Photo Essay: A 120-Pack Of Cigarettes Smokes The Lake Of The Ozarks

The second day of the ninth annual Performance Boat Center Rendezvous for Cigarette Owners at the Lake of the Ozarks is just beginning. Fresh from yesterday’s fun run to Coconuts Caribbean Bar and Grill followed by a welcome party back at the Redhead Lakeside Grill tiki bar—OK, so maybe “fresh” isn’t the right word—participants in the 120-plus boat have afull day ahead of them. It starts with breakfast and a drivers meeting in the Osage Beach, Mo., dealership’s showroom before the 120-plus-boat-strong fleet heads out later this morning for another day on the water.

With the first day of the 2023 Performance Boat Center Rendezvous for Cigarette in the books, the action continues today. Photos by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.

It’s going to be another great one if yesterday’s fun run is anything to go by.

‘It was insane,” said Brett Manire, who co-owns Performance Boat Center with Mark Waddington. ‘So many boats, such a great day.”

A multi-time Cigarette rendezvous participant, Todd Fountain of Michigan, who is running his 41 Nighthawk center console this weekend, agreed.

“It was a really good time, a little hot but not too bad,” he said. “I like it warm.”

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Cigarette models of all vintages are in the this weekend’s rendezvous fleet.

Today’s first stop is The Cave, a waterfront establishment owned by Waddington, as previously reported on speedonthewater.com.

“I’m excited to use The Cave for the first time for this event,” said Manire.

Though Performance Boat Center produces several events throughout the year, the Cigarette happening is Manire’s favorite. And it’s all about the participants.

“This group of people makes doing a large event like this fun,” he explained. “What’s also cool is that we have MTI, Outerlimits, DCB, Performance Powerboats owners enjoying this event. They all hooked up with Cigarette owners to make the rendezvous.”

No stranger to organizing events, Florida Powerboat Club head Stu Jones and his wife, Jackie, came straight from the Mercury Racing 50th anniversary gala and 500R outboard engine introduction to participate. The poker-run producer was impressed.

Stu Jones and wife, Jackie, were joined by friends yesterday in their Cigarette 38 Top Gun named Flight 1130 for its twin Mercury Racing 565 engines.

“There was every configuration of Cigarette imaginable out there yesterday,” he said. “There were some’ old school’ boats—25 to 30 years old—and they looked brand new. There were a handful of big-power 42s, and one of them had (Mercury Racing) 1550s running on race fuel. It smelled like a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter when it fired up.

“The two stops we visited were busy but not overly crowded,” he continued. “We were able to get dockage immediately upon arrival and both locations were well-staffed and had a fun atmosphere. Above all, I think that the general vibe of the event and the friendliness of everybody was probably what hit home for me the most. Everyone was willing to lend a hand when it came time to get in the boat docked and tied up. It really was an amazing first day.”