Commentary: Thanks For The Party—And Keep Giving Back
A few years before the Miami International Boat Show moved to Virginia Key, Stu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club ended his traditional bash ahead of the following weekend’s Miami Boat Show Poker Run. Jones had good reasons, from securing the right venue to crowd control, for killing the Saturday night affair, but the event was missed. Like the Florida Powerboat Club itself, the party created a sense of community and gave go-fast boat fans a place to say hello to longtime friends and make new ones ahead of the poker run.
Last Friday night’s Florida Powerboat Club/Speed On The Water Miami Boat Show Bash became the South Beach focal point for performance boat fans in town for the show itself. Photos courtesy/copyright Devin Wozencraft/Wozencraft Insurance Agency
The Miami International Boat Show returned to its longtime Miami Beach Convention Center and Biscayne Bay locations in 2021. But the Florida Powerboat Club celebration in South Beach did not. A few days after that show, I called Jones and suggested we join forces and bring it back the following year. And so the first Florida Powerboat Club/Speed On The Water Miami Boat Show Bash at the Sagamore Hotel came to life last year.
That party was such a hit that, with sponsorship support from Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats, GSX/Glasstream Powerboats, Statement Marine, Stephen Miles Design, Waves and Wheels and Wozencraft Insurance Agency, we teamed up again and brought it back this year. Florida Powerboat Club members in good standing, sponsor invitees and special friends/supporters of speedonthewater.com—meaning pretty much anyone who reached out to my partner Jason Johnson or me—comprised the 500-person guest list.
Recently engaged, Missouri’s own Summer Dawn Williams and Jim Lee enjoyed the celebration.
For those who might be curious, here’s how the speedonthewater.com and Florida Powerboat Club party organizational duties divide. We, meaning Johnson and I, secure the sponsors, which we can do from anywhere we happen to be in the country. Jones and his team handle everything operational with the Sagamore, which can only happen on site and in person. It’s a perfect division of labor.
Nor-Tech stepped right up as the title sponsor, but with one caveat: The event needed to support a charity, in this case the Kiwanis Foundation of Miami. The fundraising effort lagged understandably during the party, though $2,000 did flow into the charity’s coffers.
A party sponsor, Devin Wozencraft struck a pose with Jackie Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club.
But the GoFundMe campaign for the charity is still open. So the people at Nor-Tech, Florida Powerboat Club and Speedonthewater.com are asking everyone who came and enjoyed free food, drink and music in a first-class venue last Friday night to donate if they haven’t already.
One quick yet relevant shout-out? At the last minute, Stephen and Heather Miles were unable to make it to the Miami show this year. And yet they fulfilled their sponsorship commitment. The couple embodies the spirt of giving that pervades the go-fast boating community.
Of course the Florida Powerboat Club/Speed On The Water Miami Boat Show Bash will return in 2025. It’s a winner.
Despite not being able to make it to the show this year, Stephen and Heather Miles honored their commitment to supporting the party and its benefitting charity.
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