St. Pete Lunch Run A New Wrinkle In Year-Ending Southwest Florida Boating Tradition

For the past several years, a lunch run from Sarasota to Tampa has been the first of two casual, back-to-back events leading up to the annual Joey Gratton New Year’s Day Fun in Southwest Florida. But today’s lunch trek had a different destination, thanks to new organizer Scott Ryerson of Sarasota-based Suncoast Powerboat and Yacht Brokerage, and approximately 50 boats headed to Doc Ford’s Rum and Bar Grille on the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Organizer Scott Ryerson and friends Glen Kennedy, Mary Martha Greyhouse, Dee Babcock, Simon Williams and Renee Holzman enjoyed the event in his friend Bill Robbins’ 2022 Cigarette Racing Team 39 GTS center console dubbed Center of Attention. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Conditions for the 100-plus-mile roundtrip journey were flawless. And the new lunch spot was a hit.

“When Bill Munyan (the organizer to traditional Tampa run) decided not to partake this year I decide to present another venue and destination,” Ryerson explained. “It’s a destination we frequent from Sarasota quite often.

Today’s run was event No. 14 of the year for Yvonne Aleman and Greg Harris in Mad Props, their 2022 model-year catamaran from DCB Performances Boats.

“The food and the service were excellent and the restaurant welcomed us with open arms,” he added. “There had to be at least 50 boats. We had a great turnout, and the restaurant is open to even more next year”

Among those who participated were Greg Harris of Yvonne Aleman, who hauled their DCB Performance Boats M37R catamaran called Mad Props from their home across the Sunshine State to be there for this week’s happenings. Since taking delivery of the colorful 37-footer, Harris and Aleman have run it in no less than 14 events.

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Enjoy more images from today’s trip from St. Petersburg to Sarasota for lunch in the slideshow above.

“The location in downtown St. Pete allowed a lot of the locals and tourists to come down and check out the boats and meet some of the participants,” said Harris. “It was actually really enjoyable.”

Open to all comers, tomorrow’s run will take participants around Longboat Key. As he was today to today, speedonthewater.com chief photographer Pete Boden will be overhead in a helicopter to capture all the action.