Short Run A Big Hit With Fort Myers Offshore Group

Less than 30 miles roundtrip, yesterday’s Fort Myers Offshore Bayfront Bistro and Raft-Up Fun Run from Sanibel Island to Fort Myers, Fla., pulled in 36 boats—exactly 10 more entries than it had in 2020—and continued the nonprofit, scholarship-fundraising organization’s string of record-setters for its 2202/2021 season. The short-by-design event was added to the Fort Myers Offshore schedule three years ago, according to club president Tim Hill.

Shaun and Flavia Torrente enjoyed yesterday’s event in a new MTI 390X sport catamaran.

“When I created this event, it was for members who may have smaller boats and don’t necessarily want to run 100 miles-plus roundtrip for a run,” he said. “The entire run is 28 miles roundtrip from its (Sanibel Island starting point) and if captains choose they can run the protected wasters of the back bay of Fort Myers Beach.

“We had a great mix of boats—with a lot of cats and center consoles—from 24 to 45 feet,” he continued.  “Member Joe Celello debuted his 36 Doug Wright cat and Shaun Torrente brought out a new 39-foot MTI catamaran to run with Eric Belisle’s MTI 390X cat.”

Water conditions were almost as flat in the Gulf of Mexico as they were in the back bay of Fort Myers Beach, according to Hill. After lunch at Bayfront Bistro, most of the fleet continued on for the planned Kinzie Cove raft-up at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River.

With a total of 36 boats, the event boasted a strong mix of high-performance center consoles and catamarans.  

“This area is the route that most FMO members and the majority of boaters in Southwest Florida take to get back home at the end of a boating day and I’m sure it was quite a site to see 26 performance boats rafted up together enjoying the perfect ending to a perfect day,” said Hill. “Having such passionate and enthusiastic members in the club is truly a blessing and makes the effort of putting on these events well worth it.”

Next up on the Fort Myers Offshore schedule is its popular lunch run to Burnt Store Marina and Cass Cay Restaurant, scheduled for March 6.

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