As is usually the case in mid-October, Stu Jones, Jackie Jones and the entire Florida Powerboat Club team are running full steam ahead in preparation for the Key West Poker Run that takes place in roughly four weeks with two departure days from Miami to the Southernmost point in the United States.

Between the docks and the poker run village, the Conch Republic Seafood Company is once again going to be the focal point of the Florida Powerboat Club’s Key West Poker Run. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

This year marks the 26th anniversary of the country’s most iconic poker run, making it hard to believe that I wrote my OffshoreOnly.com column almost six years ago to the day about the poker run “Turning The Big 2-0.” That’s beside the point as FPC has its hands full to try to top last year’s praiseworthy 25th annual affair.

“We’re not planning to change much this year—because of the setup in Key West, we usually don’t change a whole lot, we’re kind of limited as you can imagine,” said Jones, who added that registrations were approaching 150 boats and he expects a surge in the final two weeks before the run despite the club’s dock space being filled up since August. “We’re still working to squeeze in some sponsors who have expressed interest and tighten up some of the lunch details since Gilbert’s has its docks repaired now.”

Read more: Key West On The Horizon

Related links
Key West Poker Run Excitement Builds
Hooray For Key West