FPC Shooting For 100 Entries In Air-Land-Sea Run

While the Florida Powerboat Club has attracted more than 160 go-fast boats to its annual Key West Poker Run in November, the Pompano Beach, Fla.-based outfit has a more modest goal of 100 entries for its Key West Air-Land-Sea Poker Run, May 15-18. But unlike the fleet in the club’s signature run to the southernmost point in the United States, the fleet in the upcoming event will be made up of boats, exotic automobiles and private aircraft from single-engine propeller planes to executive jets, according to Stu Jones, the owner and founder of the club.

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Air, land and sea—all paths will lead to Key West during the Florida Powerboat Club’s event next month. Photo courtesy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image.

The event will kickoff Wednesday evening with what Jones called a “Luxury Lifestyle” showcase party at the Pompano Beach AirPark with a display of aircraft, exotic automobiles and high-performance V-bottoms, catamarans and center consoles.

“I just met with Shelt Air, which manages the Airpark and is sponsoring our activities in Pompano Beach and Marathon, and they will have everything from single-engine Cessnas to 12-seat luxury jets on display,” said Jones. “We have people coming with exotic cars including Lamborghinis and Corvettes, and people coming with custom motorcycles. (Powerplay owner) Tom Mason is bring his newest center console model and Nor-Tech is planning on bringing its Seven Marine outboard-powered 39 center console. And I think Gino Gargiulo is bringing his new Lamborghini-and MTI catamaran combo. And it will all be at one hangar.

“For those who make it to the party, it also will be the first ‘card stop’ for the run,” he added. “This is going to be the first time one of Key West runs has started from our home base in Pompano, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Powerboats, automobiles and motorcycles in the event will make card stops in Gilbert’s in Key Largo, the Post Card Inn in Islamorada and the Island Tiki restaurant in Marathon before reaching their final destination. Aircraft will start in Pompano Beach and stop at Marathon Airport before they take off again for Key West.

“We will have transportation to the Island Tiki and back for the people who come to Marathon by aircraft so they can get their cards and hang out with the participants who come by land and sea,” said Jones. “Between our sponsor docks and A & B Marina in Key West, we will have space for more than 30 boats, and we’re hoping for 50. That will fill the venue nicely.

“The real beauty of this event is that we can bring everything together, with the exception of the aircraft that will have to remain at the airport, at the same venue in Key West,” he added. “Like all of our events, the upcoming event ‘lives in the shadow’ of the current event until that event is finished. Now that our Tampa run is behind us, we are working on the Key West Air-Land-Sea event at full speed.”

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