Emerald Coast—VIP Style

In typical Florida Powerboat Club fashion, the club has poured a ton of energy into next week’s Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run (Aug. 15-19). With more at stake this year since FPC is producing its own poker run following a split with the Emerald Coast Foundation (read the story), club president Stu Jones is looking to wow his members this time around.

The soon-to-be-complete FPC/Mercury Racing “Project 1080” 38-foot Cigarette is going to be part of next week’s Emerald Coast Powerboat Poker Run Trucks N’ Boats Parade. Photo courtesy Florida Powerboat Club

Presented by Mercury Racing and headquartered entirely at the Emerald Grande & Harborwalk Village—the Emerald Coast’s top tourist destination—the event is a festival format Jones is calling “Powerboat Week.” The festivities begin with a Trucks N’ Boats kick-off parade on Wednesday followed by daytime boating runs and evening parties through Sunday.

Jones is proud to announce that the FPC/Mercury Racing “Project 1080” Cigarette Racing Team 38-foot V-bottom powered by twin Mercury Racing 540 engines is going to be the lead boat for Wednesday’s parade. It won’t be in the water, however, as the engines are going to be installed after the event. Jones said he expects to test run the boat some time in September.

In the meantime, Jones’ focus is on next week’s event, which currently has more than 80 pre-registered boats. He said he’s seen a wave of new sponsors and has four entirely new charities involved, including an animal rescue farm, a children’s food drive that delivers 3,000 meals per week, a home for families to visit their hospitalized military family members on Eglin Air Force Base, and a foundation that helps families of civil servants and first responders who have been injured in the line of duty.

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