbell can’t wait for Key West either, as he’ll be driving his new Skater 40 SS catamaran with Chief Performance engines in the poker run. Asbell, who purchased the stunning light blue boat just six weeks before the Emerald Coast Poker Run, had already logged 60 hours on the boat—and that’s not including the hours he added running along the Florida Panhandle for a few days. “This is my first poker run in the boat,” said Asbell, who was sitting on the deck of his boat, which was beached in front of Juana’s in Navarre Beach. “We went from running big V-bottoms to the cat, and man this thing rides great. I ran 120 to 125 mph all the way here from the last card stop.” Asbell, who resides in Carl Junction, Mo., and owns a home on Florida’s Siesta Key, added that he’s already noticed an increase in interest from boaters and those with limited boat knowledge because of the offshore cat. Jeff Raley of Nashville also experienced some of that newfound attention when he drove his Frisini Motorsports 38 Hypersonic in the poker run. Although his wife Linda wasn’t feeling well and skipped the run, he said he made it to six of the 10 stops and had a great time at Saturday night’s Big Bash at the Emerald Coast Conference Center. Raley added that a lot of people checked out his new boat, which is powered by twin Mercury Racing HP700SCi engines and has a fully loaded cabin.
Mike Haste (OH), Team CENTERFOLD, 35’ Cigarette
Chris Heule (TX), 42’ Statement!
Dan & Kim Jape (GA), Team SCRAPPY CAT, 36’ Eliminator
Tom & Rachel Regan (TX), Team HALL PASS, 36’ Nor-Tech
Continued on page 82
Mark & Diana Santos (TX), Team FREQUENT FLIER, 36’ Skater
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012 “We had a good time as usual,” said Raley, who has done the Emerald Coast Poker Run six times and joined FPC for the first time this year. “The water is great and it’s always a good time. We love the beaches here, too, and it’s a pretty easy drive for us. Plus everything—especially the captain’s party at AJ’s on Friday night—is convenient and close to the Emerald Grande where we stayed.” Chad Collier, who recently purchased a 40-foot catamaran from Marine Technology Inc. (MTI), also made the trip from Nashville. It was his fourth trip to the poker run; his first, of course, in the cat he purchased from Pier 57 in February. “Every year I come here, I meet more and more people,” said Collier, who owned two Fountains—a 35-footer and a 42-footer— before moving to the MTI. “It’s such a great place to hang out and network with other boaters who share the same interests as you. You can meet someone here once and next time you see them, it’s like you’re best friends.” It’s quite clear the Emerald Coast Poker Run brings together like-minded boaters and will keep doing so for years to come. “This event is a real shot in the arm for the local community on so many different fronts that everyone looks forward to it all year,” Jones said. “And the level of enthusiasm the event creates seems to be contagious—it just spreads.” Although he was satisfied overall with the poker run, Jones added that he was disappointed to report that there was an incident with a local boater (not a registered poker run boat) that involved a fatality, and that it appeared that the people were not wearing life jackets—a requirement for all poker run participants. JJ
Randy Scism (MI), Team SCISM, 48’ MTI
Brian D. Shelton (IN), Team LIVE 42 DAY, 42 Fountain
Barry Shumake (GA), Team MISMANAGEMENT, 42’ Fountain
Scott Sjogren (IL), Team PIER 57, Cigarette 42X
Tony Thompson (MD), TEAM EXTRA STRENGTH PAIN KILLER, 47 Fountain
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Friday
1. Curtis Spurlock (TX), Team WEAK MOMENT 35’ Cigarette 2. Gary & Michele Stacy (OH) Team RUNNIN GUN 38’ Cigarette 3. Brian Stubblefield (FL)
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Team FLYING FREE 32’ Active Thunder
4. Scott Walsh (SC) Team SCOTT FREE 35’ Formula 5. John Woodruff (GA) Team WINDSHIP 48’ MTI 6. Angela Goldbaugh and the sexy crew of Team Late Fees, provides another reason why the card checkpoint guys love to volunteer!
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. Team MARINE MAX 45’ Sundancer 2. Max Alaniz, (TX) Team 2DEMAX 33’ Baja 3. Mark Albert (TX) Team LICALONA PLUS 35’ Fountain
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4. Roger Anderson (TX) Team EASY MONEY 42’ Fountain 5. Ray Andrus (TX) Team RELENTLESS 42’ Cigarette
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. Jim & Lynne Archambault (GA) Team KEEPIN’ IT REAL 42’ Nordic 2. Jeff Asbell (MO) Team ASBELL 40’ Skater 3. Johnny Ballard (TX)
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Team BUSTED 43’ Nor-Tech
4. Jason Bergstrom (GA) Team FOOLISH 34’ Nordic 5. Bob Blanford (FL) Team BOB 36’ MTI
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TEAM MTI: Bob Bull, 48 MTI Randy Scism, 48 MTI Derek Wacob, 48 MTI Zane Meade, 44 MTI
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. Chris Bradley (TX) Team RAINMAKER 40’ Nortech 2. Brent & Denise Buford (LA) Team Ova Kill 47’ Outerlimits
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3. David Burg (TX)
Team SONIC 42 42’ Sonic
4. Bobby Campbell Team FAST LIFE 27’ Fountain 5. Richard Chambers (GA) Team THE ALLISON-BRANTLEY 58 SEA RAY 3
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2008 36
spectre This 2008 36 Spectre 1/4 canopies catamaran is in excellent condition and was commissioned to showcase new marine products by Livorsi. It easily holds 115 MPH+ with reliable, well maintained twin Ilmor 625s. To own it please contact Mike Livorsi 847-602-7535 or mikel@livorsi.com
FEATURES: -ERCURY "RAVOS 82 DRIVES WITH 3PORTMASTER SHORTIES s ,ATHAM 3TEERING WITH DRIVE SHOWERS s ,IVORSI #& -ONSTER GAUGES AND THROTTLES WITH #& DASH s ,IVORSI $ATA4ACH 0ROP3LIP GAUGE s 'ARMIN TOUCHSCREEN '03 PLOTTER s "ILLET 2ACE )NDICA TORS -AXIMUS BLADE PROPS s 3EATING FOR 5NDERWATER s ,%$ LIGHTS AS WELL AS ,%$ TUNNEL LIGHTING s "ILLET 'RAB (ANDLES AND '03 FOR 2EAR SEATS s 3TEREO WITH #$ PLAYER AND ,%$ #UPHOLDERS s #OMES WITH A TRIPLE AXEL TRAILER $149,900.
EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday
1. Brian Bedingfield (OK) Team FLYIN BRIAN 36’ Nor-Tech 2. Bryan Davies (LA) Team KING DING-A-LING 38’ Hustler 3. Rick & Dana Day (AL) Team BLACK GOLD 36’ Nor-Tech
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4. John Deluca- Ron MacLean Team MACLEAN MOTORSPORTS 44’ MTI 5. Trent Fischer (TX) Team SCREWS LOOSE III 43’ Nor-Tech
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday
1. Drew Fleming (FL) Team GAME OVER 38’ Scarab
2. John & Cher Floyd (TX) Team INXS 45’ Fountain 3. Thomas Gann (KY) Team STRESS RELIEF II 38’ Fountain
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4. Mike Hoffman (AL) Team PumPit 35’ Fountain 5. Juana’s Pagodas - Navarre A popular destination every year!
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. Sam & Kim Jirik (AZ) Team CARBON CREDIT 28’ Skater
2. Todd & Carrie Larson (TX) Team BURNIN’ GREEN 48’ Outerlimits 3. Edward Lauman (MD)
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Team TIGER 42’ Cigarette
4. Amos & Deb Lisenby (FL) Team KNOTY - KNOTY 42’ Fountain 5. Bryan & Karen Little (KY) Team BIG BLUE 42’ Fountain 3
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. John Lomant (GA) Team FAST LANE 32’ DCB
2. Michael Maggio (IL) Team DRIVEN 46’ Cigarette 3. Zane & Amanda Mead (TX) Team OVERKILL 44’ MTI
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4. Brent Medley (MO) Team HOT SHOT 38’ Cigarette 5. Rick & Charolene Milstead (AL) Team CAT GOTCHA TONGUE 30’ Eliminator 3
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. Case & Brittany Moore (OK) Team WHAT IT DEW 29’ Warlock 2. David & Jan Newman (FL) Team JANSATION 28’ Sunsation
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3. Vu Nguyen (LA) Team SEE VU PLAY 38’ Donzi 4. Ron Paul (FL) Team WAR EAGLE 46’ Outerimits 5. Brian & Michelle Ritchey (TX) Team FOURSUM 36’ Skater 3
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday 1. Thomas/Carey Robertson (TN) Team THE BLUE GOOSE 35 Fountain 2. Chuck & Shannon Stark (SC) Team WRAPS1.COM 39’ Cigarette
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3. Kent Streeter (AR) Team MISS MYMONEY II 35’ Donzi 4. Jerry Swanson (MS) Team LUNA SEA 47’ Fountain 5. Curt Trawick (FL) Team ATTITUDE ADJUSTER 38 Cigarette 3
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FOR MORE GIRLS OF FPC PLEASE LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM Contestants from the Emerald Coast Poker Run Miss Boat Week Bikini Contest
Jerrica Martin, 2nd
(See the video at flpowerboat.com)
Samantha Hastings, 2nd
Winner Jade Carrol
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday &Sunday 1. Derek Wachob (OK) Team ZR48 MTI 48’ MTI
2. Jorge Arellano (FL) Team OCALA GRAND PRIX 32’ Spectre
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3. Chad & Heather Collier (TN) Team GET YOUR ROLL ON 40 MTI 4.Chris Cox (NY) Team SUPERHEAT 46’ PLATINUM 5. Tim Johnson (TX) Team MAMAS FAULT 38 Scarab 3
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EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2012
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Saturday &Sunday 1. Kevin LeBlanc (LA) Team SMOKIN’ GUN 38’ Cigarette
2. Lance Panepinto (LA) Team FLYING HIGH 30’ Baja
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3. Joe Thornton (TX) Team DOUBLE TIME 38’ Fountain 4. Juana’s Pagodas Boaters discovered more snady beach area just south of the dock ramp near Juana’s, to make parking easier this year. 3
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EMERALD COAST Party & Awards T
he Emerald Coast Poker Run is known for its great parties, and AJ’S Seafood Restaurant in Destin has rightfully earned its name as the Rock the Docks Party. With more than twenty colorful powerboats lit up under the
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night, hoards of curious onlookers, live music and fantastic food, the party rocked well into the evening, taking short breaks to avoid a few rain showers. The Day-Glo Hula-Hoop Dancers on Windship entertained the crowd with some spectacular manuevers.
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Congratulations to the Poker Run Winners: 1. Alan Laird of AJ’s Sponsor Award 2. Sexiest Crew Award Bill Napier’s Team SHIN DIG 3. Good Samaritan Award Mark Santos of Team FREQUENT FLIER 4. Best Paint and Graphics Award Brian and Lisa Beddingfield of Team FLYIN BRIAN MOTORSPORTS 5. Chris Sehman of Emerald Coast Foundation Presenting FPC with a Special Thanks Award 6. Best Cat Award Jerry Swanson of Team LUNA-SEA with Keith Snow 7. 2nd Sexiest Crew Award Bryan and Karen Little’s Team BIG BLUE 8. Greg Connell and Jennifer Bishop of Legend Marine, Sponsor Award 9. David Woods Pier 57 Sponsor Award 10. John and Cher Floyd of Team INXS took home the Ford F-150.
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FPC TECH
WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM: LOG ON FOR VIDEOS, PHOTOGRAPHY & UPCOMING EVENTS \\\\\\\\\\
KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL
EYES UNDERWATER
These ergonomically designed controls provide precise maneuvering of your boat using Mercury Marine Digital Throttle and Shift technology with the quality of Livorsi controls. Direct drive of throttle position sensors results in faster response times giving you steady and responsive control of your boat. These controls are lighter, constructed of stainless steel and billet aluminum and designed to work on all Mercury I/O, OB and Cummins DTS compatible engines www.livorsi.com
This camera allows you to capture the magic of your own aquarium beneath your boat, increase security below water, and provide evidence of your winning tournament catch. FPC members receive 15% off when they call the office directly. www.oceanled.com
A JET-SKI?
The SeaBob is like a cross between a jet-ski and a bodyboard -hold on tight and leap through the waves, or turn downward and head for the ocean floor with speed, grace and agility. This simple device creates a whole new category of recreational vehicle, and it looks like a blast!
CATCH THE SUN
The cost of most forms of energy has increased a lot recently. Thankfully, the energy emitted from the sun is free. The Freeloader Portable Solar Charger will tap you into this free source of energy. www.thinkgeek.com
www.seabob.com
Increase your supercharged engine’s output by reducing the air temperature of the intake charge. www.teaguecustommarine.com
The Low Lux Night Vision camera is a safety-device that extends your play time or work hours on the water. The black and white picture allows for safe maneuvering of waterways or when docking in low light conditions. It can be used as a stand alone device or an enhancement to radar and connects to any monitor. www.keitheickert.com
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE
All mariners are required to carry a VHF radio on poker runs. A VHF radio is a trustworthy device useful in an emergency at sea. www.scicommo.com
SUPER CHILL
I SEE YOU
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CAN YOU HEAR ME?
GOPRO HERO3
Take your GOPRO Cards to FPC RV @ Key West 2012 to get your video clips in the event DVD.
HD HERO3 line of cameras. There will be three versions available, with the top-of-the-line model able to shoot at 4K resolution, which is four times the number of pixels provided by 1080p. The three models of the HERO3 are known as the White, Silver and Black Editions, although they all actually sport the same GoPro color scheme – metallic silver camera body in a clear polycarbonate housing. They are all reportedly 30 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than any previous models, offer an improved audio recording system, a sharper camera lens that produces less distortion, a flat lens on the housing for sharper underwater images, and built-in Wi-Fi remote functionality. www.gopro.com
2012/2013 CALENDAR NOV. 6-12, 2012
20TH ANNUAL KEY WEST POKER RUN Miami to Key West
Multiple departures! Wednesday - Friday s FPC’s Signature Event!
FEBRUARY 14-18, 2013
MIAMI BOAT SHOW
Miami Beach Convention Center. FEBRUARY 15, 2013
MIAMI BOAT SHOW BASH s 2ALEIGH (OTEL 3OUTH "EACH &,
/Fl CIAL +ICKOFF FOR THE -IAMI "OAT 3HOW 0OKER 2UN Miss Miami Boat Show Contest FEBRUARY 21-24, 2013
MIAMI BOAT SHOW POKER RUN
-IAMI TO )SLAMORADA s 0OST #ARD )NN !T (OLIDAY )SLE 0ELICAN #OVE 2ESORT s &EATURES 0OKER 2UN 6ILLAGE APRIL 12-14, 2013
TAMPA BAY POKER RUN
7ITH &ESTIVALS OF 3PEED FEATURING 3PECTACULAR 0OKER 2UN 6ILLAGE s 2ENAISSANCE 6INOY 2ESORT 3T 0ETERSBERG MAY 2013
JACKSONVILLE POKER RUN
$OWNTOWN *ACKSONVILLE 3T *OHNS 2IVER SUMMER 2013
BAHAMAS POKER RUN Dates & Island TBD
POWERBOATING IN PARADISE TV 2012 SERIES SCHEDULE
AUGUST 21-25, 2013
3RD ANNUAL EMERALD COAST POKER RUN $ESTIN &T 7ALTON "EACH The Big One! NOVEMBER 5-11, 2013
21ST ANNUAL KEY WEST POKER RUN
Miami to Key West -ULTIPLE DEPARTURES 7EDNESDAY &RIDAY s &0# S 3IGNATURE %VENT Please confirm with FPC office before making travel plans. Dates subject to change. Visit our website www.flpowerboat.com for updated information.
Ad Index ACTIVE THUNDER ..................................77 ALL MARINE INSURANCE ....................... 87 ATLAS INSURANCE ................................93 BAM MARINE ......................................... 31 CIGARETTE RACING TEAM..................... 09 CIGARETTE BOAT SALE .........................97 CHIEF PERFORMANCE ........................... 35 CUSTOM MARINE .................................. 45 CYSTIC FYBROSIS .................................. 75 DOLLER OFFSHORE ............................. 101 DUPONT REGISTRY ................................ 57 ELECTRONICS UNLIMITED ..................... 27 EMERALD COAST POKER RUN 2013 ....107 EMERALD GRANDE ................................ 81 FPC BOAT SHOW BASH ..........................97 FT LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW ...........11/95 GROVE HARBOUR MARINA..................... 37 HARBOURTOWNE MARINA ..................... 69 HARDIN MARINE .................................... 79 HIDEAWAY MARINA................................ 87 ILMOR HIGH PERFORMANCE.................. 15 JERRY’S CASUAL PATIO FURNITURE ......29 KEY WEST POKER RUN 2012 ............... 115 KEITH EICKERT ...................................... 67 LATITUDE 26 - MTI BOAT SALE ..............37 LEGEND MARINE GROUP ....................... 13 LIVORSI MARINE .................................... 35 MERCURY RACING ................................... 2 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW.... 103 MOTION BOAT SALE............................... 79 MARINE TECHNOLOGY INC .................... 91 OCEAN LED ........................................... 63 ODYSSEY BATERIES ............................... 63 OFFLEASEONLY.COM ............................. 33 OLD TIMES VILLAS ................................ 05 PIER 57.................................................17/83 PERFORMANCE MARINE TRADING ....... 109 POWERBOATING IN PARADISE TV .......... 113 SPECTRE BOAT SALE ............................. 63 STATEMENT ........................................... 99 SUNCOAST POWERBOATS ..................... 53 SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS INC ......... 41 THE ART OF DESIGN ( TAOD )...................43 THE OLYMPIA ........................................ 85 TEAGUE CUSTOM MARINE..................BACK TILTED KILT ........................................... 23 TOTAL DOLLAR INSURANCE .................. 39
ADVERTISING DEADLINES: WINTER 2013 ISSUE
CONTACT US: 954-545-1414
WWW.FLPOWERBOAT.COM
s &0#%6%.43 '-!), #/- s
AD MATERIALS: JAN 15, 2013