POWER SURGE
2/2/2009 2:00:57 PM by Stu Jones
If a performance boating enthusiast wanted to experience the ultimate powerboating adventures throughout paradise, the answer requires no further research.
Become a member of the nation’s leading performance boating organization, the Florida Powerboat Club based in South Florida. Since 1993, Florida Powerboat Club has served thousands of performance boaters the world over, staging rallies and poker runs throughout the Sunshine State to near and far destinations in paradise. That said, there are just a few important steps that have to fall into place before experiencing the offshore thrills and locking in the most sought after tropical destinations on the GPS.
First, one must visit the Miami Boat Show, and after careful scrutiny of brands that include top names like Cigarette, Fountain, Donzi, Hustler, Nor-Tech, MTI and Sunsation to name just a few, a buyer can expect to plunk down anywhere from $200K to a cool million price tag for the boat that will meet the task.
Then, once insurance, financing, transportation and storage and delivery details have been finalized, its almost imperative to take a performance driving school to brush up on boat driving skills and learn more about the dynamics of the sleek new high-powered machine. In many cases, insurance companies actually require mandatory participation in such programs, and perhaps a USCG licensed captain on board for organized boating events.
Next step? Carefully review the Florida Powerboat Club’s year-round menu of poker runs and rallies throughout Florida, the Florida Keys and Bahamas. In the last sixteen years, the club has charted thousands of miles on coastal and inland waterways, with constant additions and changes to event formats along the way…keeping the events interesting, exciting , adventurous, and above all, fun!
In this issue of Wave Magazine, we’re giving readers a flashback of the entire 2008 Florida Powerb
January 2009: Winter Poker Run to Hawks Cay Resort
Departing from Miami, this mid-winter escape takes place every January, kicking off the Florida Powerboat Club’s year-round event calendar. With the Hawks Cay Resort & Marina as the destination for over a decade, the event typically draws about two dozen powerboat teams and under 100 guests, making it one of the smaller FPC events by participation. Most participants have claimed the smaller numbers create a more relaxed social vibe, permiting them to become better acquainted with other club members and make new boating friends. Resort highlights include the luxurious cottage and villa accommodations which are nestled around the perimeter of a calm marina basin, allowing guests to dock their powerboats adjacent to their suites. Aside from enjoying the spa and amenties at this luxurious Caribbean-themed resort, event highlights include a Saturday boating daytrip top Key West, just sixty miles away.
February 2009: Miami Boat Show Poker Run to Islamorada
Originally conceived as the Manufacturers Offshore Rally in 1996, this event revolves around the Miami International Boat Show, taking place the weekend after this world famous boat show wraps up. The rally evolved into a poker run in the late nineties, and has since adopted a two-day departure format, with departures from Miami on both Thursday and Friday, extending the format to a four-day weekend for some participants.
Other additions in recent years include a Poker Run Village, which is staged at Holiday Isle Resort in Islamorada, event headquarters for almost a decade.
The Miami Boat Show Poker Run 2008 featured over seventy poker run tea
Taking place at a resort that is often known for its world-famous Tiki Bar, The Miami Boat Show Poker Run appears to have adopted an image of being a somewhat more “festive” poker run event. But for those who want to explore the local waters, there are dozens scenic coves and anchorage destinations nearby that provide nothing short of tropical paradise. For boaters that have escaped from cold winter climates to attend this February adventure, that’s often on the top of their must-do list!
March 2009: Sanibel Fort Myers Poker Run
Moving across the Sunshine State, Southwest Florida offers some of the most incredible waterways for scenic cruising. While the rest of the country is still trying to thaw out from the winter chill, twenty-five powerboat crews visited the luxurious Sanibel Harbour Resort & Marina, located just a few miles from Fort Myers Beach at the gateway to Sanibel Island. Joined by about twenty members of the neighboring Naples Ferrari Club, the weekend offered a blend of colorful high-performance machines from both land and sea. More importantly, the eclectic mix of performance enthusiasts provided a common denominator i.e. fellow motorhead, that garnered mutual respect among participants. The event kicked off with a boating fun run to Naples for lunch, followed by the Ferrari Friday reception, with the colorful supercars on display at the Sanibel Resort. The highlight of the Saturday poker run was…the Saturday Poker Run. With sensational spring weather, warm temperatures, light winds, calm seas and great poker run checkpoints that included Harpoon Harry’s in Punta
April 2009: Spring Key West Poker Run
Key West is such a desirable boating destination for so many reasons that Florida Powerboat Club visits the Conch Republic twice yearly. Just over twenty poker run teams attended the Spring Key West Poker Run 2008, which departed from Miami’s SeaIsle Marina, making stops at Key Largo and Marathon along the way. With accommodations at the Hyatt Key West, Ocean Key Resort and the historic Crowne Plaza LaConcha, FPC members enjoyed breathtaking sunsets, wandered along vibrant Duval Street, enjoyed fabulous dining and live entertainment that has made the Key West “experience” so memorable. But aside from the land-based fun, it was the Saturday daytrip to the small sandy island of Boca Grande that gave participants the true feeling that they had experienced an adventure in paradise, as more than a dozen powerboats rafted up for an afternoon of fun in the sun.