Attracting 30 and 40 boats, this weekend’s Florida Powerboat Club Miami Boat Show Poker was far from the largest event in the happening’s 23-year history. But with the run’s popular destinations in the Florida Keys either fully committed or still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma late last year, FPC president Stu Jones opted to transition the event from a weekend destination run to a Miami-based, out-and-back day trip experience.

This year, the Florida Powerboat Club’s Miami Boat Show Poker Run switched up its format and became an out-and-back event. Photos courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Jones also changed his traditional Friday night Miami Boat Show Party date to coincide with the first day of his event, rather than the second day of the Miami International Boat Show, which ended a week earlier.

“After two years of trying to hold our party on Friday night during the boat show, I finally got smart,” he said, then laughed, during the second day of the Miami show. “When the show moved to Virginia Key three years ago, that made it really hard for the people staying anywhere but South Beach to make it to Monty’s. Fewer and fewer of our ‘club guys’ had been showing up for the past two years. It was to the point where I didn’t recognize most of the people at our own party. So I decided to move it the opening night of our poker run.”

For a closer look at the 2018 Miami International Boat Show Poker Run, check out the slideshow above.

Headquarters/home base for the run was Haulover Marine Center and the Trump International Beach Resort in North Miami. While the fleet stayed mostly local Friday with a trek to Stiltsville for a photo shoot  followed by a lunch rendezvous at American Social and The Wharf on the shores of the Miami River, it headed south to Sundowners in Key Largo for lunch on Saturday. The club did a complete buyout of the venue, which was followed by a raft-up, for its members.

Mark Munro took delivery of his new Wright Performance 360 catamaran after the show and ran it in the FPC event (click image for full frame).

Related stories
What Do You Want From A Poker Run?
Inside SOTW Mag: Bittersweet Anniversary
Big Changes In Store For Florida Powerboat Club Events
Complete Coverage of the 2018 Miami Boat Show