Miami Boat Show Poker Run Turns 30

Though the Miami Boat Show Poker Run celebrated its 30th anniversary last weekend, it is not the oldest event on the Florida Powerboat Club roster. That distinction is shared by the club’s Emerald Coast Poker Run and Key West Poker Run, both of which are heading into their 33rd years. Yet the Miami Boat Show Poker Run, which attracted 60 boats last weekend, has the strongest connection to the industry it supports as it happens just four days after the show itself.

Nor-Tech 4000 Roadster catamaran was among the models displayed during the show that also participated in the poker run. Photos courtesy/copyright of the Florida Powerboat Club.

For 33 years, the run to the Florida has provided a real-world showcase for boats displayed and delivered during the South Beach-headquartered show. For the past two years, the event has bypassed its once-traditional Islamorada destination—thanks to lodging renovations—and headed to Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key.

“I always felt there was something missing at the Miami Boat Show after working it a few years,” explained Stu Jones, the owner and founder of the Florida Powerboat Club. “It was nice to see the boats gleaming under the lights of the Miami Beach Convention Center, but I know that the most serious buyers wanted to see the boats perform in their own environment.

“So in 1996 we launched what we called the ‘Manufacturers Offshore Rally’ to the Florida Keys,” he added.

In the years that followed, Jones added a Florida Powerboat Club Miami Boat Show Bash on Friday night during the show itself. That tradition died when the show left South Beach for Virginia Key, but was revived three years ago in partnership with speedonthewater.com at the Sagamore Hotel.

Big Thunder Marine brought two Fountain models on the run, including this 34-foot catamaran with a tongue-in-cheek name based on company history.

Whether the event will retain its Hawks Cay destination or return to a property in either Islamorada or Key Largo is uncertain. But for the most part it has been a popular destination with club members for the past two years.

“Hawks Cay Resort and Marina is nestled on beautiful Duck Key, but there’s not much around,” Jones explained. “Some guests stay content to remain on the property and enjoy the amenities, but it’s only a quick 15-minute Uber ride to Marathon, where there is an abundance of great dining, and a lot of fresh local seafood. Plus, there are plenty of options for lunch-run destinations.”

Of course there are plans and then there is life, which as the Beatles’ John Lennon famously said, “is what happens while you’re busy making plans.” Last weekend’s wind and water conditions weren’t ideal for long treks. So most club members and their guests dialed-back their ambitions and stayed closer to their Hawks Cay home-base.

Enjoy more images from the event in the slideshow above.

“Although temperatures remained moderate throughout the weekend with no rain in the forecast, strong winds gusting over 20 mph dominated the Friday and Saturday weather,” said Jones. “That made it difficult for participants to venture too far off for boating day-trips. While some had anticipated running to Key West—just 61 miles down the shoreline—iless lofty cruising agendas took several teams southbound to Marathon for lunch outings.

“And a substantial part of the fleet headed back northbound to Islamorada, where the Whale Channel sandbar always has some weekend excitement stirring,” he added.