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Florida Powerboat Club
Founded in 1993 the florida powerboat club is membership-driven organization dedicated to promoting safe and responsible power boating for all boating enthusiasts, novice to advanced, in a fun and positive group setting. most well known its annual key west poker run, the fpc is a one-of-a-kind club through which anyone can experience the world of power boating at its finest., visit the fpc website here, read more about florida powerboat club.
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Powerboat racing in florida: racing on thunderboat row, experience off-shore powerboat racing in florida in the performance boat capital of the world .
By Terry Tomalin
Miami - Flying across the water at 100 mph, the white stucco buildings on South Beach looked like a picket fence.
“Just don't make any sudden movements with the wheel,” warned my throttleman, Johnny Tomlinson. “Just keep it steady.”
Our 40-foot, twin-engine catamaran was capable of speeds faster than 130 mph. But Tomlinson, a Miami native considered by many to be one of the best “stick men” in offshore powerboat racing history, was barely leaning on the controls.
The veteran had invited me to go for a test drive so I could get a feel for what it's like inside an offshore race boat. In offshore racing, the throttleman is like the quarterback on a football team, controlling not only the speed but the "trim" of the boat, or its position in the water.
On this test run, my job is to just keep the boat on course. But a driver’s skill really comes into play when you introduce other boats, such as on a crowded race course.
After a few minutes at three-quarters speed, I motion for Tomlinson to back off. I am now fully convinced that driving a race boat at 100 mph is a two-man job and that I would much rather watch that action from a chaise lounge on the beach.
Thunderboat Row Florida
Some might say that Florida could call itself the Performance Boat Capital of the World. There is more powerboat racing in Florida and poker runs than any other state or country for that matter.
Performance, muscle or “go fast” boats originated in Miami, and the state is still home of many of the top builders of performance boats in Florida and the world.
Blue-water or open-ocean powerboat racing began in South Florida in the early 1950s with the legendary, there-and-back-again, races to Bimini and other islands in the Bahamas.
In the 1960s and 1970s, North Miami’s 188 Street was home to several of the industry’s top manufacturers including Cigarette, Donzi and Apache.
In 1980s, movie stars such as Chuck Norris, Kurt Russell and Don Johnson were active on the racing circuit, bringing Florida boating and this growing motor sport international acclaim.
In cities such as Sarasota and Key West , it was not unusual to see crowds that number in the tens of thousands to turn out for these battles of man and machine.
Deck-to-deck powerboat racing in Florida
For decades, offshore powerboat racing was the realm of weekend warriors. But then in the late 1990s, the American Power Boat Association Offshore took what had formerly been a club sport, and introduced rule changes to bring it in line with professional motor sports such as NASCAR.
The streamlined classes and tight specifications made the sport more competitive. The close, “deck-to-deck,” racing proved a tremendous hit with die-hard race fans who often welcomed a new champion, week-to-week.
Spectators lined the beaches in Fort Lauderdale , Daytona, Fort Myers and Destin to the “super” cats and vee-bottoms maneuver around multi-turn courses that often saw a new leader lap to lap.
The boats, now grouped by size and horsepower, often finish just seconds apart in a race that could be nearly 200 miles long.
The introduction of new, turbine-powered boats capable of speeds that were not even dreamed of 20 years ago has upped the stakes. Miss Geico, powered by twin, Army-surplus helicopter engines, is rumored to be capable of a top speed of 200 mph. Word around the “wet pits” is that the Florida-based world-champion will be looking to set a new record before the season is over.
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FPC Poker Runs are packed with more fun and excitement than ever before. Sign up today and be a part of the fun that Florida Powerboat Club has to offer. Great sponsors, combined with hundreds of teams converting on performance boating's premier destination locations. See the beautiful girls of FPC — from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Destin ...
Completed Events. Address. 1214 SW 6th Street. Pompano Beach, FL 33069. Phone Number. 954-545-1414. Fax Number. 954-782-2452. Make sure you never miss one of the Florida Powerboat Club events again by checking out our events page today!
Florida Powerboat Club, Pompano Beach, Florida. 37,782 likes · 1,026 talking about this · 631 were here. Powerboating in the Florida Sun! Join us on events & adventures! If you don't have a...
Videos from Florida Powerboat Club poker run events and broadcast series Powerboating in Paradise TV...featuring the hottest powerboats on the planet as their owners tour amazing Florida and ...
Personally embossed FPC Membership card. One year subscription to FPC Magazine, Powerboating in Paradise (4 issues) Embroidered FPC dry-fit member tee in your choice of (4) colors. Additional Embroidered Adult embroidered polo - choice of (4) colors. Embroidered FPC Baseball cap in choice of color.
Between now and September 20-24, the dates for the Florida Powerboat Club's Emerald Coast Powerboat Week, the couple will experience the Performance Boat Center Rendezvous for Cigarette owners June 16-18 in Osage Beach, Mo.; the 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run July 13-15 in Clayton, N.Y.; the Thunder In The City Poker Run July 21-23 in ...
Florida Powerboat Club. Public group. ·. 13.1K members. Join group. Florida Powerboat Club - Post boating pictures, videos, and stories. We would enjoy comments and opinions about events here also.
The second-year event will be open to Florida Powerboat Club members in good standing as well as invited guests of the event sponsors and organizers. Having enjoyed the 2023 Florida Powerboat Club/Speed On The Water Miami Boat Show Bash, GSX/Glasstream Powerboats owner Kruis Retherford (center) was eager to help sponsor the 2024 event.
Founded in 1993 the Florida Powerboat Club is membership-driven organization dedicated to promoting safe and responsible power boating for all boating enthusiasts, novice to advanced, in a fun and positive group setting. Most well known its annual Key West Poker Run, the FPC is a one-of-a-kind club through which anyone can experience the world ...
150K Followers, 396 Following, 3,610 Posts - Florida Powerboat Club (@flpowerboat) on Instagram: "Official IG Page for Florida Powerboat Club- Poker Runs. Posts by FPC YouTube Chan: Florida Powerboat Club. IG Links: @Stufpc @FPCGirls"
The event roster includes Florida Powerboat Club staples, from the February 23-25 Miami Boat Show Poker Run to the season finale, November 7-13, in Key West. For members who want to enjoy the Bahamas next year, the club offers two events: the 32nd annual Bahamas Poker Run, June 8-13, followed by the Bahamas Summer Blast set for August 8-16.
The Florida Powerboat Club is so unique and so specialized in the services that we provide, that we could never have survived all these years without the repeated membership renewals, and continuing participation on our FPC poker run events. But the last couple of years have been tough for many of us, and we continue to do all that we can to ...
South Miami /Coconut Grove: 10:30am. CAPTAINS meeting on night before departure at each venue. Applicants for participation in the Key West Offshore Poker Run must meet the following requirements with no exceptions: Registered boat owner must be an active member with Florida Powerboat Club. (social or video membership are not qualified member ...
Here is a quick look at what's ahead for the Florida Powerboat Club and its members next year: • Winter Florida Keys Poker Run—January 21-22. • Miami Boat Show Poker Run—February 24-27. • Spring Key West Poker Run—March 17-20. • Tampa Bay Poker Run—April 7-10. • Bahamas Poker Run—June 16-22. • Bahamas Summer Blast ...
An ambitious Canadian with a flair for showmanship and contempt for the cold, Florida Powerboat Club founder Stu Jones arrived in the Sunshine State in the e...
Schedule a tour at any of our South Florida Boat Club Locations. CASUAL BOAT USAGE; LARGE SELECTION OF BOATS; GREAT AVAILABILITY; TWO GREAT LOCATIONS; ... Miami Boat Club - Regal Marina, 2215 NW 14th St, Miami, FL 33125. North Miami Boat Club - TNT Marina, 1940 NE 135 Street North Miami, FL. 33181.
The Florida Powerboat Club was founded in 1993 as a membership-driven organization to promote safe, responsible powerboating in a group setting and assist performance boating enthusiasts in many ways to achieve the maximum enjoyment from their Florida powerboating lifestyles. The club's primary platform includes a series of year- round ...
Above: Two Midnight Express fast center console boats with stepped-hulls racing each other on the water at the 2021 Miami Boat Show Poker Run by Stu Jones and the Florida Powerboat Club. Photo by Florida Powerboat Club. Anyone who knows him, knows that Stu Jones is a powerhouse marine industry figure who is perfectionist in every sense.
July 27, 2011. Without Canadian winters, there probably wouldn't be a Florida Powerboat Club, which since 1993 has been one of the nation's premier organizers of poker runs for high-performance boats. That's because Stu Jones, the founder and owner of the club based in Pompano Beach, Fla, is from Canada—London, Ontario, to put a fine ...
Blue-water or open-ocean powerboat racing began in South Florida in the early 1950s with the legendary, there-and-back-again, races to Bimini and other islands in the Bahamas. ... But then in the late 1990s, the American Power Boat Association Offshore took what had formerly been a club sport, and introduced rule changes to bring it in line ...
Personally embossed FPC Membership card (please allow 45 days for delivery) One year subscription to FPC Magazine, Powerboating in Paradise (4 issues) Logo'd FPC membership Tee in your choice of (3) colors: Red, Grey, Black. Membership discounts from a variety of marine related vendors. Access to discounted tickets to most major South Florida ...
Always game to support events that benefit worthy charities, Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats was quick to grab the title sponsor role for the upcoming second-year Florida Powerboat Club/Speed On The Water Miami Boat Show Bash set for February 16 at the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach. But naturally, the first question from Trond Schou and his team ...