Sold-Out Orange Beach Poker Run Another FPC Gem

When it comes to boating environments, it takes a lot to impress John Cosker. That’s not to say the owner and founder of Mystic Powerboats in DeLand, Fla., has snooty tastes in where he spends his time on the water for work, but when it comes to his personal boating time he can afford to be picky. He does not want for opportunities.

How much did Mystic’s John and Robin Cosker enjoy the Orange Beach, Ala., area during last weekend’s Florida Powerboat Club Poker Run? They’re staying an extra day to do some boating on their own. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

So it’s safe to say he and his wife, Robin, were impressed with the Gulf Coast waters and more—including The Wharf Marina and its accompanying resort—during last weekend’s Florida Powerboat Club Orange Beach Powerboat Week Poker Run in Alabama. They ran the company’s new M4200 luxury center console demo boat in the event.

“The event was fantastic,” he said. “The weather was beautiful and the area is beautiful.”

And then Cosker paid his highest compliment to the locale.

“Robin and I are staying another day to do some more boating,” he said.

Mystic was one of several marine industry sponsors behind the Orange Beach happening. So, too, was Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats. The Fort Myers, Fla.-based company had 10 of the 54 boats in the event—including Steve and Kelly Marino’s new 390 Sport center console and the first 452 SuperFish, which owner Robert Senglemann purchased through Bent Marine in Metairie, La. Nor-Tech’s newly promoted chief operating officer Henrik Margård and dealer manager Geoff Tomlinson were on hand to support their customers during the event.

“The Florida Powerboat Club delivered another quality, well-organized and professional event—as always,” said Margård. “And Robert Senglemann got his brand-new 452 SuperFish powered by quad Mercury Racing 450R engines just time the for run, which earned him the FPC’s ‘Most Outrageous Boat’ award. That boat is a beast.”

Enjoy more images from the 2021 Florida Powerboat Club Orange Beach Powerboat Week Poker Run in the slideshow above.

As for FPC head Stu Jones, he could not have been happier with results of the weekend. Not only was it a successful second-year return to Orange Beach after the disappoint of 2020’s COVID-19-forced cancellation, it attracted members from across the country and beyond—a team from France even participated.

Saturday’s night awards and poker-hand-playing party was sponsored by AlaCOMP, a workers compensation insurance company in Montgomery, Ala., owned by Steve Marino, as were evening happenings throughout the weekend. Club member Jeff Layton, who ran his 46-foot Skater Powerboats catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 1350 engines, had the best hand and will share the total purse of approximately $8,000 in cash and prizes with the holders of the second- and third-place hands. According to Jones, the club will make a donation to a local food bank in the area.

“We met some really good people this weekend and I’m looking forward to boating with them the rest of the summer,” said Marino, who lives in Auburn, Ala. “And the boat is incredible. Everything I imagined it could do, it did better.”

Added Jones, “It was a successful weekend in so many ways.”

Florida Powerboat Club models Chloe and Cindy enjoyed the ride on a new Nor-Tech 452 SuperFish.

Sold-Out Orange Beach Poker Run Another FPC Gem

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