Second-Year Tip Of The Spear Poker Run Is Sharper Still

Here’s a little-known—much less remembered—fact about Virginians Mark and Nancy Tuck. Without their organizational efforts, the 2014 Outerlimits kilometer runs in Washington, N.C., would not have happened. No one involved, from Mercury Racing men including current set-up genius Mike Griffiths and since-departed general manager Erik Christiansen to Outerlimits customers Joel Begin and Dave Scotto, would disagree.

By all accounts, the organizers of the second-year Tip of the Spear Poker Run delivered another exceptional event. Photos by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos. Additional photos courtesy of Devin Wozencraft/Wozencraft Insurance Agency.

The late Mike Fiore built a sensational boat 43-foot boat powered by heavily juiced Mercury Racing 1650 engines, and ace setup-man Brian Forehand piloted it into the record books. But the Tucks organized the American Power Boat Association-sanctioned event on the Pamlico River.

They even established an APBA member-club to get it done.

So it is safe to say the power-couple came to the first Tip of the Spear Poker Run last year in Norfolk, Va., with heady organizing credentials. And true to form, they started brainstorming this year’s event before the first-year affair was complete.

The new Performance Powerboats P420 turned heads all weekend.

“The organization was perfect and all of the venues involved were first-class,” said Jeff Helmkamp, who also photographed the 2024 happening. “Like last year, the poker-run course provided plenty of great boating for the participants, and lunch in Smithfield was excellent.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again,” he added. “The venue for the poker-run awards banquet is second to none.”

The event attracted 40 registered boats and an estimated 250 participants, a relatively light turnout by current poker-run standards. But thanks to a collaborative effort between the organizers and backers, its fundraising results dwarfed those of longstanding events three to four times its size.

Each of the 40 boats in the event had its own slip.

“The Tip Of The Spear Charity Poker Run managed to raise $80,000 with proceeds going to the SEAL Legacy Foundation and also the Specialized Forces of the Coast Guard,” Mark Tuck said. “As mentioned in a previous Speedonthewater.com article, Accelerated Portfolio, a sponsor of the event forgave $500,000 of military veteran debt for veterans in Virginia and surrounding states. That puts the total charitable impact of the event at $580,000.

“Sometimes, good things come in small packages,” he added, then chuckled. “And I guarantee it was sexiest group of boats and sexiest group of women that the Norfolk Waterside Marina has ever seen.”

Hardware in the event included this well-known 52-foot MTI catamaran.

Though Devin Wozencraft had another commitment during last year’s Tip of the Spear Poker Run, he made it to last weekend’s as part of his annual “Wozencraft World Tour,” which is focused on East Coast events this year. The high-performance marine insurance and finance man ran his hard-to-miss 34-foot Victory catamaran Friday and Saturday, and he was “blown away” from start to finish.

“Mark and Nancy don’t need anyone to tell them how great they are, but they know how to put on a fantastic event,” Wozencraft said. “There were golf-cart shuttles from the host hotel, which was incredible, to the docks at the marina just one block away, where each participant his own slip. I mean, so much thought went into this event that it’s hard to compare it to anything else.

Enjoy more images from the 2025 Tip of the Spear Poker Run.

“You got to boat around battleships and aircraft carriers,” he continued. “All of the stops had pools where you could cool off, which was great because it was hot but not humid. Everyone was super friendly and the food was phenomenal.”

As he did after the Outerlimits kilometer runs more than a decade ago, Tuck deflected credit for last weekend’s success. He pointed the spotlight at others involved, starting with his family.

Said Tuck, “I guarantee it was sexiest group of boats and sexiest group of women that the Norfolk Waterside Marina has ever seen.”

“My wife, Nancy, and daughters Kelsey and Kaitlyn did a phenomenal job,” he said. “Their work ethic and attention to detail is just amazing. The support from the folks from New York Life is uncanny—supplied a crew of volunteers and threw a bunch of funds at the event. I don’t think we could pull it off without them.

“Matt Raymond of Sanders Ford and Brian Forehand of Marker 17 Marine brought eight boats from North and South Carolina. “And Performance Powerboats debuted its stunning P420 demo boat.”

Added new Tip of The Spear Poker Run fan Wozencraft, “This event needs to be ‘broadcasted’ to the go-fast boating world. It’s that amazing.”